If you’re looking for mild trails with big desert views and no crowds, then head to the southern end of the Red Rock National Conservation Area. The landscape of the Cottonwood Valley Trail System may be a little less dramatic than the main Red Rock area to the north, but it is still a great spot for riding.
The Cottonwood Valley Trail System is a network of BLM-managed trails that run north and south of Highway 160 / Blue Diamond Road. (The Late Night Trail is on the north side.) This trail system is heavily marketed toward mountain bike riders but was historically developed with horses in mind. There are a series of fun unmarked single-track trails that wind through the hills. These are mildly technical if only for a few small ledgy drops and switchbacks.
Technically you could ride all the way to Goodsprings, 12 miles to the south. (And have a drink at the famous Goodsprings Saloon!) With Potosi Mountain to the west and the Bird Springs Range to the east, along with countless trails and wide dirt/rocky roads, there is virtually unlimited riding if you want to explore Cottonwood Valley. This is a nice area to just meander and see what you find.
The plant life here is a little sparse as the hills are pretty arid and there have been several wildfires, but you’ll still see Joshua trees, cholla, and yucca. Get into a little elevation and you’ll find juniper and pine trees. Keep an eye open for wild horses and burros that roam the area, particularly as you get further south closer to Goodsprings. I only know of one spring/trough farther south in the valley (Wilson Tanks), but otherwise don’t count on water for your horse.
The trails and the roads are pretty consistently rocky so boots or shoes are recommended. Because of the high temps in the summer and the lack of trees and water, this area is best ridden in the fall/winter/spring. In the winter, the trails can get a rare dusting of snow! Cottonwood is popular with jeeps and off-roader types on the main roads and mountain bikes on the single tracks. There are some blind curves in the hills so you will definitely need to keep a sharp eye out for mountain bikes coming down.
Getting Here
Where to Park: This is a very large parking lot with a vault toilet, trashcans, and an old Bureau of Land Management info board. Many trailers can fit here. The road in and parking lot are very rocky. There is another smaller parking lot just a little further past this parking lot.
Trail Maps
