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Wildcat

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 5493 - 5611 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 15 mins.
Trailhead: Horsethief
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic connector




The Wildcat trail is part of the Horsethief Mountain Bike Trails near Moab, Utah. The trail begins off of the Whirlwind Loop where it travels for less than a mile through a small valley that drains into the South Fork of Seven Mile Canyon. The trail is connected to by the Hildalgo trail and comes to an end at a junction with the 7-Up trail. Loops of different lengths can be created by combining the Wildcat trail with other trails in the area.


The Wildcat trail begins off of the east branch of the Whirlwind Loop a couple tenths of a mile from its junction with the Mustang Loop. The total distance from the Horsethief trailhead to the start of the Wildcat trail is about 1.4 miles.


The highest elevation of the Wildcat trail is where it departs from the Whirlwind Loop. From here it is going to drop down into the drainage losing a little over 100 feet of elevation and then regain about half of it back before reaching the 7-Up trail.


A long sweeping switchback makes easy work of the elevation change as the trail starts out.


The trail base is a good mix of sandstone and dirt.


In less than a quarter mile the Hildalgo trail branches off on the left.


From there the trail continues its easy roll through the valley.


Much of the slickrock is no rougher than the dirt track.


There are a couple of well ramped up ledges that provide the only real technicalities for the intermediately rated trail.


As the trail nears its end it continues across a scenic track of red dirt.


The Wildcat trail ends at its junction with the 7-Up trail near the 2 mile point from where the 9.5 mile long 7-Up trail begins at the Magnificent 7 trailhead along the Gemini Bridges Road. The 7-Up trail has split between a singletrack and an old jeep road at this point and Wildcat trail is connecting to the singletrack portion of 7-Up. Other than turning around at this point you can follow the 7-Up trail to the right and reach the Getaway trail in about 1.7 miles or you can go the the left and get to the Hildalgo trail after 8 tenths of a mile and the Whirlwind Loop after 1.3 miles. For this post we went to the left to the Hildalgo trail and took it back to the Mustang Loop and the trailhead. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab your bike or 'Take a hike'.