I'm just back from a very enjoyable mountain bike ride down Babylon Road in a scenic area near St George. It was an easy and relaxing ride – a great warm-up after a long, cold winter. The weather was perfect, pushing into the low 50s during the afternoon.
See my
photo album from this adventure.
Babylon Road runs for about 4.5 miles, from I-15 down to the Virgin River. You get onto it from the frontage road just east of the town of Leeds. The road has some sandy sections, and it’s rocky in spots, but the riding surface is nice in most areas. It cuts through a mesquite and cactus desert, skirts scenic red rock formations and sand dunes, and ends at a very nice swimming hole at the river. (It was too cold to swim on March 3, when I was there, but we waded a bit. During May and early June conditions will be prime for swimming. It will be great fun to ride downhill to the river, play, then throw the bike into a support vehicle and let it carry us out.)
We came to ride but also had fun hiking and four-wheeling. We saw other people riding horses and ATVs. Wheeled vehicles must stay on designated roads, but there are plenty in the area that are rough and inviting.
Much of the area is included in the
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. It is critical habitat for desert tortoise and also supports Gila monster lizards, ring tail cats and a host of other interesting desert animals and plants. It is managed to help these species survive, but is open for reasonable recreational use. It is patrolled regularly and visitors need to learn and obey the rules.
You can see the ruins of an interesting old mill along the river and we found a fascinating panel of ancient Native American rock art in a narrow pass near the lower end of the Babylon Trail.
Roads in the reserve are rough. The main road has deep sand and on the lower end it crosses a culvert that has been washed out so only narrow vehicles can cross. Four-wheel drive is definitely needed to reach the river. I made it over the washed out section with no trouble in my little Blazer but I would have hesitated before taking a full-sized pickup across it. Conditions may vary from day to day, depending on rainfall and repair work.
Camping is allowed in one designated area. It is primitive camping – no restrooms, no water or any other facilities. Just red cliffs and sand dunes. It is a very pretty spot with great rocks where kids have fun climbing and exploring. There are two scenic natural arches in the area.
You can drive up to the camping area if you have a 4X4 and dare tackle deep sand and a steep, rocky hill. Other vehicle can park in a lot that is easily accessible and then campers can carry their gear 1/4 mile to the cliffs and sand.
The road is a favorite spot for locals and hasn’t yet been discovered by the outside world. If you visit you’ll see people but it is never crowded.
It has become one of my favorites. Very scenic and plenty of opportunity to play. I’ll be back.
This article tells about the history of the area and how it came to be called Babylon.
- Dave
