Guacamole Mesa
There's a fence line. It's just a few wires stretched across some aged wood posts crossed in the middle. It is stretched across the white sandstone. Uneven and rages, there's even a few places where it has fallen down. On the other side of that fence, the sandstone and terrain looks identical to what you are riding, but it is forbidden slickrock. Across that fence lies Zion National Park, one of the most scenic national parks in Utah that is, unfortunately, off limits for mountain bikers.
Guacamole Mesa fixes all of that. Often considered the little brother to its more famous sibling, Gooseberry Mesa, Guacamole is a local favorite. It has all of the techy, fun slickrock you expect, but it sits just outside of the park's boundaries. This gives you panoramic views of Zion's towering cliffs making it one of the most photogenic and scenic trails in the world.
Getting there
From Highway 9, turn northeast (left if coming from Hurricane) onto the Dalton Wash Road just outside of Virgin, Utah. The dirt road is accessible by most vehicles as long as it is dry. However, be prepared for dust and some slick spots if there has been recent moisture or freezing temperatures. Once on Dalton Wash Road, simply follow the main track up to the slickrock. You are there once you top out of the steep, narrow section of road.
riding the trail
The trail is marked with white dots, rock cairns, and paint buckets. The trail is fun regardless of the direction you ride it. The paint buckets signify a junction. We recommend picking a direction and always turning that way at each junction. This will eventually get you back to the trailhead and you will ride most of the outer loop. There are a few connectors in between that are fun and worth exploring if you have the time.
Depending on your route, you will ride between 10-15 miles which takes most riders about 3 hours.
Guacamole?
Our Visual Merchandiser's, Sarah (Wilson) Jarzyniecki, family built the original trail. We've heard lots of stories on how it got it's name, but she tells us that they were celebrating finishing the trail with chips, salsa, and guacamole. Her dad put a bunch of guac in a rock bowl for the dog and it stained the rock green for a long time. The name stuck.
time to ride
Our Hurricane location is about 30 minutes from the trailhead. Cedar and St. George are about an hour. Swing by any of the locations for trail info or riding recommendations. Need a bike, rent on from our Hurricane location.
We hope to see you out there.