Mountain Biking in Southern Utah and Cedar City

Southern Utah is a vast playground for outdoor enthusiasts, from the proximity of National Parks to countless recreation opportunities, there are adventures for every experience level. A highlight of the Cedar City’s outdoor entertainment options are the fifty miles of mountain biking trails, just minutes from downtown.

Dr. Richard Cozzens, an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Southern Utah University and mountain biking enthusiast, has been actively exploring all the natural wonders of the Cedar City area for the past two decades.

“Over the last ten years, I have focused the majority of my outdoor time to mountain biking and documenting the experiences through photographs and Strava,” said Cozzens. “My focus shifted to mountain biking because of what Cedar City offers; easy to Double Black Diamond rated trails from semi-arid climate to the more forested mountain regions, and all with amazing scenery.”

Trails around Cedar City offer plenty of variety and Dr. Cozzens recommends each based on what riders would like to see and what type of ride they are looking for:

“Three Peaks Recreation Area offers fast flowing semi-arid desert trails along with intermittent slick rock with some hill and technical challenges. The Thunderbird Gardens trail system offers red rock heaven that transitions from the semi-arid climate to the cooler highlands plateau. The Iron Hills Trail System offers a similar climate transition with never-ending views of Cedar City and the west desert. These trails are perfect for a challenging cardio workout or the adrenaline seeking downhill enthusiast bombing down the C-Overlook trail or Blow Hard trails.”

“The future of mountain biking in Cedar City is exciting with over 100 miles of new trails in the planning stages, led by Dave Jacobson, Outdoor Recreation Planner, the Cedar City BLM Field office and the support of C-Chapter of the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association (DMBTA), International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC) and all the local mountain biking volunteers. The teamwork between these different entities has been impressive; they have a common passion and goal.”

Dr. Cozzens’ passion for the outdoors and photography (@mountain_biking_southern_utah) educates and inspires others to explore the trails and backcountry of southern Utah. He is familiar with the media and available for an interview. Simply visit his profile.

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