JEM Trail

JEM Trail

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	JEM Trail
Location:	Utah
Nearest Town:	Virgin
Directions to Trailhead:	Take Utah Highway 9 to Sheeps Bridge Road at mile 17. At that milepost Mesa Road, which is signed, goes north, while Sheeps Bridge Road, which is unsigned, goes south. The government has just completed a new bridge over the Virgin River on Sheeps Bridge Road, and right after it you'll turn right on a double-track and park 0.2 miles (~320m) down it at the rim of the Virgin River. If you don't want to get your car dusty, though, just park in the town of Virgin, Utah, itself--it hardly extends the distance or increases the difficulty. If coming from the east, be aware that the U.S. National Park Service charges a stiff $20 toll to drive through Zion National Park. It might be faster, and will likely be cheaper, to take another approach.
Trail Description:	This is the trail misnamed the "Gem Loop" in the Utah section of these reviews. It's half fire-road and half single-track (see review for details). I'm posting a review both here and under "Gem Loop."
Trail Length:	13 miles (21 km)
Trail Type:	Singletrack & Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Intermediate
Web Link:	http://www.bikezion.com
Submitted By:	Ted

tom from Ohio Date: April 1, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: use print out from utahmountainbiking.com Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Great trail for checking out the desert vistas. Not very hard at all. In fact, the steep switch backs were not as dangerous as some people make them out to be. I'm an average biker and was able to ride down most of it. My wife walked her bike down and felt fine. You do get close to the edge of the Gorge at the end of the ride though. Over all I enjoyed the trail for the views and easy pace.	Overall Rating:

Puzman from Wallingford, CT Date: February 25, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Up doubletrack, down singletrack Other recommended trails in the same area: Gooseberry Mesa
Review: Wonderful fast singletrack that has you swooping through the desert at crazy speeds. Incredible views of the Pine Mtn. Wilderness and Zion NP. Heartstopping exposure. Don't ride here if afraid of heights. There's a very good description/map at utahmountainbiking.com. Highly recommend bringing this trail guide with you. We rode up the doubletrack and down the singletrack. You'll gain about 800' elevation in 6.7miles on the doubletrack, then lose it all in 6.1 miles on the singletrack. You'll find yourself flying through the desert on beautiful sinuous singletrack at warp speeds, and for the last mile you'll find yourself moving along at a crawl and whimpering, because 1-2' on your left is a death drop into the Virgin River. DO NOT BIFF HERE. The trail is not technical, but the price for a fall is very high!	Overall Rating:

Kirk H. from Ogden, Utah Date: November 4, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Right at Highway marker 17 on the road to Zions. Then down across the bridge. Few hundred yards take the little dirt road to the right another couple hundred yards and park. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Trail for us started right there at the edge of the cliffs along the Virgin river. To the West of parking area. Jump on and start riding. I made it a few peddles and did look down over the edge and thought wow be a little careful. The edge is a few feet away but a good one roll fall could be fateful. I just rode along and other than a couple spots that the trail gets really close to the edge it was just very scenic and a good trail. However with my wife behind me I was thinking boy I hope I haven't put her in over her head here. I thought it better to just ride slow and keep an eye on her. Just after the last little spot that was the closest the trail comes to the cliff (2 feet) I got a little nervous about her going by there. As well as thinking boy I am glad I rode that easily. Glad I had my confidence. She got through there and yes we may walk those couple spots next time just to be extra careful. She caught a loose rock and fell and rolled right after the cliff area ended. This got our attention to thinking wow that could have happened on the cliffs and we wouldn't be checking just a couple scrapes. After that little scare the rest was good single track slightly uphill. She was a little butt bruised and we rode back on the road. Everyne else there seemed to shuttle or ride the dirt road up and then just ride the single track downhill. I like the work then reward system better. I would ride up the single track and back down it next time. Maybe just being more aware and careful along the first cliff area.	Overall Rating:

KB from DRAPER, UT. Date: October 23, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Started from the Virgin side off of highway to Zion. Rode just the singletrack out and back. You can start on the highway that goes from Hurricane to Arizona too using the Hurricane rim trail that looks like fun too. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock Swamp, and Gooseberry.
Review: This is just a mostly flat not difficult desert ride with great views. You can go pretty fast too on the downhill part of it which is on the southern end. This is a great warm up ride or last day ride before making the drive home. Because of the singletrack I rate it higher not because of difficulty.	Overall Rating:

Ryan from St. George Date: September 8, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: As Stated. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This ride is cool, I recomend jumping on the Hurricane rim trail, it makes a bad ass ride.	Overall Rating:

Ted from Oakland, Calif., USA Date: May 30, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: I recommend following the directions in "Mountain Biking Utah's St. George/Cedar City" (FalconGuide), by Bruce Grubbs. His mileages are accurate. You'll need an odometer to find the singletrack portion of this trail; if you don't have one, you'll probably waste a lot of time searching for it. Other recommended trails in the same area: Thunder Mountain, in Red Canyon near Bryce Canyon on Utah Hwy. 12 (fabulous); Green Valley Loop, St. George (a blast); Paradise Canyon, St. George (nice).
Review: The J.E.M. trail is notable for its views of Zion National Park and the surrounding mountains and bluffs, and into the Virgin River canyon. I didn't find the trail itself that compelling--it's nice single-track but does not compare to the wonderful Thunder Mountain and Green Valley trails. It's not a must-ride if you're visiting the area, but you won't regret riding it either. Be careful on the initial canyon descent on the single-track portion. I found it deceptively treacherous even after the initial switchback and almost wiped out. You're a long way from any help. Also, other sources are right to warn that one misstep on the portion along the Virgin River rim will be fatal. Ride conservatively there if you decide you're capable of riding that section in the first place. Bruce Grubbs's "Mountain Biking Utah's St. George/Cedar City Guide" (FalconGuide) suggests an alternative if you decide you're acrophobic or otherwise incapable of riding that section. I rode the singletrack along the rim (walking in a couple of places just to err on the side of caution) and didn't follow the other route.	Overall Rating: