Ride from the inn
Eleven miles out a dead-end ridge to the top of the Pink Cliffs above US-89
One digit is a loop; two digits is a spur of that loop (52 branches off Loop 5).
The Stout Ridge to the Pink Cliffs route from the inn, traced from the official 2019 Markagunt OHV System map. Tap a marker for the trail number.
Trail 7 Stout Ridge is the ride for people who have done the rest. It leaves SR-14 near the eastern edge of the ranger district and runs south for over 11 miles along a ridge to a dead end on the Virgin River Rim, atop the Pink Cliffs about a mile from US-89. From up there you look down on the highway corridor and into Stout, Dairy, Mile, and Shingle Mill canyons. Ridden from our lot it is a 35.7-mile out-and-back with about 4,800 feet of total climbing between roughly 7,260 and 8,520 feet, the biggest swing of any ride here.
We rate it advanced for length, remoteness, and the commitment of a dead-end ridge rather than for technical obstacles; almost 16 miles of the route is designated OHV trail rather than open road, and once you are out on the ridge the only way back is the way you came. Carry a full tank, water, a downloaded map and the MVUM, and start early. The routed line also passes the turns for spur 73 Lower School Wash Loop, a 2.5-mile side loop, if you want variety on the return.
8 legs, 35.7 miles out and back. Every ride starts and ends in our parking lot.
Fuel first on Movie Ranch Road, then pull out of our lot and follow the village OHV routes (spurs 52 and 59). Village streets are 15 mph and transit only.
Where the route meets SR-14, cross. 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.
Trail 1 Markagunt Plateau is the long north-south spine of the system; our route follows its eastern reach and the Swains Creek corridor toward the Stout Ridge trailhead. Follow the markers with a 1 and expect open forest road.
Trail 7 heads south from SR-14 near the eastern edge of the ranger district. From here it is over 11 miles of designated trail to the dead end; the markers carry a 7.
The ridge runs south with the drainages falling away on either side. Spur 71 Stout Canyon Collector, spur 72 Upper School Wash Loop, and spur 73 Lower School Wash Loop branch along the way; stay on the 7 for the rim.
Trail 7 ends on the Virgin River Rim atop the Pink Cliffs about a mile from US-89, with the highway corridor below and Stout, Dairy, Mile, and Shingle Mill canyons opening out. No railings; park back and walk to the edge.
Return north on Trail 7. Spur 73 Lower School Wash Loop (2.5 miles) adds a short variation on the way back. Rejoin Trail 1 toward the village.
Cross SR-14 with the same stop-and-yield rule and follow the designated routes back through the village to our lot. 35.7 miles as ridden from the inn.
Best time: Long, stable days in June or September, starting by eight. The ridge is exposed; in monsoon season be off the rim by early afternoon. Fall color on the ridge tends to come earlier than in the village.
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.
What guests ask at the front desk before they head out.
Trail 7 dead-ends on the Virgin River Rim atop the Pink Cliffs about a mile from US-89, with views down the highway corridor and into Stout, Dairy, Mile, and Shingle Mill canyons. There is no through route; you ride back the way you came.
Length (35.7 miles), remoteness, and the commitment of a dead-end ridge, plus almost 16 miles of designated trail rather than road and the biggest elevation swing of our featured rides, about 4,800 feet of total climbing. The riding itself is not technical.
Only on a street-legal machine. Trail 1 reaches the lake area, but the last 1.7 miles into the lake resorts are on SR-143, so non-street-legal OHVs cannot finish the ride.
A full tank and more water than you think. Nothing is available on the ridge; the only pump is in the village at Loose Wheels / Phillips 66, open daily 9 to 6.
September 2026
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.
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.
