Panguitch mountain biking is taking a new direction with a new 5.8-mile course east of Panguitch. The course is a scenic ride that will appeal to local riders and tourists as well.
The Panguitch course was built as a collaborative effort with the Garfield County Roads Department, the BLM, and the Utah Mountain Bike League, all participating to prepare this scenic area for tourists as well as our local Mountain Bike team to train on.
The course is just west of Casto Canyon and features beautiful pine trees along with the scenic red rocks for a truly enjoyable ride. Different areas of the trail have been named Scrambling Hill, Holly Cow, Pet Cemetery, Fish Work, Agate Hill and Most Beautiful.
Over 200 man hours have created a truly enjoyable ride for experts and novice alike. Still, much work is left to be completed and the Mountain Bike team is looking for volunteers to help with the finishing touches.
The Panguitch Mountain Bike team is organizing for an exciting year with this new course that will make it possible for the team to sponsor a race for junior high and high school students that will bring around 1300 mountain bikers and their supporters to Panguitch for the first time. This will be held September 6 and 7.
The team is looking for sponsors as well and if you would like to volunteer or sponsor you could contact Eric Fawson at [email protected].
The Panguitch Mountain Bike team also has a new assistant coach: Laura Boshell Woodberry. Laura was raised in Panguitch and was active in high school sports. Laura says that she loves the positive encouragement given the students.
Coaches that are returning from last year are Kim Harland, Hailie Pollock, Richard Memory, Adrian Leibbrandt and David Frandsen. This great team of coaches volunteer and rotate in helping all of the students.
It is not too late if your children would like to join the team for this coming season. There are no tryouts or previous experience required. Everyone is welcome. A kickoff party will be held April 18 at the Stake Center Pavilion but students can sign up from April 1 to May 31.
This is a great sport for youth as well as adults who just wish to ride.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: A view of Casto Canyon from Agate Hill southeast of Panguitch. A new mountain bike course runs through the area for use by the Panguitch High School mountain biking team, local mountain biking enthusiasts, and tourists. Courtesy of redrockadventure.com.
Edited April 4, 2024, to correct number of mountain bikers in September and Eric Fawson’s contact email.