Visit Southeast Idaho

The City Creek Trail Management System is a beast, and we mean that in a really good way. Located right in Pocatello’s backyard, it boasts dozens of trails open to bike riders of all skill levels. We’ve been itching to include a comprehensive City Creek trail guide in our yearly mountain biking magazine for the past few years, but we always run into the same problem — our magazine is only 32 to 40 pages.

You could write a full-length novel on the trails, features and facets surrounding City Creek, and you’ll still miss something. But this year, we put together the most info-packed City Creek Trail Guide we could fit into this magazine, detailing some of the most popular biking and hiking spots west of Pocatello.

Upper and Lower City Creek

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Ask a dozen bikers about their favorite City Creek trail and you’ll get a dozen different answers.

But in terms of the sheer volume of people, the Upper and Lower City Creek trail is arguably the most popular trail in the whole system. Every day during the warm months, bikers, hikers and families can be found enjoying the meandering, shady trail that runs “up the gut,” ultimately ending near the Sap Tree trailhead and the Kinport Peak Access Road.

For fitness enthusiasts, it’s easy to gauge your progress with all the numbered footbridges along the way, and the trail’s slow climb is ideal for beginner and intermediate riders.

However, there are a few obstacles along the way.

Between bridges 10 and 11 lies the aptly named “Heart Attack Hill,” a tough climb exceeding a 20 percent grade that is wildly fun to ride down. Up a little further near bridge 11, numerous other trails connect with Upper City Creek. There’s a smaller hill with numerous options forward. One route straddles the side of the hill, but beware — this route easily becomes very muddy, and riding too fast will send you on a nasty fall to the bottom of the creek.

You also need to be conscious of the crowds. Because the trail is so heavily used by hikers and families with small children, riding too fast and too carelessly could lead to collisions. Also, make sure to pay attention to signs — a portion of Lower City Creek Trail is a biker-one-way-uphill only from bridges 1 to 10.

Bench, Fenceline, Rim and Bail

Level: Beginner

As you stand at the bottom of Bench Trail and look up the long, steep hill, your initial thoughts will depend entirely on your skill level.

An advanced mountain biker would happily say, “let’s go!” A timid beginner would probably get weak in the knees and decide to head over to the nearby bridge that leads to the Lower City Creek Trail.

That seemingly never-ending climb can be brutal on your legs, but the trip to the top is worth the pain. Once you’ve conquered the ride up Bench, the scene opens up to a variety of trails perfect for the beginner-level rider still learning to maneuver around ruts and minor obstacles.

One easy route that’s perfect for kids is the Bench, Fenceline, Rim and Bail loop. The organizers of Pocatello PedalFest use a part of this route for its kids-only Junior Race. Or, bikers can head up on Bench Trail, then ride down the duration of Lower City Creek Trail back to the main parking lot for some quick exercise.

Or they can head up Death Valley or Lifeflight to more difficult trails such as Lichen, Adrenalin or Sullivan’s. That’s the great thing about these lower bench trails — once you’ve mastered them, you have easy access to harder trails further up.

Cusick Creek Road, Serengeti, Lichen and Burrito

Level: Beginner to Immediate

Kirk Lepchenske, an avid mountain biker and employee with Barrie’s Ski and Sports, recommends the Cusick Creek Road-Serengeti-Lichen-Burrito loop as a fun route for advanced beginner and immediate riders.

To access Cusick Creek Road, take a drive up Fore Road to the parking lot behind the women’s prison. Here’s a forewarning to those new to the area — Cusick Creek Road is a monotonous grind that can be extremely wet during the early spring. With the heavy snow this winter, Cusick Creek overflowed this spring and turned the trail into a muddy mess early this season.

Then, right before you encounter the point when the trail crosses the creek, you’ll see the access point to Serengeti Trail on your right. Think of Serengeti as one of the major feeder trails in City Creek — if you’re lost, just find Serengeti and you’ll be able to orient yourself pretty quickly.

Compared to Cusick Creek, Serengeti is like a completely different world. You’ll totally understand why the trail is called Serengeti — if you ignore the sprawling view of Pocatello to your right, it feels like you are riding through Africa. The trail flows through gorgeous sagebrush habitat, with one particularly fun descent down a hillside.

Right after you pass the trailhead for Sullivan’s trail, turn right onto the mellow single-track Lichen trail, which meanders through a shallow draw. There’s nothing tricky or excessively difficult about Lichen — it’s just a pleasant ride down.

Eventually, you’ll come across the Burrito Trail. Take a right and ride on Burrito until it connects back to the Cusick Creek Trailhead. Just look for the powerstation.

If you’re not too exhausted from the loop, make sure to turn your bike around and head back down Burrito. Alan Worley, a mechanic at Barrie’s Ski and Sports, said Burrito is one of his favorite trails in the City Creek system because the corners link up well and you can develop some good speed.

One sidenote — if Cusick Creek is too impassable or boring for your tastes, take Bump Trail instead, which is a more traditional mountain biking trail. Bump eventually ends near the Serengeti/Cusick Creek connector.

Cone, The Grove, Outlaw, Black Cairn, Switchback and White Cairn

Level: Immediate

If you are looking for a true Western mountain biking experience that isn’t too challenging, check out this loop on the north side of the City Creek trail system.

Between bridges 11 and 12 of the Upper City Creek Trail, turn on to onto Cone. For a long time, the only way to get to the Grove Trail was by riding the motorized North Fork Trail located at the end of Cone. Thankfully, a local group of scouts recently built a new mountain biking trail on the hillside that runs parallel to North Fork.

Once you get past the switchbacks and drops on the aptly named Boy Scout Trail, you’ll connect with the Grove Trail. While somewhat technical, this trail will take you through a beautiful aspen tree grove, hence the name. The Grove is especially popular with local bikers because its a great ride regardless of the time of year. In the spring, the whole area is bright green with fresh vegetation growth. In the summer, the aspens provide plenty of shade from the brutal Idaho sun. In the fall, the autumn colors are simply majestic.

Once you reach the top, head over to Outlaw, which soon connects with the Black Cairn Trail. If you want to know everything that is great about mountain biking, head downhill on Black Cairn. Though steep, it’s an exhilarating ride down. Just keep a look out for hikers or other bikers.

Then, head over to Switchback, which features a curvy climb before dropping you off to White Cairn, which connects the upper parking lot to the Upper City Creek Trail. White Cairn is a generally easy uphill cooldown that travels through rolling meadows. In the end, you’ll end up at bridge 11, which is not too far from where you started.

911 and Lifeflight

Level: Immediate

Out of all the trails at City Creek, 911 might be the most unique.

“You’re not going to find another trail like 911 around here,” said Cody Nelson, an employee with Barrie’s Ski and Sports.

This classic roller coaster-style trail travels through a gulley, which makes it like riding a half-pipe. It starts off relatively easy, but the further you go down, the faster and wilder it gets. Kids in particular tend to get a kick out of 911. Though some bikers claim you can get a tough workout riding up 911, it is strongly encouraged to go downhill only.

It’s recommended that only skilled riders take on the 0.75-mile downhill journey. For those bikers who are not prepared, there’s the adjacent Lifeflight trail that is bi-directional. The names of the two trails say it all about their differing intensities.

A word of warning — it is not uncommon for some hard-to-see holes, ruts and divets to develop near the bottom of 911 as the summer progresses. You can easily take a violent trip over your handlebars if you’re not careful.

Sullivan's

Level: Intermediate

It’s been said that Sullivan’s Trail is the most scenic trail at City Creek. That’s saying a lot.

Whether you connect to Sullivan’s through Serengeti, Ritalin, Over the Top or Mushroom, the first thing you’ll notice is that no matter what direction you’re looking, the views are spectacular. In fact, you could probably call it the “Photography Trail” because of all of the opportunities for landscape and nature shots. Bring your camera.

The trail itself is a single-track that shouldn’t be much of a challenge for intermediate and advanced riders. Arguably, Sullivan’s probably works best as a hiking or jogging trail, since it’s easier to take in the landscapes and scenery when you’re on foot.

Ritalin

Level: Intermediate

Why is this trail called Ritalin? Probably because you need total concentration when you ride it.

As you descend from the trailhead off Sullivan’s near the lone juniper tree, you’ll encounter some bermed corners before riding through some trees in a draw. Be careful in the draw because slippery mud can accumulate at the very bottom. After that, you’ll encounter a series of jumps before the trail meets up with Serengeti.

Ritalin may be short, but it’s a wild ride down. As the trail’s moniker implies, just make sure to keep your eyes on what you are doing — one momentary lapse of concentration can lead to a nasty spill.

Adrenalin

Level: Intermediate

Adrenalin might be listed on City Creek’s maps as a trail of Intermediate difficulty. However, this reporter has spoken to more than a fair share of experienced bikers who have injured themselves on this trail.

At first glance near the trailhead off Serengeti, Adrenalin doesn’t seem like much, but the wooden jump near the top should be an indicator of the exhilarating ride that awaits the thrill-seeking mountain biker.

Sap Tree

Level: Advanced

If you can make it up Sap Tree, you’ll discover the source of the trail’s name — a giant pine tree covered in sticky sap.

Sap Tree begins a few hundred yards up from the end of Upper City Creek Trail right where Kinport Road begins its ascent.

Many experienced local bikers enjoy this trail because of its beautiful woodland scenery and lack of traffic. There’s plenty to look at as you maneuver the trail’s rocky climbs, including diverse wildlife such as deer, moose and even a non-poisonous snake species called the rubber boa.

The trail is also seldom ridden due to its difficulty and isolation from the other trails at City Creek.

However, because of its high elevation and the heavy shade from the trees, it can take a long time before the trail dries out from the winter snow, especially with the nearby natural spring. So if you go early in the year, expect muddy conditions.

Lynda MacButch, who has been mountain biking for the past few decades, says Sap Tree is one of her favorite trails at City Creek.

“It’s a much better autumn ride when it’s drier,” she said.

Once you reach the notorious pine tree, you can continue forward but the trail quickly becomes very hairy, where you might have to carry your bike through some of the obstacles.

And whatever you do, don’t lean against the tree. You’ll be pulling sticky sap off yourself for the rest of the day. Just remember this about Adrenalin — once you get about half-way down, you’re not going to stop, brakes be damned. Just hold on, enjoy the ride and look out for other trail riders.

Sterling Justice

Level: Advanced

The Sterling Justice Trail, which was completed a few years ago, was named after the Portneuf River Ranger District’s first forest service ranger. But it could easily be called the Gateway, because it opens up a whole ‘nother world for City Creek bikers.

Sterling Justice’s main purpose is to connect the City Creek Trail System with Gibson Jack Trail, which is located further south. In turn, Gibson Jack connects to West Fork Mink Creek, which in turn provides easy access to the extensive Scout Mountain trails south of Pocatello.

Ideally, a mountain biker can start at City Creek’s main parking lot and bike to Scout Mountain and only cross concrete once ­— at the parking lot of West Fork of Mink Creek. From City Creek, Sterling Justice can be accessed from Cusick Creek Road just past the Over the Top trailhead.

Since its opening, Sterling Justice has won high marks for its scenic views. But unless you’re an advanced rider, there are numerous areas that can trip you up.

There’s a few big rock obstacles and a narrow section of the trail where you could fall off the mountain if you’re not careful. One hill in particular near Gibson Jack is the definition of a double black diamond trail. This hill’s descent is made up largely of loose rocks, and only the most skilled rider should attempt to tackle it.

If you can handle this trail, make sure to bring your camera with you on Sterling Justice. The panoramic views alone are well worth the trip.

Mushroom and DNA

Level: Advanced

There’s something odd about the Mushroom Trail near the top of Upper City Creek Trail. No matter what time of year, the trail always seems to be muddy and slippery.

That’s partly because the trail is surrounded by majestic Aspen groves that block sunlight. While the scenery is lovely, the sudden drops, unsteady ground and sharp turns can leave even the most experienced biker laid out with a mouth full of Earth.

Eventually, the trail splits — one side leads to Over the Top and Sullivan’s, while the other route leads to DNA.

There’s a clear explanation as to why the one trail was named DNA ­— there’s a lot of blood and skin from all the crashes. There’s one particularly brutal hill about half-way down toward the Upper City Creek Trail.

Like Mushroom, DNA can be difficult to handle. Ride carefully.

Over the Top

Level: Advanced

For hardcore mountain bikers, there’s no better place to ride than the Over the Top Trail.

The trail features a little bit of everything — gorgeous scenic views, aspen groves, rock obstacles and lots and lots of switchbacks. In fact, one of the best places in the area to practice maneuvering technical switchbacks is at Over the Top Trail.

In the past, bikers had to pedal up the monotonous Cusick Creek Road to get to Over the Top’s trailhead. But recently, a more traditional mountain biking trail was constructed between the trailheads of Serengeti and Over the Top. It’s already proving to be far more popular than Cusick Creek Road.

When you start climbing up Over the Top, expect various switchbacks. Once you reach the crest, take a deep breath, enjoy the panoramic view, take a photo and begin your descent.

At first, it doesn’t seem like much, but soon you encounter the rock obtsacles and the techincal switchbacks that have made the trail so popular with hardcore bikers.

“It’s very challenging to make all the switchbacks without putting your foot down,” said Steve Romriell, a mountain biker who has ridden Over the Top multiple times. “I think I’ve done it once.”

By then, your heart is pounding and there should be a giant smile on your face as you soon descend into a series of aspen and cedar trees.

Eventually, the trail connects to the scenic Sullivan’s Trail, which can take you in a variety of directions. You could head up the rough and muddy Mushroom Trail toward Sap Tree. Or you could continue downhill, eventually hitting the fun 911 Trail before cruising down the Bench back to the lower parking lot. Or, if you’re not too exhausted and you’re looking for a killer workout, you could turn around and ride Over the Top back to Cusick Creek Road.

Whichever route you choose, you’ll never forget the exhilaration of tackling Over the Top.