37.702566,-112.279290 - Search Nearby - Added by Chris Engelsman
Quite possibly the most beautiful trail you will ever mountain bike!
Thunder Mountain Trail is one that should be on every mountain bikers bucket list. It's located just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park and passes through hoodoos, classic Bryce Canyon topography and epic views to the west.
For the first 2.5 miles, the trail meanders back and forth with little climbs and descents. At the 4 mile mark, you are rewarded with two Easter Isleesque hoodoos. After that, the real fun starts with the downhill. The Thunder Mountain Trail winds down ridge lines between glowing red canyons. The last 1.5 miles are super fun and flowing and terminate in Utah's magnificent Red Canyon.
Pro-tip, ride Thunder Mountain Trail in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky to provide insane light on the rocks!
Typically, Thunder Mountain Trail is ridden as a shuttle with 2,119 feet of descent and 1,123 feet of climbing. Horseback riders also use the upper section of the trail, so keep an eye open on the service road, if you see horse trailers, you will most likely encounter them on the trail.
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Beautiful Hiking Trail, But Long!
We chose to hike this trail. It’s an amazing and incredible hike, but there are definitely some things need to know if you choose to hike: 1- We logged this trail from end to end at 9 miles. 2- There are 2 separate places to start this trail, the upper and lower trailheads. Most of the bikers and horse riders started at the upper trailhead which is in Coyote Hollow campground. These two trailheads are about 8-10 miles apart. The campground is 2 miles from the main road. 3-Unless you want to hike an additional 10-12 miles back to your vehicle, you need at have someone pick you up. Our potential 8 mike hike turned into 15.5 miles and if not for a random ride, would have been closer to 20 miles round trip. Great if you can do it, not great if you can’t.
