Sand Dunes

First of all, be prepared to earn your turns. You've got to climb some steep, rocky double track to get up to the trail (ride as long as you can, hike the rest). Once you drop in, you've got a second to relax before things get rocky and rough. Stay on your toes - there are a few drops and then a stretch of 50 or so feet of what looks like a channel gouged out of sea corral with a few drops along the way. The exposure is also a factor so you may want to hike it until you are a seasoned pro. You continue on past another small drop or two until you get right out to the end of a ridge and turn to the left and down to the bottom of the drainage. Pick your like wisely across rocks, roots, and stumps. The bottom of the drainage is often sandy with looser rocks. You will make your way down some technical, rocky ups and downs before you swoop into the SAND DUNE Try to from sliding out as you follow faint tire tracks through 4 inches of sand. It doesn't last long as you get down into rockier stuff. Prospector soon meets up with Sand Dunes and then you cross Backbone. This lower section is ridden more often as part of a shorter loop including the Backbone trail. It is less extreme than the upper section but still has some rocks to navigate over, sand, and steep-ish loose descents. You get spit out right at the bottom of S-Mountain at a pretty quick speed. Pry your hands off the grips and go get a beer.

Access Info

Use Frontside, Little Rattler, and CR 173 to get to the trailhead. It could be shuttled up CR 173, but it's a rough 4wd road.