More Cowbell Loop

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Part of the Hurricane Cliffs trail network, this loop is conveniently close to Zion National Park and other destinations near Hurricane, Utah. The trails are best known for mountain biking but are also open to hiking, and More Cowbell in particular is quite good for trail running. You can easily start your day with a lap on this loop, then move on to other objectives or simply back to town for brunch. You can also make a longer route by connecting with Dead Ringer or JEM from the same trailhead.

A perfect trail run, at just over 5k on relatively smooth singletrack!

More Cowbell Trail starts at JEM Trail, all on smooth singletrack, following the panoramic edge of a cliff-lined mesa. Start by making your way down from the parking lot on a short section of JEM Trail to Dead Ringer before soon hitting More Cowbell, which is signed and follows an obvious path.

Along the run you'll see cake-layer rocks of Gooseberry Mesa overhead, and the hulking Pine Valley Mountain opposite, plus the white temples of Zion scraping the horizon. The immediate surroundings are juniper and sagebrush scrubland, granting wide open views and offering no shade.

The direction you go on the loop doesn't matter; views are spectacular either way, and elevation change is slight. Roughly half of the loop is on higher ground, overlooking the other half which traces the rim. On this lower part you'll be very close to the vertical drop off the mesa, but far enough to be safe if you stay on the trail. Overall it's a rather casual outing that's loaded with scenery, great for any hiker or runner.