eBIKE DESTINATIONS TOUR | SEASON TWO

ST. GEORGE, UTAH

THE ADVENTURE HUB

If you caught our 2021 eMTB Shootout then you’ll likely recognize the endless scenery, chunky trails and beautiful colors of St. George, Utah’s desert trails. Two major reasons that we chose St. George as the location to test and ride the best eMTBs on the market a couple years back was the local acceptance of eBikes on trails and the ability to ride a very diverse offering of trails year-round. During that shootout our crew was focused on testing and filming all day every day, but we couldn’t help but notice all of the other fun offerings in the Greater Zion region.  It was the perfect place to put on our list for Season 2 of the eBike Destinations Tour, and we couldn’t wait to have some mellower days in southwestern Utah.

ABOUT THE TOUR

Back for a second season, our eBike Destinations Tour seeks to give viewers insight to some eBike friendly locations that we think should make it on your road trip hit list. Whether you’re looking for the best eMTB trails we can find; a little weekend trip with the family; or an epic winter getaway with your crew, we hope these episodes will offer some well-rounded looks at some of the best eMTB trails and the communities around them.

For 2023 we were lucky enough to hook up with some amazing partners to keep the gas tank full, burritos in our bellies and the camera guy paid. Without their support, these types of projects wouldn’t be possible, so we’d like to extend a huge thank you to Pivot Cycles, Endura Clothing, ABUS helmets and bike locks and Maxxis Tires.

INTRODUCTION TO ST. GEORGE

Located in the southwestern part of Utah, not far from the Arizona border, St. George is quite accessible from several major cities. It’s 118 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada; 300 miles south of Salt Lake City; and 412 miles, or about six hours north of Phoenix, Arizona (another stop on our eMTB Destination tour). Originally settled as a cotton mission, the town was given the name “Dixie” in hopes the crop would thrive in the hot and sunny environment. Since then, St. George has seen major changes: most notably from 2000 to 2005 when it was ranked as the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States.

The Greater Zion area, as it’s known, has a thriving tourism draw that has no doubt lured many visitors to relocating there. Heck, if we had the money we’d even consider buying a winter Wolf Den to visit and ride during the cooler months. As if the numerous lakes, restaurants and beautiful red rocks in the heart of town weren’t enough, St. George has several state parks, the Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon in its pocket, giving seemingly endless spots to explore for days off the bike.

Geographically, the area sits in a geological transition zone, and this is part of why we like riding in St. George. This means it is an area where we can witness a convergence of biotic components that have different geographical origins in a spectacular way. The Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin converged in the violent uprising of rock all around St. George, leaving a multi-colored history that we’re lucky enough to ride bikes on.

As you could imagine, St. George is an arid desert, and is closer in weather to nearby Las Vegas than Salt Lake City or other mountainous regions of Utah. This makes it a great winter riding destination. Average highs from June to September are over 90 degrees whereas the winter months typically see highs in the mid to upper 50s.

Being that St. George saw some incredibly fast-paced growth, the offerings from lodging to food and entertainment are plentiful. We always stop at Sakura Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi restaurant, and love to treat ourselves to Nielsen’s Frozen Custard for a sweet treat when we’re in town. When it comes to lodging, the Advenire is our go-to suggestion if you’re not looking to pinch pennies. It’s a Signature Collection by Marriot property that is bike and pet-friendly and is very centrally located, offering a very comfortable stay. You can walk to a number of restaurants and local spots or enjoy the excellent on-site restaurant from the Advenire, and it’s only a short hop in your car to drive to many of the trailheads, which was something we really liked.

THE TRAILS

When it comes to riding in St. George, there are different regions that have their own flavors and trail types and give a great variety to the region’s riding. Bearclaw Poppy is likely the most visited trail network as it has the most beginner friendly trails in town, with tons of miles to cover. There are some slightly more advanced options, but for the most part these trails are flatter, more flowy and will likely not scratch the itch for more advanced riders. On the massive cliffs overlooking the Bearclaw Poppy trails is one of our favorite rides in town. Zen Trail starts out with a pretty solid climb with some fun tech, beautiful views throughout and ends up with one of the longest sustained descents in St. George. Zen is a more technically and physically challenging trail, so we’d suggest taking a look at our Ride Along video here if you’d like to see more detail.

Other great trailheads are the Paradise Rim zone and Cove Wash system. Barrel Roll and Precipice are fun ones, and we love Turtle Wall to Paradise Rim for a quick short loop that’s close to town as it has some Sedona-esque red rock vibes and rock rolls. If you’ve got mega-legs, a huge battery or can shuttle, the Icehouse Trail is an absolute must hit! It’s an epic that descends from trees down to rocky desert floor and has some amazing high-speed sections and views.

If you want to get a bit more adventurous, you can head about 30-45 minutes towards Virgin and Zion National Park to the Mesa trails and freeride zones. Old Red Bull Rampage sites, big lines and famous trails like Grafton, Gooseberry Mesa, and Holy Guacamole are favorites with tons of history. Many of the Mesa trails, and especially the JEM trails do have some more intermediate, Blue-level runs, but be warned they are longer rides so food, water and some bike repair knowledge should be considered just in case.

OFF THE BIKE

There is a lot of fun stuff to do in the Greater Zion area, whether you’re looking for casual hikes, sightseeing in the Zion National Park or other family-friendly activities, there is no shortage of opportunities. We opted to take an afternoon off and head down to Mesquite, Arizona to play a round of golf at Casa Blanca and do a little gambling in the casino before heading back to St. George. On one of the hotter days, we took to nearby Quail Creek Resevoir on a friend’s boat to mix it up and work some different muscles.

Each time we’ve traveled to St. George we’ve had a blast, eaten great meals and enjoyed the general vibe of the city. There is a ton of different riding in every direction from town and you’ll definitely remember the views and scenery long after the sunburn has faded. St George is absolutely a destination we’d recommend to visit with your electric mountain bike, and we hope you’d agree after watching this feature.

We’d like to thank Pivot Cycles, Endura, ABUS and Maxxis Tires for making our 2023 eMTB Destination Tour series possible and allowing us to help share eBike friendly locations to our readers. After having traveled long distances only to arrive and find out that eBikes are not welcome, we wanted to do what we could to prevent others from similar frustrations. Hope to catch you on the highways or the trails.

If you’d like to see us visit and share more places, please leave a comment or suggestion so we can keep this series going.