Iron Hills is the network you ride when you have an hour, a bike, and a downtown Cedar City address. The trail set covers the low foothills along the western edge of Cedar City — ten-plus miles of green-and-blue singletrack with multiple access points from residential streets and short connectors that make stitched loops easy. It is the trail Cedar City rides on a weekday lunch break.
An in-town network with multiple front doors
Iron Hills is unusual for a 435 trail system in that it has no single anchor trailhead. Riders access it from a half-dozen pull-offs along the city’s western edge, picking entry points based on which loop they want to ride. The network is well-signed once you’re on it, and the trail names are mostly descriptive (Hidden Hollow, Ridge Run, the Frontside) rather than the joke-name conventions of Hurricane.
The progression
Most loops run a green-rated lower section with a few short blue connectors leading to higher-up trails with more grade and a bit more rock. The progression is well-suited to teaching new riders — local kids learn here, the SUU mountain bike club rides here, and Cedar City’s bike-camp programming uses these trails as the teaching set.
What it isn’t
Iron Hills isn’t a destination network. There are no double-black descents, no slickrock, no exposed cliff edges. The trails are a working in-town set, the kind locals use to keep fit during the season and ride through during shoulder weather. Out-of-state riders typically don’t drive to Cedar City for Iron Hills; they come for Three Peaks or for Brian Head and ride Iron Hills as a bonus on a transit day.
Where Iron Hills sits in the 435
Iron Hills is the local-rider anchor for Cedar City — the trail set that makes the city actually rideable as a daily-rider home. Together with Three Peaks (XC) and Thunderbird (climb), it gives Cedar a three-network rotation that handles a season’s worth of after-work rides. Cedar Cycle on Main Street stocks parts based on what fails on these trails, and the local trail crew that maintains them is a recognizable enough small group to greet by name on the dirt.
Frequently asked
How long is the Iron Hills ride?
Iron Hills is 10+ mi of stacked loops, located in Cedar City.
How hard is Iron Hills?
Iron Hills is rated green to blue over its 10+ mi of stacked loops.
What's the best time of year to ride Iron Hills?
Iron Hills is best April–November.
Where is the Iron Hills trailhead?
The Iron Hills trailhead is at multiple access points along the western edge of Cedar City in Cedar City.