43.1 miles
Distance
4,896 ft
Climb
-4,912 ft
Descent
3,467 ft
High Point
This is the Official 2022 50 Mile True Grit Epic Course
Posted By GRO Races, event organizers
Detailed Description
True Grit Epic 2022 (50) is a highly rated 43 mile popular expert race route located near Santa Clara Utah. This mountain bike only route can be used one direction and has a hard overall physical rating. This route includes 29 trails. This route climbs 4,896 ft with a max elevation of 3,467 ft then descends -4,912 ft.
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Past Events
100 Reviews & Comments
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+ 0
Putzinator
(Jun 7, 2022 at 10:41)

Trail Zen
I just want to reiterarte what others are saying... The pathfinding is awful, tons of hike-a-bike, various lines if you keep your eyes open and are creative, incredibly technical up and down. Some of the sections are easily double black while insanely technical and that's coming from an AZ techy rider. I took a beginner and she had a blast overcoming some of the more mellow slickrock and chunky descents. I had an awful time trying to make sure we were on trail, fail most of the climbs, with mediocre descending. One or two somewhat fun drops with some techy chunk didn't keep it interesting enough. I would only come back if I had a guide to show me the proper lines.
[Reply]
aroe83
(Apr 23, 2022 at 21:45)

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
The whole area needs cleaned up. Designate one trail and close and rehab the rest. Also there are trails that almost if not run over the namesake (and threatened) bear claw poppy.
[Reply]
BD60
(Apr 21, 2022 at 11:36)

Trail Barrel Roll
Great trail. Largely flow with some tech thrown in here & there with one or two features I’d rate as black. Adding in Sidewinder as a spur gives you a few more miles, and extra climb, and some great views.
[Reply]
BD60
(Apr 21, 2022 at 11:36)

Trail Barrel Roll
Great trail. Largely flow with some tech thrown in here & there with one or two features I’d rate as black. Adding in Sidewinder as a spur gives you a few more miles, and extra climb, and some great views.
[Reply]
S3thH1ll
(Apr 10, 2022 at 15:10)
Trail Bearclaw Poppy
This was a very fun ride it is now one of my favorites. I would definitely recommend it.
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Another unpopular opinion here, this trail is not good. It's kind of a jump line trail, but its just a connection of lines over natural terrain... there's no flow. There's not really jumps, just some natural hips and berms, no landings. Landscape covered in children, and bewildered parents on ebikes. Best avoided, along with the rest of the Green Valley trails.
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Definitely a green trail, great place for someone new to hop around, but definitely not worth the stop in my opinion
[Reply]
Bchr
(Feb 28, 2022 at 20:43)

Trail Barrel Roll
As mentioned previously, midpoint of trail is where all the tech is. Rode in both directions, preferred ccw. CW is an easy climb leading to tech in the middle with lots of flat and pedaling afterwards. CCW is a more fun and engaging uphill with a lackluster descent. Paired CCW loop with sidewinder, Suicidal tendencies, and precipice for the best of all worlds.
[Reply]
Bchr
(Feb 28, 2022 at 20:43)

Trail Barrel Roll
As mentioned previously, midpoint of trail is where all the tech is. Rode in both directions, preferred ccw. CW is an easy climb leading to tech in the middle with lots of flat and pedaling afterwards. CCW is a more fun and engaging uphill with a lackluster descent. Paired CCW loop with sidewinder, Suicidal tendencies, and precipice for the best of all worlds.
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Best ridden as a lollipop clockwise, starting on the trail paralleling Precipice and finishing on Precipice. Quite a bit more technical on the descent than I expected from the other comments. Kind of like Zen Lite.
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Best ridden as a lollipop clockwise, starting on the trail paralleling Precipice and finishing on Precipice. Quite a bit more technical on the descent than I expected from the other comments. Kind of like Zen Lite.
[Reply]


Super fun, can be as sendy as you want or roll the drops if you're not feelin' it.
[Reply]


Trail Zen
There are some incredible rock features on this and the scenery is gorgeous. I never really felt like I was going down though. There are so many super steep techy climbs all over this trail, and I have never ridden a trail anywhere where I have had to dismount so many times. There was a fairly cavernous discrepancy between how fun the individual sections on the trail are and the amount of fun I had riding it. It's awesome when you are going down but you frequently are not. Barrel is substantially more fun.
[Reply]


Trail Zen
Not sure if anyone will scroll down to my comment but I’ll make one anyhow. This trail makes no sense clockwise and I think the concept of loosing the trail is under reported.
That said it is a great up and down trail with some technical short climbs and some harrowing chutes just when you think it’s smoothing out. I rode it a couple times and got lost on the bottom half both times having to keep checking the map which was annoying. Hope you enjoy/enjoyed the trail
[Reply]
That said it is a great up and down trail with some technical short climbs and some harrowing chutes just when you think it’s smoothing out. I rode it a couple times and got lost on the bottom half both times having to keep checking the map which was annoying. Hope you enjoy/enjoyed the trail
misterjohn123
(Dec 7, 2021 at 18:33)

Trail Barrel Roll
weird trail. lots of flat sections with lots of bumps and then a couple hundred feet of technical features at the midpoint of the trail. honestly not sure if i’d recommend this trail unless you’re looking for something easier , especially with suicidal tendencies right there
[Reply]
misterjohn123
(Dec 7, 2021 at 18:33)

Trail Barrel Roll
weird trail. lots of flat sections with lots of bumps and then a couple hundred feet of technical features at the midpoint of the trail. honestly not sure if i’d recommend this trail unless you’re looking for something easier , especially with suicidal tendencies right there
[Reply]
CCS414
(Jul 7, 2021 at 21:53)
Trail Barrel Roll
Best ridden CW but cant be ridden CCW with no problem. Smooth flowy single track with intermittent technical sections. Amazing views of Gunlock valley to the west and Pine Valley mountains to the north.
[Reply]
CCS414
(Jul 7, 2021 at 21:53)
Trail Barrel Roll
Best ridden CW but cant be ridden CCW with no problem. Smooth flowy single track with intermittent technical sections. Amazing views of Gunlock valley to the west and Pine Valley mountains to the north.
[Reply]
alum
(May 14, 2021 at 10:40)

Trail Barrel Roll
Fun, mostly smooth and flowy single track. Rated black on Trailforks but the official map rates it blue. I would rate it blue too, it’s way easier than Zen.
[Reply]
alum
(May 14, 2021 at 10:40)

Trail Barrel Roll
Fun, mostly smooth and flowy single track. Rated black on Trailforks but the official map rates it blue. I would rate it blue too, it’s way easier than Zen.
[Reply]
fly-navy
(Apr 10, 2021 at 6:01)

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Has to be the most braided train I have ever ridden. Fun, but i can't imagine how long the area will last before any vegetation is left.
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Wow. Shocked at the negative comments. This is a suuuuuper fun downhill with several steep drops and jumps. Fun for all levels. You will see kids at the bottom near the trailhead, but I did not see any kids bombing down this trail. Great flow. Had an absolute blast! A nice change from the chunky riding in Sedona and Hurricane.
[Reply]
stratfriel
(Mar 24, 2021 at 18:43)

Trail Barrel Roll
Found a set of master keys on barrel roll. I left them on top of the big green transformer box across from the entrance to the lower parking lot. On 3/24/21
[Reply]
stratfriel
(Mar 24, 2021 at 18:43)

Trail Barrel Roll
Found a set of master keys on barrel roll. I left them on top of the big green transformer box across from the entrance to the lower parking lot. On 3/24/21
[Reply]
rsudbury
(Mar 17, 2021 at 15:43)
Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Fun trail as an end to Stucki loop. Great for kids. Lots of fun, nothing overly technical.
[Reply]
dooh52
(Mar 3, 2021 at 10:28)
Trail Barrel Roll
All good to go. A few pedal strikes but not bad. Fun trail. Not a long ride.
[Reply]
dooh52
(Mar 3, 2021 at 10:28)
Trail Barrel Roll
All good to go. A few pedal strikes but not bad. Fun trail. Not a long ride.
[Reply]
Keeganpi3Q72
(Jan 31, 2021 at 15:10)

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Just because it’s downhill only does not mean it’s gonna be a fun one. Good for beginners.
[Reply]
dback1321
(Jan 16, 2021 at 9:43)

Trail Black Brush Acc
Doable in most cars. It’ll be bumpy, but not that bad
[Reply]
Aaronv74GbW
(Jan 14, 2021 at 4:34)
Trail Zen
I rode this blind and it was amazing! Normally when I’m riding something for the first time, I take it slow but this trail is very friendly. I found this trail easy trust that there wasn’t anything crazy ahead of me. The trail has many tech climbs and punchy sections. Nice chunky descent. And really cool rock features that I almost got lost on. But a quick glance on the map and I was back on track. Give it a shot! You won’t regret it!
[Reply]
Aaronv74GbW
(Jan 10, 2021 at 17:55)
Trail Zen
What an amazing trail! It’s my new favorite! I got lost twice but I was able to figure it out. I rode this blind but it wasn’t scary at all. The trail builders did a great some. This is a great trail to improve your tech climbs as there is very little exposure if you mess up. Also a great trail of you are transitioning from Blue trails to blacks. Have fun!!
[Reply]


Trail Zen
Using the "Route Finder" tool most people lose the trail at 3.5 miles when the trail goes backwards. (Others commonly get lost between miles 3.1 and 3.5) I almost got lost at mile 3.5 today, despite the rocks stacked in a curved wall, I added a few more to help. Route Finder also shows some fun alternate lines. Zen is a blast, with hundreds of very large rock obstacles in the trail.
[Reply]
SuperX805
(Oct 29, 2020 at 5:15)

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Came across the option on a short gravel bike loop. Good fun for drop bar bike. Lots of options. Well maintained and lots of markers keeping me on the easy route and away from big drops. Would be fun to actually learn the trail.
[Reply]
NateGuiness
(Oct 25, 2020 at 13:46)

Trail Barrel Roll
I went counterclockwise, and I think I would have had a bit more fun going clockwise. Little bit more flowy on the up, and more techy on the down if you go clockwise. And vise versa if you got counter clockwise.
[Reply]
NateGuiness
(Oct 25, 2020 at 13:46)

Trail Barrel Roll
I went counterclockwise, and I think I would have had a bit more fun going clockwise. Little bit more flowy on the up, and more techy on the down if you go clockwise. And vise versa if you got counter clockwise.
[Reply]
Bretmooso
(Jun 2, 2020 at 16:13)
Trail Barrel Roll
First of all I am a road/snow bike guy. Brought my 4-inch fat tire bike down for our family vacation. I was worried about the black diamond rating. Definitely some sections that I had to walk my bike through. But otherwise it was a great ride with some wonderful views.
[Reply]
Bretmooso
(Jun 2, 2020 at 16:13)
Trail Barrel Roll
First of all I am a road/snow bike guy. Brought my 4-inch fat tire bike down for our family vacation. I was worried about the black diamond rating. Definitely some sections that I had to walk my bike through. But otherwise it was a great ride with some wonderful views.
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy
There are a lot of negative comments on this trail and I'm surprised, this trail is an absolute blast to go to with any level of experience. There are a ton of insane drops and many little features that have been built into the trail to make it a ton of fun to ride. There are not many times in the trail where there is not some sort of feature to have fun with. In my top 3 trails in the Southern Utah area.
[Reply]


Trail Stucki
there is a fork about halfway down the trail, if youre accessing it from cove wash. go left and up. right and down is a really sucky way to lose half the descent. ended up scraping my brand new Box 1 carbon wheels pretty bad. don't make the same mistake i did.
[Reply]


Trail Zen
Did not induce Zen. Extremely frustrating ride due to the lack of clear markers. There are apparently tons of alternate lines, as in whole 100 ft+ sections that you don’t know if they are the main trail or will even lead back to the main trail. Cairns (small rock stacks) are used, but they are too small and do not stand out from random other rocks, or a single one is placed right in the middle of a trail split, giving no indication which way to go. Paint on the ground like in most other slickrock riding areas is desperately needed. Absolutely zero signage around the parking area or on the trail, aside from private property signs that scared me into parking back on the pavement. The trail was alright, but never anything that made it particularly fun or memorable. Only a few sustained descents for what felt like quite a bit of climbing.
[Reply]
RostonN
(Dec 26, 2019 at 16:23)
Trail Zen
I road this last year and ended up walking a lot of the uphill the downhill was fun but really rough on my hardtail if you a beginner like I was when I road it I wouldn’t recommend it just because of how technical it is still a fun trail for intermediate and pro riders
[Reply]


Trail Zen
A favorite. It is a must every time I am in the area. So many fun quick little tech sections on ups and downs. Counter clockwise for the win... route finding the last 20% is challenging but getting easier each year as the trail gets ridden more and more little rock cairns go up.
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
DEFINITELY don’t ride counterclockwise. Unclearable rock sections scattered around make for a really sucky climb
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
DEFINITELY don’t ride counterclockwise. Unclearable rock sections scattered around make for a really sucky climb
[Reply]


Acid drops are the best parts of the entire trail. Super fun if you like em big and loose
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Pretty horrible trail. People riding wherever they want ruin the trail. Big gap on one which is blind and unclearable. But the drops are fun, if you like ‘em big and loose
[Reply]
Daste
(Sep 18, 2019 at 15:03)
Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Much easier trail than anticipated. There are a few intermediate trails but most are easy. Great for riders of varying levels.
[Reply]
BlairStumpJumper
(Apr 20, 2019 at 21:56)
Trail Zen
So Zen had some good views and some really tough parts, but man...I felt like all I was doing was climbing. For all the sweat I put into this trail I was hoping for some better shredding. It’s worth the ride if you’re in the area...otherwise I’d hit Gooseberry Mesa. Better marked, amazing views and lots of slick rock.
[Reply]
martman800
(Jan 14, 2019 at 14:21)

Trail Barrel Roll
As others have said fun mostly float/xc trail, but some fun more technical sections around the halfway point. I rode this counter clockwise and it was fun, but I think both directions would work well.
[Reply]
martman800
(Jan 14, 2019 at 14:21)

Trail Barrel Roll
As others have said fun mostly float/xc trail, but some fun more technical sections around the halfway point. I rode this counter clockwise and it was fun, but I think both directions would work well.
[Reply]
timmyfitz1
(Oct 30, 2018 at 17:47)

Trail Zen
We had an absolute blast. Counter clockwise loop with tons of scenery, challenging bit of up, and a rippin downhill. Had a rental bike with tubes and pinch flatted both tires at different times, pump up the pressure if you got tubes (damn I hate those things now...tubeless is soooo much better in every respect)
[Reply]
Flanman5
(May 21, 2018 at 18:10)

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
This would have been great if ass hole people would preserve the trails. As it is there’s 10 different options every 20 feet or so. Half of them are jokes and ruin the flow. Thanks for ruining the trails
[Reply]
Bigfoot61
(Apr 12, 2018 at 19:27)

Trail Barrel Roll
Had a great couple of days riding barrel roll and sidewinder suicidal tendencies just thought I would add that getting to the trail head is no problem with a regular vehicle I did it with a Vw Jetta and it saves you about 200 ft of climbing.
[Reply]
Bigfoot61
(Apr 12, 2018 at 19:27)

Trail Barrel Roll
Had a great couple of days riding barrel roll and sidewinder suicidal tendencies just thought I would add that getting to the trail head is no problem with a regular vehicle I did it with a Vw Jetta and it saves you about 200 ft of climbing.
[Reply]
Bigfoot61
(Apr 12, 2018 at 19:23)

Trail Zen
I tried to find the trail with much anticipation of a great ride unfortunately along with 6 other out of town riders we could not put the trail together. We found bits and pieces of it but it never became the trail we had anticipated. I went to a bike shop to get some direction and he basically told me ride it with a local it changes all the time. Wow ok so this iconic Utah trail is for locals ok no big deal there’s lots of other well marked trails but got to admit it was disappointing.
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Super fun trail, lots of singlteack with some fun tech interspersed. We did it with a 12 year old who could ride most of it. Super fun!
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Super fun trail, lots of singlteack with some fun tech interspersed. We did it with a 12 year old who could ride most of it. Super fun!
[Reply]


Trail Cove Wash Access
I nice climb up to the trailhead, but really a ton of fast flow on the way back down.
[Reply]
Wyoexplorer
(Jan 21, 2018 at 21:34)

Trail Zen
Fun trail. I was unable to ride the entire thing without a few hike a bike sections. I feel like either direction there will be some of these sections. Really fun and technical. Great views! Neat section where it feels like you are riding through a cave.
[Reply]

Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Supper fun a lot of jumps really flowy down hill great for people that love drops but if you’re not a fan of them there are bypass in all I think it’s just a great trail
[Reply]
nomit
(Apr 30, 2016 at 22:11)
Trail Bearclaw Poppy
Whole areas destroyed by people riding whereever the hell they feel like. Land to the SW is even worse with trash, bottles, pallets and shotgun shells everywhere. Kinda have a shitty feeling riding here. Good free camping though, I guess.
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Mostly cruiser singletrack, with only two or three hard technical sections that make it a "black diamond" trail. Great views and a fun ride!
[Reply]


Trail Barrel Roll
Mostly cruiser singletrack, with only two or three hard technical sections that make it a "black diamond" trail. Great views and a fun ride!
[Reply]


Trail Bearclaw Poppy (down)
Sorry, but this is definitely not a double black. More like a blue.
[Reply]
Trails in Route
4,485 ft | |||||
3,205 ft | |||||
558 ft | |||||
1 mile | |||||
410 ft | |||||
735 ft | |||||
1,499 ft | |||||
1,171 ft | |||||
2,470 ft | |||||
1,122 ft | |||||
302 ft | |||||
335 ft | |||||
3,301 ft | |||||
3 miles | |||||
236 ft | |||||
676 ft | |||||
814 ft | |||||
4,711 ft | |||||
1,286 ft | |||||
2 miles | |||||
7 miles | |||||
764 ft | |||||
3,753 ft | |||||
1,706 ft | |||||
2,087 ft | |||||
11 miles | |||||
4,498 ft | |||||
531 ft |
Route POI
![]() | Feed Zone #1 | Aid Station |
![]() | Feed Zone #2 | Aid Station |
![]() | 3:30PM Cut-off (Feedzone) | Checkpoint |
![]() | 5:00PM Cut-off | Checkpoint |
![]() | 5:30PM Cut-off (Feedzone) | Checkpoint |
Details
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Race Course
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Riding area
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Primary ActivityMountain Bike
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Difficulty ratingBlack Diamond
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Route TypeLoop
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eBike Allowed
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DirectionOne Direction
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Physical ratingHard
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Ridelogs
More Stats for True Grit Epic 2022 (50) mountain bike route
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Altitude min2,587 ft
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Altitude start2,753 ft
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Altitude end2,736 ft
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Grade max-33.6%
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Grade min40.8%
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Distance climb20 miles
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Distance down19 miles
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Distance flat4 miles
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Photos
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True Grit Epic 2017
357 | comments: 0 | favs:
Dec 5, 2017
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True Grit Epic Highlights 2017
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Dec 5, 2017
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