-->

Sidewinder

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill level:
Elevation: 4324 - 4616 feet
Cellphone: 2 - 4 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Moab Brands (south)
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic downhill




The Sidewinder trail is located in the Moab Brands Mountain Biking Area north of Moab, Utah. The trail begins a short distance from the south trailhead and winds along the side of the old highway which is now the Moab Canyon Bike trail. The trail is listed as 1.5 miles not including the short trails that connect it with the paved path and the Rusty Spur trail. The distance from the bottom of the Sidewinder trail back to the south trailhead is about 1.1 miles so if you ride it as a loop you will rack up 3 miles of total round trip distance.



From the south trailhead follow the paved path back toward town for a little less than 2 tenths of a mile to the beginning of the Sidewinder trail.


The trail skirts the side of the hill descending gradually as it goes.


Measuring from the parking area a connecting trail that leads up to the Rusty Spur trail comes up at the 0.31 mile point.


From the Rusty Spur connector the trail continues south just below the rim of the hill.


After testing your steering skills where the trail crosses a cattleguard the steeper downhill section of the ride begins.


The changes in elevation are gradual for the most part but there are a couple of spots that are pretty steep. They are very short sections but they might push the bounds of what you expect to find on an intermediate skill level trail.


Riding the trail in the downhill direction from north to south doesn't require a lot of stamina but there are one or two places that are uphill.


The level of effort would increase dramatically if the trail was done going the other direction. There is only one spot that might be a little too steep to ride for most people.


The Sidewinder trail makes 4 connections to the paved path which gives riders the opportunity to jump on and off of the trail for whatever reason. Once at the bottom of the trail the only options other than turning around the way you came are to go on down to the Killer B trail and hike up it with your bike or take the Moab Canyon Bike trail back up the canyon. Between here and the parking area you will pass the lower end of the Deadman's Ridge trail and the Escape trail that leads to Deadman's Ridge. As far as the Sidewinder trail goes it is a fun ride and would also be a good choice for a hike. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab your bike or 'Take a hike'.