The Red Cliffs Network is the third of Washington County's three flagship bike networks — fifteen-plus miles of trails accessed off I-15 exit 22 outside Leeds, with Church Rocks as the headline trail and Cobble Crusher, Three Ponds, Owens Loop, and Cottonwood Trail as the supporting cast. The terrain mixes slickrock benches, dirt singletrack, and cobbled rocky sections, all framed by the red sandstone cliffs that give the National Conservation Area its name.
A network with the easiest access in the 435
The Red Cliffs Network is the only flagship bike network in Washington County with a paved freeway exit at the trailhead. I-15 exit 22 dumps directly into the Red Cliffs Recreation Area, and the trailhead is a quarter-mile off the freeway. That makes it the most accessible bike network in the area for visitors arriving from out of state, and the one most often used as a stretch-the-legs ride on a transit day.
The trail set, ranked
For a first-time visitor, the order is: Owens Loop as the warm-up, Church Rocks as the main ride, and Cobble Crusher for riders who clean Church Rocks and want the harder line. Three Ponds adds a hike-and-ride option with the seasonal slickrock pools at the destination. Cottonwood Trail connects everything and serves as the cool-down.
The campground at the trailhead
The Red Cliffs Campground sits inside the Recreation Area, a few minutes' walk from most trailheads. It has been on a closed-and-reopened cycle for redesign, and verifying current operating status is a planning step. When open, it makes the network the only one in Washington County where a rider can sleep, ride, and recover from the same parking lot.
Where Red Cliffs sits in the 435
The Red Cliffs Network is the third leg of the Washington County stool — Hurricane Cliffs on the east, Santa Clara River Reserve on the west, Red Cliffs in the middle. It is also the smallest of the three and the easiest to ride in a single half-day. Visitors who fly into Las Vegas and drive northeast often stop here first because it's the closest network to the freeway, then proceed to the bigger systems for the rest of the trip.