Everyone has different motivations to ride, and everyone looks for something different in a trail. If technical cross-country mountain biking is your thing, Gooseberry Mesa is the perfect trail system for you. It offers miles and miles of slickrock, tightly twisting juniper runs, and stunning views, all of which have earned Gooseberry Mesa a place among the world's great mountain biking destinations.
That said, Gooseberry Mesa is actually a collection of trails that intertwine along the top of this landmark. For a good introduction, hang a sharp left onto the South Rim Trail after you cross the gate from the White Trail parking area. This will take you through alternating technical, tight slickrock and tight, twisting, packed dirt paths that wind through junipers. The trail is marked on the singletrack by white dots. Although the trail is not too strenuous and there are no steep sections, it will challenge your balance as you work your way up stair-like sections and around hairpin turns.
Eventually you’ll get to the Hidden Canyon cutoff. This trail drops you down through the junipers to the north, cutting across the halfway mark of the mesa. You’ll climb back out onto the White Trail junction, and if you head straight north you’ll reach a little lookout point that offers an incredible vista. White Trail is a piece of doubletrack that drops the technical feel that the other trails have, and it adds a little speed and flow to take you quickly back to your car.
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