Can you ride an ATV to Cascade Falls?
To the trailhead, yes: spur 51 Cascade Falls is a designated 3-mile Forest Service spur that ends at the parking area. The falls trail itself is hiking only, about 0.8 miles one way.
Ride from the inn
Cascade Falls & the Virgin River Rim
Ride to the trailhead, walk to a waterfall pouring out of a cliff
At a glance
- Distance from the inn
- 14.6 miles, out and back, from our lot and back
- Time
- 2 to 3 hours plus the hike at about 10 mph plus stops
- Difficulty
- Easy to intermediate
- Elevation
- 8,425 to 9,042 ft; about 1,280 ft of climbing
- Surface mix
- 11.9 mi designated OHV trail, 2.7 mi open forest road, highway crossings only
- Trails used
- Trail 5 Strawberry Loop (west side), spur 51 Cascade Falls (3 mi to the trailhead), village spurs 52 and 59
Route map
Legend
Routes
- Forest Service 4x4 OHV route
- OHV route, 72 inches or less
- OHV only
- Open forest road
- Featured ride from the inn
- Groomed snowmobile trail (winter)
Trail markers
- Easy (green circle)
- Intermediate (blue square)
- Expert (black diamond)
One digit is a loop; two digits is a spur of that loop (52 branches off Loop 5).
Points
- Duck Creek Village Inn
- Fuel
- ATV and UTV rentals
- Destination or trailhead
- Viewpoint
- Campground or camp
The Cascade Falls & the Virgin River Rim route from the inn, traced from the official 2019 Markagunt OHV System map. Tap a marker for the trail number.
The ride
Cascade Falls is the strangest water on the mountain: Navajo Lake has no surface outlet, and the lake drains through the lava and limestone to pour out of a hole in the Pink Cliffs on the Virgin River Rim. You cannot ride to the falls, but you can ride to the trailhead. From our lot it is about 7.3 miles west on the village routes, Trail 5, and spur 51 Cascade Falls, a 3-mile spur that ends at the parking area. Then you park and walk.
The falls trail (Forest Service trail 32055) is hiking only, about 0.8 miles one way along the rim with a few steps and railings near the end, and it comes with views south over the canyon country toward Zion that most people ride all day for. Expect roughly 1,300 feet of climbing on the machine and a short, exposed walk; the rim above the falls is not a place to hurry.
One honest note about Navajo Lake: the lake shore and the campground loops are closed to OHV travel except for campground access, so this ride reaches the falls trailhead and the Navajo Lake Road corridor but does not loop the lake. Ride to the falls, hike, and come home the same way.
What you'll see
- The village routes and the SR-14 crossing near Duck Lake
- Trail 5 west past the Duck Creek Visitor Center and the Ice Cave turn
- Spur 51 Cascade Falls: three miles of forest road climbing toward the rim
- The Cascade Falls trailhead and the 0.8-mile hiking-only rim trail
- Cascade Falls itself, Navajo Lake's underground outlet pouring out of the cliff
- Views south over the Virgin River drainage toward Zion from the rim trail
How the ride goes
6 legs, 14.6 miles out and back. Every ride starts and ends in our parking lot.
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Leave the inn's lot
Pull out of our lot onto Movie Ranch Road and follow the village OHV routes (spurs 52 and 59) toward the Trail 5 start near Aspen Mirror Lake. Village streets are 15 mph and transit only.
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Cross SR-14 onto Trail 5
Trail 5 crosses SR-14 near the east edge of Duck Lake. If your machine is not street legal you may only cross the highway: stop, yield to traffic, and cross at a right angle. Street-legal side-by-sides may ride SR-14 itself under Utah Code 41-6a-1509, but nothing on this ride needs it.
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West past the Visitor Center and the Ice Cave
Follow Trail 5 west past the Duck Creek Visitor Center and on past the Ice Cave turn. The Ice Cave is a short walk from the road if you want to add it on the way out or back.
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Spur 51 Cascade Falls to the trailhead
Turn onto spur 51 Cascade Falls, a 3-mile Forest Service spur that ends at the trailhead parking. The road climbs through spruce and aspen; the routed high point is about 9,040 feet.
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Park and hike to the falls
The falls trail (32055) is hiking only, about 0.8 miles one way along the rim to a viewing platform at the falls. Bring water and shoes with grip; the last stretch has steps and a real edge.
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Ride home the same way
Return on spur 51 to Trail 5, ride east past the Visitor Center, recross SR-14 with the same stop-and-yield rule, and follow the village spur back to our lot. 14.6 miles on the machine plus about 1.6 miles on foot.
Elevation profile
Good to know
Best time: June for the biggest flow once the spring mud order lifts, mornings in July and August, and late September for aspens along spur 51.
- Navajo Lake's shoreline and campground loops are closed to OHV travel except for campground ingress and egress. This ride reaches the trailhead; it does not loop the lake.
- The falls run hardest in late spring and early summer as the snowpack drains through the lake; by late summer in a dry year the flow can drop to a trickle.
- Monsoon season: from July into September, storms build over the plateau by early afternoon. Ride early, watch the western sky, and get off exposed rims when you hear thunder.
- Width limit: Forest Service Order 0407-22-15 caps MVUM-designated trails at 72 inches and 2,500 pounds through 2027, and a few trails are narrower. Check your machine against the MVUM before you commit to a spur.
- Fuel only in the village: Loose Wheels / Phillips 66 at 835 E Movie Ranch Road (daily 9 to 6, gas and diesel) is the only pump out here, and there is none on the trail.
- Season: MVUM seasonal roads open May 1 to November 30. Spring mud order 0407-26-03 (signed March 26, 2026, rescinded June 1, 2026) posted Duck Creek OHV Trails 1 and 5 between the Visitor Center and Uinta Flat Road closed when wet, and a mid-season repair closure ran July 13 to 23, 2026 (order 0407-26-11). Last checked September 2026; ask at the front desk or the Visitor Center for the current order.
- Mileage, elevation and the route line were traced from the official 2019 Forest Service map and routed by computer, not ridden with a GPS. Carry the current MVUM; it is the legal document, and it changes.
Rules in full, including permits, helmets and the highway crossing law, are on our rules and safety page. Rentals and packing are on rentals and tips.
Cascade Falls & the Virgin River Rim: questions we get
What guests ask at the front desk before they head out.
Can we ride around Navajo Lake?
No. The lake shore and the campground loops are closed to OHV travel except for getting into and out of the campgrounds. You can reach the Cascade Falls trailhead and the Navajo Lake Road corridor, but there is no shoreline loop.
How long is the hike to the falls?
About 0.8 miles each way on Forest Service trail 32055, with some steps and a viewing platform at the end. Most people are back at the machines in 45 minutes to an hour.
Is this a good ride for kids?
The riding is easy to intermediate with about 1,300 feet of gain and one highway crossing. The rim trail has railings near the falls but real drops beside it, so hold hands on the walk.
September 2026
Why trust this ride plan
We ride these routes and send guests out on them all season. The route line, mileage and elevation were traced from the official 2019 Forest Service Markagunt OHV System map and routed by computer, not recorded with a GPS, so treat them as a plan, not a survey. Loop and spur names, mileages and closures come from the Forest Service pages below; the highway crossing rule from Utah Code. Closure orders change: carry the current MVUM and ask at the desk.
Stay Where the Ride Starts
Rooms and cabins at Duck Creek Village Inn, trailer parking in our lot, rentals across the street, and the trail a few minutes from the door.