Turkey Farm Loop

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Views

This ride starts with long leg burners of climbs that set you up for stunning views of the Pine Mountains, followed by long doubletrack descents and a rip across some of the most scenic singletrack Red Cliffs National Conservation Areahas to offer. Prospector gets much spicier if you're doing it on drop bars, giving the ride a bit of technical challenge to go along with the physical challenge of the distance and elevation.

The only restroom and clean water along this route are at the Grapevine Trailhead. If doing this route clockwise, these will be close to the end. Plan accordingly.

Start climbing from the bottom of Cottonwood Springs Road out of Washington. The road is paved for the first few miles and quite steep at the start, but will level out a little before your lactic buildup gets too out of hand. The grade remains steady once pavement ends and you enter Red Cliffs National Conservation area. You'll pass the T-Bone trail, which some will use from the bottom to start this ride with more singletrack, and 2 other trailheads on the climb up.

Higher up the mountain, grades will start increasing in a few spots before you need to put your self control to work to not turn off onto the Broken Mesa Rim Trail or detour through the Cliffrose trails. (Although this is acceptable behavior) After passing the bottom of Rooster, the road gets narrower and and the climb lets up for a few miles before you come across the first major descent. For the next few miles you'll get to take a break from pedaling as you shed much of the elevation you just worked for with a few uphill intermissions thrown in. During this section you'll get drastic views down into side canyons that make up the back of Red Cliffs and a few turns at the edge of cliffs that'll mix up the view as you pass them. Then comes time for another big climb, not as long this time, but will put back a good chunk of the elevation you just lost.

The top of that climb marks your next big descent, and will be the longest downhill section, letting you bomb all the way down to Silver Reef. Emerging from the canyon this descent follows. you'll be treated with spectacular views of red rocks to the South. Here you'll encounter a brief paved section that offers respite from all the rattling you just went through. Follow the road past the clusters of houses before turning right on Silver Reef Drive, the first major intersection here. You'll pass through the Silver Reef Ghost Town, and then the road will curve away to the right while going straight is a rocky doubletrack path. You know what to do. Go right when it leads you to a T intersection and stick to the widest smoothest trail every time you see a junction. (Or go on a side quest to the abandoned shafts of the Silver Reef Mine if you please). This will take you to the North end of Leeds Reef Trail, where you just need to hop through the gate and follow that Southbound. This will be a smooth flowy section with a few tight turns and boulders before you come to the slightly confusing intersection with White Reef Trail, where multiple singletrack and doubletrack paths intersect. You'll want to go right and then left, following the signs for the Adams trail. This will take you up to the Adams house interpretive site, which you can go around to hop on the road that goes up to the Red Cliffs Campground.

You'll only need to follow the pavement for a few hundred yards, because when you see the gate to Prospector the real singletrack begins. Stick to this trail for its entirety and enjoy all of its sandy corners and technical slabs. Once you pass Church Rocks there'll be a Hike a Bike to get up the hill leading to the Grapevine doubletrack and then you can finish playing in the dirt with a wide downhill before you come to the Grapevine trailhead. This is the only restroom along the route and is a good place to top up water to get back across town.

Depending on where you started pedaling from, Buena Vista Boulevard will be the safest and most direct path to get back to the start of the route. Once it becomes Red Hills Parkway there'll be more traffic, but a bike lane does exist here.

This route passes through the Silver Reef Ghost Town and comes extremely close to the Silver Reef Mine Shafts. The town has a museum on the silver mining that was done here. You'll also encounter the set from the 1958 movie, They Came to Codura.