Trail Overview

This roughly 5-mile trail takes you from Goulds Rim Trail or Honeymoon Trail across the top of the mesa to Virgin, Utah. From Virgin, you can access Smith Mesa or Rattlesnake Gulch to Toquerville Falls Trails. It's a great way to get from Hurricane, UT, to Virgin, UT, without having to take the highways. When riding in the Utah mountains/desert, it's a good idea to carry recovery equipment, such as a snatch block, a saw, and a tow rope. During the spring, summer and fall, watch for rattlesnakes. And we don't ever ride without at least one firearm. Temperatures in the summertime get hot, but the winters have a lot of great riding days as they don't get much snow in Hurricane. Starting Feb 2023, Utah is going to require an online course, which they say will take 15-30 minutes, for all off-roaders. You will have to print out something to carry with you.

Photos of Mesa Top Cut-Across

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Difficulty

This Mesa-Top Cut-Across Trail is an easy way to go from Highway 59 to Highway 9 without riding on pavement. It may be muddy in the wintertime or springtime.

Technical Rating

Dan Jaquez

Aug 30, 2025

Open

We traveled from Hwy 59 to Hwy 9 as a short cut, horrible washboard for over 1/2 the trail. Recommend that the county retrain the grader operator.

David Prather

Jul 23, 2025

Open

We cut across to Hwy 59 while on vacation. It started out as blacktop before changing to gravel. We had no issues crossing in our rental (2025 Traverse) and got to see a lot of great scenery and rock formations.

Alex Garcia

Mar 21, 2025

Open

Very easy trail with some beautiful views. Great trail for novice. This is shared with hikers, mountain bikers, and campers with some private properties. Speed limits of 25mph

Ted Derryberry

Jan 10, 2025

Open

Dennis Moser

Nov 22, 2024

Open

The north 1/4 mile of the Sheep Bridge Road is closed for construction.