Gold Canyon Trails in Arizona: First Ride

There’s nothing like a new mountain bike trail. Except riding it on the second day of 100-degree-plus heat. Oh, well, one out of two isn’t bad.

But enough about the heat: Let’s talk about a nice gem of a singletrack network in Gold Canyon, which is just east of the Phoenix area. It’s just across the border into Pinal County and butted right up against the awesomeness known as the Superstition Mountains. You can get a lot of the nuts and bolts about the trails – including how to get there – from my article on Examiner.com. You can also find a great map at gilamonsteroutback.com – a rider named Phil did the homework for all us mountain bike sinners whose GPS receivers conk out at inopportune times.

I have plans to chat with Phil about the origins of the Gold Canyon trails. He seems to be a go-to guy when it comes to knowledge about the Gold Canyon trails. And if Phil had a hand in the design and building, I am prepared to give him major props. These mountain bike trails have that flow and groove so elusive to trail builders. Someone has made maximum use of the space, and even brought little chunks of Moab and the North Shore to the fun (see the video at bottom).

The Gold Canyon trails are hard work. You’ll need skill. You’ll need to pay attention. In short, you need to be a REAL mountain biker.

So go check out the dirt from the Examiner.com article, hit gilamonsteroutback.com for a map, go ride the Gold Canyon trails … then recharge yourself at Mountain Brew Coffee afterward.