Review Date
June 24, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: KADE ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Rode the north section (north of HWY 160)of the Cottonwood Trail on a trip to Vegas with my wife. It was her first time riding off road. The trail was not technical at all, only a few rocks and a few short steep climbs. It was very fast and still a lot of fun for me. A nice change of pace from the technical stuff I usually ride. Mostly hardpacked sand/gravel trails. The scenery is amazing and this was the highlight of my trip to Vegas. We did see some wild burros eating, they didn't bother us and we didn't bother them. It was very hot when we rode in the middle of June so bring your Camelbacks! It was only about a 25 min drive off the strip, so if your're in Vegas go check this out. It is beginner friendly, but more experienced riders should have fun here too.

Recommended Route:
We parked the car at the Bike Outpost in Blue Diamond. From there we rode south up the paved hill a little ways (1/4 mile) until we hit the trail head. The north loops are all right there. You can head south towards Highway 160, and there is a tunnel under the highway where you can access the more popular NORBA 15 mile Cottonwood loop.

Review Date
October 12, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: tcperkins ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
This was by best Las Vegas experience. What some of the earlier negative posts miss is that for an out of towner, this place makes a Las Vegas vacation complete. It also is some of the only guilt free entertainment in Las Vegas. Most of the trails are moderate and fun. The Hurl offers technical and climbing challenges. But what makes this ride is the scenic beauty and the contrast from the rest of Vegas. The fact that there is a great shop at the base, the Bike Outpost with reasonably priced rentals, makes this a doable ride for folks who fly in with just their bike shoes, pedals and helmets. Spend a morning with some locals who can show you around. Get a soda or two at the market. Go out again or go hike or climb in Red Rocks. Just make sure you do it when it's not too hot. I like October and April, months in Nevada that offer a great contrast to Seattle, where I'm from.

Recommended Route:
The Hurl

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Don't know of any this close to Vegas.

Review Date
October 2, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: ArizonaAdam ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Actually, I've ridden this trail twice. I took a couple of friends out to this trail this weekend, one a first time mtb'er, one an experienced rider with a nice bike, but without much recent saddle time, and me, an intermediate rider. I'll say that I was the only one who didn't crash at some point, but this trail was fun for everyone. There are long sections of gradual uphill, which also means there are long sections of gradual downhill that twist and turn through winding, banking single track. There are a few gnarly sections, a couple of semi-technical steep uphills and downhills, but overall I never had to walk my bike. This trail is truly a XC trail, but if you get off the beaten path I hear there is some technical stuff, drops, wicked downhills, haven't looked into it, not that interested. Mostly, I just had a blast, the speed of the trail is up to you, the uphills are moderate, and there are enough technicals to break up the monotony (if you call it that) of the looping ups and downs. I was riding from 11am-1pm on a Saturday, and it wasn't too busy at all, though the wheather was great, mid 80's, sunny. Bring lots of water.

Recommended Route:
Getting there: Head south from the strip on LV Blvd or the I-15, take Blue Diamond (Rd?) West toward Pahrump to the 159/Blue Diamond turnoff and make a right, going North. You can then turn into the town of Blue Diamond and start from there or, I hear there is also a proper trail head if you continue on the 160/Blue Diamond Rd and don't turn. There is also a senic route if you live closer to redrock, you can take the 215 out to the redrock exit and go south on the 159. Beautiful drive. I like starting from Blue Diamond because ... Start at the trail head (a rock that says "this is not the trail head"), go up the big, long hill to your left, and keep going, the section of trail I rode makes a big loop around back to where you started. If you don't go all the way, but end up coming back the way you left, the trail gets much shorter, but you get to ride down where you came up. The problem I've had at this trail is finding my way around the long way, both times I've taken a wrong turn at the three-way-fork, which is signed, and ended up taking a small loop back the way I came. I didn't mind, beucase that nasty uphill at the beginning turns into a great downhill, top gear fast.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
??

Review Date
April 12, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: refresh248 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Overall this park was good. I'm from Florida and was not used to the altitude and long climbs. It took me about an hour or so to get adjusted. I was happy with the amount of trails there were to ride and disappointed with the technical difficulty. The scenery was incredible and everyone there was super cool!!! I rented a Cannondale Prophet 1000 from the Bike Outpost for $60.00. This bike ROCKS!!! I would definitely go back if I ever visit the area again.

Review Date
November 10, 2003

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

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