I don’t tend to throw the word epic around much though I have been on some epic mountain bike rides – Tahoe’s Flume Trail, Lake Crescent’s Spruce Railroad Trail, and while not epic per se, that little gem, Diamond Valley Lake was quite lovely too. Fond memories of those rides were stirred up by my ride today on the Navajo Lake Trail. As you can see, Navajo Lake and the surrounding area dazzles in the Fall. It’s quite sweet in the Summer too, a great spot to escape the heat of St. George as it’s usually at least 10 degrees cooler.
It’s a sweet, highly scenic, nontechnical single track cruise by way of Navajo Lake Loop Trail and the Virgin River Rim Trail, aka the other half of the Navajo Lake Loop Trail. Great for mountain biking, trail running, or a hike.
Interesting fact: The lake was created when a lava flow dammed the eastern end of the valley.
Distance: 11 Miles
Staring elevation: 9,035′
Elevation gain: 827 ft
Navajo Lake Summer vibes – View from the Rim Trail section
Winter vibes—taken from a hill above Deer Valley cross country and snowshoe area.
Getting there: From Cedar City go east on Scenic Byway SR 14, 25 miles to the Navajo Lake road turnoff and keep your eyes open for the Navajo Lake Loop Trailhead parking sign on the right side of the road. It’s free to park.
Ps. There are campgrounds, and fishing, boating, and swimming are allowed.
On the Loose Live 