Kane County’s Trail Boom Rolls Into The Thrills & Skills Bike Festival
Online registration opens May 15, 2025
In just four years Kane County, Utah, has erupted from a lone trail system to five purpose-built playgrounds and more than 100 miles of fresh single-track—most so new even Google Maps hasn’t caught up.
Tilted Mesa spans three sandstone mesas south of town, packing 16 miles of stacked-loop single-track. Slickrock ribbons, rock gardens, drops, and sweeping vistas paint each ride in red-rock sherbet hues.
Just east of Zion, Applecross climbs between 6,000-6,800 ft. Its three phases now exceed 40 miles of machine-sculpted flow: wood features, high berms, rollers, jumps, and one-way downhill loops that peek into the park’s cliffs through piñon and brush.
The county’s elder statesman is the 11-mile Navajo Lake Loop near Duck Creek. Poplars, pines, and pockets of malpais make this high-altitude route a scenic, intermediate classic.
At the far eastern edge, the Bureau of Land Management’s 6.5-mile Stud Horse Network (built 2023) is set to open to mountain bikes and Class 1 e-bikes this spring. Expect moderate tech, twisting hoodoo corridors, and knockout views of Lake Powell and Skylight Arch.
Finally, crews are carving the Cottonwood Ranch Trails into a private spread beneath Kanab’s vermilion cliffs. More than 36 miles of flow and natural tech are planned, promising something for every rider.
To celebrate—and to pin these trails on the digital map—local cyclists have launched the Thrills & Skills Bike Festival, October 24-26, 2025, at the Kanab Convention Center. Guided rides on three of the five systems will be grouped by ability, while daily gravel and e-bike outings offer laid-back mileage and canyon views.
Festival-goers can sharpen their chops in pro-led clinics covering hill climbs and descents, body position, cornering, new-rider basics, on-trail repairs, and more. Off the dirt, explore next-gen bikes, outdoor gear, and apparel; sample demo rides; chill in the beer garden; catch live bands; graze food trucks; and jump into friendly contests.
Online registration opens May 15, 2025, at ThrillsAndSkills.com; vendor sign-ups are already live. Roll into Kanab this fall and help put Utah’s freshest single-track on every rider’s radar.
