About half a mile from the entry gate (where you pay a day use/camping fee) there is the Slickrock Bike Trail parking lot on the left. A 2 mile practice loop is offered at the trail head while the main trail is 10+ miles. The trails are challenging uphill as well as down. This little lariat ride out and around the practice loop is 2.3 miles round trip. add photo. Our family enjoyed the Slickrock bike trail, even though some of us had to walk quite a bit. The easiest route to the trailhead is probably to turn east on Center Street while driving through Moab on Highway 191 and follow the signs for … Beginners would be advised to first ride the practice loop, marked clearly by white arrows leading off the main trail. However, the Practice Loop is every bit as difficult as the trail itself -- only shorter. From the trailhead, you have the option to ride the Slickrock Practice Loop, a warm up loop which is fun to add on to the ride anyway. (Al Hartmann | Tribune file photo) Mountain bikers ride the practice loop on the famed Slickrock Trail near Moab, April 20, 2001. Intersections, points of interest and caution zones are indicated with yellow paint. A suggestion - across from the entrance to the Slickrock parking area is a little slickrock dome just to the right of the entrance to some camp sites. The Slickrock practice loop was perfect for my 10 year old son with a 24" kid's mountain bike. Route Description: The trail is marked by white dashes painted on the slickrock. Plan on taking a few hours (3-4) to ride the loop all the way around. We ride up to the Slickrock Trail from downtown Moab, because that’s what you are supposed to do! Above Abyss, a relatively new and unknown side trail to Slickrock, is everything good about the main Slickrock trail, condensed. Length: full loop 12 miles, practice loop 2 miles Difficulty: Difficult Tips: Bring extra water. Amazing views abound on this very technically and anaerobically demanding trail. Big fun. Stars: Activities: hike mtn-bike Seasons: spring fall summer From: Park2. Slickrock - think solidified sand - is insanely grippy, it possible to ride steepness and angles on slickrock that defy logic. Sand Flats’ famous Slickrock and Porcupine Rim bike trails and almost 40 miles of 4×4 trails are world-renowned for their combination of challenge and awesome scenery. After completing the 6 mile loop, return on the same 2 mile trail. It begins as an out-and-back, but it has a large loop on the end of the out-and-back section. A quarter mile from the parking lot, you’ll hit the 1.7-mile practice loop. edit text The Moab Slickrock Practice Trail is an offshoot of the main trail and can be combined or riden alone. Dotted white lines are painted on the rocks to enable riders to follow the trail. The ride is completely on slickrock, which is a smooth rock surface (see photos below). See other rides. Riding Above Abyss, from the parking lot, is 6.7 miles long; the full Slickrock trail is 9.4 miles, excluding the spurs to viewpoints and practice loop. Starting from the largest parking lot ever dedicated to a single trail, head north on easy terrain. Starting from the largest parking lot ever dedicated to a single trail, head north on easy terrain. The Practice Loop begins by turning right at the top of the first ridge about 0.3 mile north of the trailhead, and returns to that point via a segment of the main trail. Sand Flats is also popular for camping. For a lot of riders, the practice loop lets them say they "rode the Slickrock trail." We will first play for a bit on the Slickrock practice loop which helps acclimate riders to what comes next – riding the big Slickrock loop. There's also a viewpoint spur to overlook The Abyss on the practice loop, 0.5 miles from the outgoing trail fork. Keep an eye out for fast moving mountain bikes and motorcycles, especially when hiking with pets or young children. Slickrock Practice Loop. The trail is easy to follow – white dots and arrows painted right on the rock. Christine, on a steep slickrock roller at Gooseberry Mesa. Slickrock Trail 10-17 miles/intermediate to advanced. It’s a nice, mellow warmup and gave Christine a chance to get a feel for the Mojo 4 and make a few suspension adjustments. ... Slickrock Trail offers a 1.7 mile practice loop. It’s hot anyway, but huffing and puffing uphill made me extra thirsty. Over 175,000 visitors enjoy this 8,000-acre recreation area annually. If you plan on hitting this trail in the summer (like we foolishly did), be sure to get there real early before it starts getting unbearably hot. Type: out-and-back. He was excited to ride a famous trail. Slickrock is a lollipop style trail. I want to do. I wouldn’t take children younger than 14 because it is technical with shear drop offs that small kids could walk/ ride off. 9.8 Practice loop, keep R 10.6 Parking Getting there: The Slickrock Trail begins on the Sand Flats Road, reached by turning left off Moab's main drag onto … You'll come to the Slickrock Practice Loop in.25 miles, which is well worth the detour. Make sure you check out the Slickrock Practice Loop for an evening “quickie.” Recommended for intermediate to advanced riders. I did this. The complete trip along the main trail from the trailhead out to the loop, around the loop, and back to the trailhead covers a distance of 10.5 miles, not counting any spur routes. Intersections, points of interest and caution zones are indicated with yellow paint. Hike the Slickrock Bike Trail Practice Loop and the Main Trail out to the Abyss and back (4 miles round trip) and / or hike the Porcupine Rim Trail to the rim viewpoint for spectacular views into Castle Valley (6 miles round trip, 900 foot elevation gain). This loop, located at the Brand/Bar M trail system, is the perfect introduction to classic Moab slickrock riding, as the distance is short and the trails are easy. Gooseberry also serves as a great place to discuss the geological history of the area with views of old lava cinder cones and an abundance of trailside petrified wood. This is recommended before you ride here. The Slickrock Trail may be the most fun of Moab trails. Sun 06/05 (12.9 miles) Around the Lake Sat 06/04 (2.3 miles) Mt Falcon Sat 04/30 (4.7 miles) Pipe Dream Sat 04/30 (13.5 miles) Sovereign Singletrack Fri 04/29 (23.0 miles) Porcupine Rim Thu 04/21 (5.8 miles) Evening Commute … My son rode the practice loop at 7 on a 20" Trek Mountain Lion. We’ll expose you to the Slickrock practice loop and link doubletrack and singletrack trails to some amazing views of Zion National Park and the surrounding Colorado Plateau. Slickrock Practice Loop Total Distance: 4 km. The Slickrock Trail is made up of many short and steep undulating climbs and descents. And once that clicks, Slickrock … Date of experience: June 2013. The main trail is a 2 mile trail out to an additional 6 mile loop. Slickrock Trail - Trail - user reviews : 4.7 out of 5 - 17 reviews - MTBR.com BULL RUN It took all 2.2 miles of the Practice Loop to prove we could, for example, climb a 20-percent grade out-of-the-saddle without slipping back. It reconnects to this trail half a mile later. Although the trail is not particularly challenging in a technical sense, the steep climbs and lack of shade can make it a physically challenging ride. Right away, she mentioned how well the Mojo 4 pedaled. The trail is full of short steep climbs and descents and will really work your legs out. Watch for 4x4's and other dirt bikers as you cross the Hells Revenge 4x4 trail. Now at 14 he kicks my butt on anything technical. The rocks and washes that you encounter are mild and provide the perfect opportunity for practicing how to navigate desert terrain. The Slickrock Bike Trail is an adventure. I would recommend this trail for intermediate to pro riders and not beginners. We started our ride on the Practice Loop, riding easy, rolling slickrock and sandy singletrack. It's a good introduction to the main Slickrock loop, slightly easier and adds another fun mile to your ride. The Practice Loop offers an introduction to riding on slickrock. Route Description: The trail is marked by white dashes painted on the slickrock. Slickrock trail from downtown Moab, head east on E 300 s Street s. Technically difficult easy to try a section over and over again until ``... 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