Twin Falls singletrack nirvana

Ross Blanchard enjoys the singletrack

Chip Dillman from Twin Falls

Fred's Mountain at the top of the Singletrack Nirvana ride

(Click to enlarge)

Hi all,

It's getting hot, so it's time to head to higher elevations for mountain biking adventures.

One of the most unsung mountain biking destinations in Idaho lies in the South Hills, south of Twin Falls and Kimberly. After my book Mountain Biking Idaho came out in the late 1990s, a lot of people came up to me and said, "I can't believe how nice those trails are in the South Hills. They are so SWEET!"

I definitely felt the same way when I rode them. Some local riders in Twin Falls showed me their favorite rides in the South Hills. I featured two of them in the book:

1. Third Fork - Heart Attack Loop - 13.7 miles, advanced intermediate, 2-3 hours riding time.

2. South Hills Singletrack Nirvana - 26.8 miles, advanced/expert, 5-6 hours riding time.

Google Books digitized Mountain Biking Idaho (don't ask me how they get away with such thievery), so here is a web link to the book. Search for page 120-127 and you'll see maps, detailed directions to the trailhead and photos.

The best way to do the trip is to go camping in the South Hills on a Friday night, ride the first ride on Saturday and the long ride on Sunday. What's way cool about the rides is that they are singletrack the whole way. They course through aspen forests next to beautiful streams. You won't be disappointed.

If you'd like to stay in a hotel, there are several nice places to stay in Twin Falls. Please see the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce web site for more information.

- SS