In 2024, the Trail Alliance of Southern Utah (TASU) added Hell Hole — a five-mile DH track that blurs the lines between intermediate and advanced. The descending-only trail rises far above the newly built Revenant Trail System, roughly 30 minutes west of St. George, Utah.
TASU is once again busy with new trail additions, including a new black and double-black DH trail parallel to Hell Hole. They are also wrapping up singletrack that will cap off the Cliffrose Trail System and looking to begin a third trail build.
Hell Hole’s big brother
“The first mile or two of that is gonna be expert, maybe even double black,” Kevin Christopherson, TASU President, told us. “You’re kind of going in on some cliffs and dropping down into a canyon that’s very rocky, big rocks, like kind of the size of a station wagon.”
The canyon Christopherson refers to is adjacent to, and just west of, the one Hell Hole runs through. In fact, this new advanced descent will utilize the beginning mile or so of Hell Hole before branching off into the completely new trail. Hell Hole runs a little over five miles, making the new trail roughly four miles long. However, the elevation loss of the two trails — around 1,400 feet — will be roughly the same because the new trail starts with a bit of a climb that regains a good portion of the elevation lost in that first mile of Hell Hole.
TASU anticipates finding any way they can through this station-wagon-sized boulder field. While up and over isn’t out of the question, Christopherson explained that the trail will be benched in quite a few sections, which will, in turn, create a good amount of exposure. Though this new trail may not have the same level of consequence as other iconic trails in St. George, like Flying Monkey or King Kong, it will certainly lean heavily toward the advanced side — especially the top portion.
According to Christopherson, this technical section will have an 8-10% grade. “So if you’ve got the skills on the bike to handle that, you should be able to go over some pretty big stuff fast.”
Christopherson said the double-black, extremely technical section will make up almost half of the new trail. After that, the canyon widens, and the rocks thin out a bit. Although it is less chunky, TASU will keep the bottom half of the new descent as a black trail. They anticipate adding jumps, berms, and rollers where they can to maintain the advanced character of the trail.
For those who aren’t too keen on navigating in and around car-sized boulders, TASU is also building a bypass of the top section. Rather than entering onto the new trail a mile down Hell Hole, riders can go another mile or so and skip the super rocky part.
The new trail will drop into the western side of The Revenant Bike Park. This will add nearly one more mile of double-black descending Rock House, the expert jump trail in the system. Riders can also choose from Goucho and Buckaroo, blue and green, respectively.
All three of these descending options are DH-only.
But a new climbing trail is planned, too. Right now, those pedaling up take the shuttle road, which is out of the way and has some steep parts. Christopherson said that they will also add a climbing trail from The Revenant Trailhead to the Hell Hole Trailhead. “This will be more of a trail for normal human beings,” he added.
Completing the Cliffrose Trail System
TASU just completed a new trail at the Cliffrose Trail System called Pillow Fight. “It’s two-way,” Christopherson clarified, “but most people are going to ride it downhill. It’s just too much fun not to ride it downhill.”
This latest addition to Cliffrose is an intermediate-rated trail that descends over 700 feet and stretches three miles. Pillow Fight consists mainly of fast and flowy sections, but riders will dip their wheels into chunkier sections here and there. But these are solid, intermediate-level blue tech sections, unlike some of the options on Hell Hole that might be darker blue.
Unlike The Revenant Trail System, many of the trails at Cliffrose are bi-directional, although trails like Pillow Fight are marked “Downhill Primary.” With these types of trails, there is a fear that newer riders, not knowing the system well, might climb them. However, Christopherson also mentioned that since the new Pillow Fight trail is roughly six miles from the trailhead, he doesn’t anticipate that being a major concern.
“We’re supposed to be back next month, and continue up the top about another thousand feet,” Christopherson said. TASU will add two more trails, and then Cliffrose will be done — at least, the 43 miles they proposed in the environmental assessment.
When they finish the two final trails, which Christopherson said will be a great shuttle opportunity, riders will have roughly 10-15 miles and 2,400 feet of descending with multiple trail options. Those wanting to go even further can jump on Broken Mesa or Ice House and ride back to the nearby town of Washington.
More trails in Pine Valley
While TASU may be wrapping up new trail development at Cliffrose, they are excited for more opportunities at neighboring Pine Valley. Christopherson said they expect to add 20 miles in the coming years.
“Pine Valley is approved now, but getting the funding to get it done is different,” he said.
TASU hopes to wrap up Cliffrose by the spring and also have the new trails at The Revenant completed by next summer. But this will, of course, depend on the sort of winter they get in southwest Utah.
Once those are completed, they will turn their attention to Pine Valley.
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