Trail Guide: The Hurricane Rim Trail IMBA Epic

Mountain biking in Hurricane, Utah, has exploded in popularity over the last few years—and for good reason. This desert gem offers stunning views of Zion National Park, super fun slickrock trails on Gooseberry Mesa, and fast, flowy singletrack. I’ve come back to ride the trails in Hurricane several times now and it’s a bucket-list destination for any mountain biker.

On my first trip to Hurricane, the 24-mile Hurricane Rim Trail Loop immediately piqued my interest. As an IMBA Epic, it promised everything I love about mountain biking: scenic singletrack, immersive backcountry vibes, and a solid challenge. Having ticked off several other IMBA Epics, I was curious to see how this one stacked up.

My verdict? It’s… okay. The views are undeniably spectacular, but as far as epic riding goes, I’d argue there are better trails in Hurricane. That said, this is just one rider’s take, and every trail experience is unique. If you’re curious about tackling the Hurricane Rim Trail and forming your own opinion, read on—I’ll share everything you need to know for a successful ride.

What is the Hurricane Rim Trail Loop?

The Hurricane Rim Trail Loop is a 24-mile cross-country mountain biking route that has earned the prestigious designation of an IMBA Epic. This title is reserved for trails that deliver exceptional riding experiences, combining challenging terrain, stunning scenery, and a sense of adventure. Located in Hurricane, Utah—a hotspot for desert mountain biking—the loop is a showcase of the area awesome vistas and unique singletrack.

The main appeal of this ride are the vistas, which are absolutely stunning. Red and white mountains set against a blue sky, vibrant green shrubs and wildflowers dotting flat mesa tops, deep canyons, and rolling hills. The views are amazing throughout the entire loop.

However, the appeal – for me at least – mostly stops there. The riding, to be quite honest, is a bit boring and very cross-country which is not really my riding style. That being said, I could see how some people would absolutely love this loop for its mellow terrain and big mileage.

If you consider yourself a cross-country mountain biker, you’ll probably enjoy it. But if you’re looking for the more iconic Hurricane riding, skip this loop and head up to Gooseberry Mesa.

Quick stats:

• Mileage: 24 miles (depending on where you start)
• Elevation gain/loss: ~ 2,264 ft
• Elevation high: 4,518 ft
• Route type: Loop
• e-bikes allowed? No
• Time needed: 4-6 hours

Hurricane Rim Loop Map

Where to start Your Ride

Hurricane Rim is a loop, so technically you can start anywhere along the route. The IMBA recommendation is to start on the north rim near La Verkin, which will reward you with a long, fast downhill finish.

Another good place to start is at the Hurricane Hill parking area. Starting here gets the long Goulds Doubletrack slog out of the way, but there’s a pretty hefty climb at the end before descending back down to the car.

If you’re camping up on the mesa, my recommendation would be to just start from where you’ve set up camp. For us, this was along the Goulds Rim trail. The doubletrack climb at the end wasn’t ideal, but it beats breaking camp to drive to a different trailhead.

My Experience Riding the Hurricane Rim Trail Loop

I love a good mountain biking challenge and backcountry ride, but the Hurricane Rim Loop left me feeling pretty underwhelmed. It’s a long ride with a lot of janky tech and not a whole lot of flow. Yes, the views are spectacular, but personally, I think there are better ways to spend your time mountain biking in Hurricane (check out my guide to see what those are!)

But if you are curious about checking off this IMBA Epic, here’s a breakdown of my ride.

Hurricane Rim

We started our ride at the Virgin Dam Trailhead, which is right on the Hurricane Rim Trail. Hurricane Rim Trail is the longest trail segment of the whole loop (7 miles). After gearing up and setting off, we traversed (left) along the beautiful and rugged rim of the Virgin River. The trail offers amazing views out over Zion before pulling inwards.

There is a steep climb up to the top of Panorama Point toward the end of Hurricane Rim Trail and then a switchbacked descent down to the Hurricane Hill parking area.

Goulds Doubletrack

Goulds Doubletrack winds up a canyon for about two miles. I actually thought that it was a nice spin if you go slow and enjoy the view. At the top of the climb, there’s still another half a mile of dirt road until you see the Goulds Rim singletrack to the right.

Goulds Rim

I really like Goulds Rim and it was probably the highlight for me on the whole route. The singletrack is a mellow, meandering pedal through beautiful rolling hills and along the stunning rim of Goulds Canyon. Take a moment to stop and look at the myriad of rock and wildflower colors lining the bottom of the gorge!

Gould

Goulds Rim dumps you out into an open dirt area and it’s a little hard to see where the trail leads. Head straight across the main dirt road toward the fallen down corral and you’ll see the trail wind back in-between some dirt piles. Gould is a fun section with lots of flow if you keep your speed!

Jem

Gould ends at the main highway where we crossed the road and pedaled down the dirt track to the trailhead parking area. Here, you’ll find the start to Jem, one of the original trails at Hurricane Cliffs. Jem is a fast flow track that is pretty darn fun if you can keep your speed. It’s the least techy section of the whole route, so let it rip!

Things to Consider

Final Thoughts

Hurricane Rim is worth doing once, in my opinion. The views are unrivaled and the long pedal is unique, but truthfully you’d be hard-pressed to get me to ride it again. There are so many other amazing trails and networks in Hurricane that offer similar views, but more engaging riding. Gooseberry Mesa, Guacamole, Little Creek, and Wire Mesa all have better routes and more interesting features like rock slab riding and creative alt-lines.

If you only have a few days in Hurricane, I’d say skip this IMBA Epic and focus your time and energy on the other zones.

Have you ridden the Hurricane Rim Loop? What did you think about it? What other tips or advice would you add? Let us know in the comments!