Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain has quickly become one of the must do rides for mountain bikers visiting Southwestern Utah. This is one of the most visually stunning rides you’ll ever encounter. The ride travels through the Claron Formation, the main geologic layer that makes up Bryce Canyon National Park. This geologic layer is famous for its hoodoos and other worldly formations, exquisitely eroded by time and the elements. Our ride has a starting elevation of 7000ft and travels up as high as 8200ft before racing back down to our rig completing a 14.7mi loop.

Days Events

The Days Events

  • The day starts with a scenic drive throuhg the east side of Zion National Park and up to the Thunder Mountain Trailhead just shy of Bryce National Park.
  • The Thunder Mountain trailhead for the loop ride is in scenic Red Canyon State Park amongst a unique portion of exposed and sculpted Claron Formation geologiacal strata.
  • This route is an intermediate technical ride some decent cardio required. Ther are very fast downhill sections with some exposure, tough hill climbs and some pretty gnarly but well crafted switchbacks to keep you on your toes.
  • There are options to do this ride as a shuttled ride if necessarry or desired. Although, we believe you should earn your turns.
  • Drive time to Thunder Mountain is about an hour and a half. Ride times depend on you but this is definately a full day. We do offer options to visit Bryce National Park since we are so close.
  • Our trips are set up as privately guided trips. This means that you will not be stuck with others who might impact your experience adversely.
  • Please let us know if you would like the option of an open group trip to save money.
  • All riders can benefit from proper body mechanics, weight distribution and braking techniques. Our guides are well versed in all riding techniques and can assist with increasing your skill level.
  • All riders will be briefed on the mechanisms and components of their state of the art mountain bike before we start to ride.
  • Your guide is also well versed on the local area and can interpret much of what you see. If you have a question-just ask.

 

Gear Requirements

  • Included Equipment:
    • A full suspension mountain bike is included in the trip pricing
    • Helmets are also included
    • A small biking pack, if needed
    • A local knowledgeable mountan bike guide.
    • Transportation of bikes- Occasionally we ask folks to drive to the trail head, but we transport the bikes.
    • A cooler to store food and beverages of your liking. BYOB
  • What you should bring:
    • A camelbak if you own one, or water bottles (100oz or 3 litres)
    • Snack foods (powerbars, gel shots, candy bars…)
    • Sturdy footwear (running shoes are fine)
    • Athletic clothing (shorts and t shirt with an uper layer) weather dependent
    • A camera (small)
    • Sunscreen

In the Morning (what to expect)

  • Please arrive promptly the morning of your trip. If we have not sized you for bikes prior, we will have to do that in the morning
  • Please park behind our shop
  • Bring all of your things that you want to take into the shop.
  • Fill out any necessary forms if you have not done so already (medical & liability release)

When/Where

When

  • Times fluctuate a bit according to the season. All trips are Mountain Time! We can not stress this enough.
    • Spring- iffy at best due to snow- but give us a call
    • Summer June-September (snow level dependent)-7:00am Mtn. Time at our shop
    • Fall-(check with us)

Where

  • Bike Zion: 1458 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 (we are between the Bestwestern and the Chevron Station) on the west side of the road.
  • Unless another option has been arranged.

 

Transportation

  • When we can, we provide transportation to and from the activities locations.
  • We reserve the right to occasinally have clients drive themselves and occasionally the guide to and from the location.
  • We appreciate your understanding.

What’s Included

Bringing your own bike:

  • You can bring your own bike for this trip. If you do we will reduce your price by $20.00
  • Bringing Your Own Bicycle:
    • Two options are available-
      • Bring your bike with you via air or ground travel. If you pack your bicycle in a bike box please be absolutely sure that you have all parts necessary for putting it back together in a ride able fashion.
      • Ship your bicycle to us via UPS. We can put the bike together for you for a fee. (Please contact us directly if you would like to choose this option.)

Included in the price:

  • Included Equipment:
    • A full suspension mountain bike is included in the trip pricing
    • Helmets are also included
    • A small biking pack, if needed
    • Local and knowledgeable mountan bike guide.
    • Transportation of bikes- Occasionally we ask folks to drive to the trail head, but we transport the bikes.

Not included in the price:

  • What you should bring:
    • A camelbak if you own one, or water bottles (100oz or 3 litres)
    • Snack foods (powerbars, gel shots, candy bars…)
    • Sturdy footwear (running shoes are fine)
    • Athletic clothing (shorts and t shirt with an uper layer) weather dependent
    • Extra layers- top & bottom - it can snow up here in August
    • A camera (small)
    • Sunscreen
  • If you have special components such as pedals, seatpost or seat, we can put that on a rental bike for you at no charge.
    • Please be sure you bring all of the necessarry parts, like the shoes that go with the pedals!!

Registration

Call for reservations and information:

Phone: (435) 772-0302
Fax: (435) 772-3133

Registration Forms:

Below are the necessary forms for registration. Please use our Reservations page for registration or fill out the forms below and fax them to us at 435-772-3133.

Mail:
Bike Zion:
PO Box 623
1458 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

Cancellation Policy

30 days or more from trip date- Full refund minus $50 administrative fee.

14-29 days from trip date- Full refund minus 50% deposit of full trip price.

0-13 days from trip date- No Refunds

FAQ

FAQ - Thunder Mountain

  • How good a shape do I need to be in?
    • Fitness always helps but we can tailor this ride to meet your needs. This ride reaches a max altitude of 8500ft on some uphill climbs. Good cardio helps, but most folks in reasonable shape can do this ride. There are trail options to minimize elevation gain.
  • I don’t consider myself a technical rider, will I have fun on this trip?
    • This ride is moderate in technical difficulty. There are some tight switchbacks and stout hill climbs to negotiate but we can help you with that skill set.
  • What kind of riding will we be doing?
    • The ride is primarily well groomed singletrack. There are you occasional rocky sections that make it a real mountain bike ride but overall this is a very plush trail.
  • What is singletrack?
    • Singletrack is a term used to descripe a single line of trail that is just wider than the bike itself. These trail usually get created by mountain bikes or are old stock trails now used as bike trails. Singletrack differs from doubletrack in that doubletracks are usually created by cars or atvs. Grass or weeds usually stick up between each of the two tracks.
  • What is douletrack?
    • Doubletrack differs from singletrack in that doubletracks are usually created by cars or atvs. Grass or weeds usually stick up between each of the two tracks.
  • What is a fire road.
    • A fire road is a term used to describe dirt roads. Often these dirt roads in the west were originally used as a means to get fire trucks into remote areas.
  • Should I keep my trip as a private trip?
    • We allow people to open their trip up for others to join. If others join it lowers the cost for everyone. If you are worried about holding others back or vice versa, or you don’t want to go riding with kids, you should elect to keep your trip private. We do try to screen each group to see if they are compatible.
  • Can I bring my own bike and does it cost less?
  • Can I ship my bike to you and have you guys assemble it for the trip?
  • Can I bring my own pedals or gravity dropper seatpost, or specail comfy seat?
  • Can you guarantee my safety?
    • Not necessarily. Biking has inherent risks and dangers. Unlike canyoneering or climbing we do not have a safetyline on you while biking you are free to make decisions at will. You can ride off of precipices, into trees and cactus, into others and over the bars. We as guides will alert you to hazards and instruct on technique but the end results are in your hands. We do advise that you ride within your abilities and we will help define your abilities. Part of the joy of mountian biking is trying new things and pushing yourself on new terrain. That said, it is also a good idea to return from your vacation in one piece with all of your teeth still in your mouth.

 

Phone: 435-772-0320
Fax: 435-772-3133
Web site: www.bikingzion.com
Email: [email protected]

Mail Bike Zion:
PO Box 623
1458 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

Cancellation Policy

30 days or more from trip date- Full refund minus $50 administrative fee.

14-29 days from trip date- Full refund minus 50% deposit of full trip price.

0-13 days from trip date- No Refunds