Explore the best rated trails in Big Water, UT, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Bryce Canyon Shared Use Path and Red Canyon Bicycle Trail . With more than 2 trails covering 17 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
My wife and I rode this while visiting Bryce Canyon. I would have given it 5 stars if not for the large cracks in the pavement as others have mentioned. Just be aware that it’s all up hill in one direction and the altitude can make it challenging if you’re not used to it. We rode it from the Bryce City end to the opposite trailhead and back and I was glad I had rented an ebike
We rode this from Ruby’s Campground to Inspiration Peak which was mostly uphill. NOTE!! If you’re not acclimated to the altitude (8,000’) the climb can be challenging
I rode down the canyon. Only saw one other bike the whole way. Agree with other reviewers, while the bath has been resurfaced, some of the many cracks were very jarring on narrow tires. Beautiful fall ride. A very abrupt end at the end of trail.
The reason I gave only four stars is the very poorly fixed cracks in the last five miles at the red canyon end of the trail. This part is the most interesting but hard to fully enjoy it with the very bumpy ride. Being in the mountain you find lots of ups and downs and you will always encounter strong winds to or from the round trip. From Bryce Where the actual painted trail starts it took 13.2 miles to get to the other end, not 16. I highly recommend electric bike unless you are an avid biker. Don’tforget you are on high altitude
My friends and I enjoy riding the paved trails around our hometown on the weekends and we also enjoy a little camping. In my search to find a way to combine these two passions, I found Red Canyon Campground here on traillink.com. Reading the reviews helped me get a feel for what to expect, so we found a weekend and headed up for a bike-centric camping break from the summer heat.
We arrived after lunch on Friday and had plenty of spacious spots to choose from. We found the perfect one with plenty of shade, trees spaced ideally for hammocks, and lots of room to spread out our three tents. All the spaces here are first come first serve, and by sundown there was only one spot left.
The next morning we geared up and started out on our ride. What we anticipated was to be a 8-ish mile, slightly uphill, paved trail away from the cars passing on the scenic byway. This ride was that and so much more in every aspect!
Our group of six consisted of casual to active bike riders on a variety of bike styles and gear. The first four miles leaving the campground and heading east are a little tougher than I expected. Those four miles gradually increase in incline difficulty and weave through a scenic forest and red rock vistas. Once we were able to finally crest the last half mile of fairly steep hill, the trail opens up to a long, straight portion of easy rolling hills with views of pastures extending to mountains far off into the distance. The beauty of the landscape makes exerting to get up that first four mile section of hill climbing completely worth the effort!
We passed a gas station/ convenience store before we asked another rider how far the trail went, as we seemed to be past the 8-ish miles we were expecting. We found out this trail had been extended in recent years to reach all the way to Inspiration Point inside Bryce Canyon National Park. Taking this full trail from the Red Canyon Campground to Inspiration Point would put the route at 16.5 miles one way. We decided that was a little further than we wanted to go on that day, but we continued on to touch the “Welcome to Bryce Canyon City” sign which made our end-to-end ride at 10.5 miles one way.
One the way back, the long rolling hills section was slightly more uphill than I had thought it was, but nothing that was too challenging. By the time we reached the last four miles, now a steep downhill section, I discovered that the cracks in the trail that I barely noticed slowly making my way up the hill, were jarring and abusive when flying down the hill. Those of us with skinny butts and even skinnier tires got spanked pretty good because of the the multiple and unavoidable cracks.
Other than some maintenance that seems long overdue to make this trail smooth and comfortable, the ride was challenging but not impossible, stunning in scenery, and made for a fun and unforgettable experience for our rag tag group of bicycle enthusiasts. We absolutely loved the spacious campground with clean bathrooms and the super friendly campground hosts!
We will absolutely be coming back next camping season to do this one again and encourage anyone who is considering a biking/camping trip to put Red Canyon Campground on your list of must do’s!!
What a great ride. Lots of breaks in the asphalt that are large and actually hurt. The way down was fast and the bumps were horrible. However, this is a great trail and I’ll continue riding it. It is beautiful.
I started at Thunder Mountain Trailhead and worked my way east. It was a gradual uphill the entire ride all the way to end of the canyon. I thought the section of trail not inside the canyon was pretty meh but the rest of the canyon was pretty scenic and well maintained. I would recommend doing the 1st five miles only and then just turn around unless you just really have a hankering to ride a few extra miles of boring prairie.
I started this trail just outside Bryce Canyon National Park at Ruby's RV park and campground. You can catch the trail just across the street and head north to the intersection of Hwy 63 and N 100 E. You ride on the sidewalk for a bit, but then you can see the trail pick up again at this intersection, across the street. It goes north for a bit and then heads west at the Cowboy Ranch House and Bryce Canyon resort. For about a total of 8.5 miles the trail is flat or rolling hills. After that, for about 5 more miles it is downhill to Thunder Mountain trailhead. If you don't want to ride the 5 miles back uphill, stop at the Red Canyon trailhead. The 5 miles back from Thunder Mountain trailhead are certainly a challenge, but not too bad. The views are awesome, and the trail surface is really good - just a few bumps in places. As others have said, the trail continues from where I started, into Bryce Canyon National Park. I did not ride this section.
May 8 2017 We actually picked up the Red Canyon trail close to the end and rode it all the way in to Bryce Canyon NP. There is a short gap in front of Ruby's outside the park where you have to share the road. The shared multi-use path picks up at the shuttle bus parking lot and goes up through Dixie NF before entering the NP. Its a wonderful trail that winds past the Visitor Center, past the Lodge, Sunrise and Sunset viewpoints and ends at Inspiration Point. Its all nice smooth asphalt. There is a park sign on the trail to stop and take your picture. A few small hills that if you arent in good shape can make you huff and puff due to the 7700' elevation. The ride down is a joy with serpentine curves through the ponderosa pine. Lots of Utah prarie dogs scurrying across the path which are an endangered and protected species. Take a bike lock since bikes arent allowed on the Rim Trail.
Started the nicely paved trail on the west end at Thunder Mountain TH. Made the climb up past the two tunnels and turned around at the small bridge. Thought we were getting close to the top but could see the trail continued to climb. The climb isn't difficult (unless not used to the elevation) but seems to be fairly steady. On return down the trail stopped at the Red Canyon Visitor Center. They have some nice interpretative signs showing a variety of trails in the area with an elevation graphic. The visitor center is only about 1/2 mile from western starting point. Might want to stop there first. Plus you can get your photo with Smokey Bear taken. As my title states, pretty hard to beat this scenery.
I began my ride sort of in the middle of the trail near the OHV parking lot for the Fremont trail, just across from Tom's Best Spring Road. I had read other reviews that said going from east to west would be best but I wanted to see how far east the trail went. Good news! It goes all the way in to Bryce Canyon City and into the park to Inspiration Point. I didn't ride all the way into the park as I had other plans for the day so turned around at Ruby's Inn and headed west. The trail rolls across the meadow with some fun hills to coast down and then you get your workout pedaling up the next rise.
Once back to where I started, the trail begins it's descent into Red Rock Canyon. Absolutely beautiful and what a great way to enjoy the scenery. I was really glad I was going in that direction, I only had my Tern folding bicycle with 7 gears and it would have been challenging to ride from west to east.
A must if you are in the area. If you are staying at one of the local hotels or campgrounds, take advantage of the trail and ride in to the park. Gives you an opportunity to see the pronghorn and mule deer in the forest that you might not see from the road. And you don't have to wait for a parking spot.
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