Distanceestimated 8 mi of forest road and singletrack near the reservoir
Difficultyblue (rough USFS doubletrack and singletrack)
Land managerUSFS Dixie National Forest
Best seasonJune–October (closed by snow rest of year)

Mountain Bike Trail · Parowan

Yankee Meadow Trails

Yankee Meadow Reservoir sits in the Dixie National Forest north of Parowan at about 8,500 feet — a small alpine reservoir surrounded by aspen and forested...

Yankee Meadow Reservoir sits in the Dixie National Forest north of Parowan at about 8,500 feet — a small alpine reservoir surrounded by aspen and forested slopes. The area has bike use on the USFS roads that climb to the reservoir and on a few sections of forest singletrack, but as of current research no formally designated mountain bike trail network. Riders use the area for high-elevation summer riding when the desert trails are too hot.

What's actually rideable

The forest roads in and around Yankee Meadow rate as blue-grade rough doubletrack — climbable on a hardtail XC bike, descendable on the same. A few sections of older USFS singletrack connect to the reservoir and to nearby forest lakes. The trail mileage is hard to pin down because much of it is informal, lightly used, and not signed for specific bike use.

The summer alternative

Yankee Meadow rides are a viable summer alternative to the Markagunt Plateau Lava Flow trails or to the Brian Head bike park. The grades are gentler than Lava Flow, the elevation is lower, and the access is shorter from Parowan. Riders staying in Cedar City or Parowan looking for cooler riding without committing to a Brian Head lift day come here.

Where it sits in the 435

Yankee Meadow is one of several lightly-used USFS Dixie National Forest bike areas that aren't formal trail networks but support bike use on roads and informal singletrack. It is the kind of area a local rider in Parowan or Cedar City might know well and a visiting rider would likely never find. This page exists to acknowledge the area for completeness; visitors looking for a designated trail network should head to Three Peaks, Iron Hills, or the Lava Flow on Cedar Mountain.

Last updated  ·  Apr 27, 2026