Editor’s note: This event has been canceled. An announcement from the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association is below:

“We have decided to cancel our Grand Opening event to keep the trail from sitting all winter with damage,” said Rusty Slade with the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association. “There is 3″ of snow on the trail and it will not be melted for a few days if at all this winter. The temperatures are suppose to be in the 50’s tomorrow so the snow will be soft and not be good for riding. We will reschedule the opening for the spring. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. If you want an alternative place to ride this weekend Three Peaks will be good to go.”

CEDAR CITY — A mountain bike ride scheduled for Saturday to celebrate the opening of five new trails has been cancelled.

In celebration of the opening of five new trails spanning over 9 miles, a mountain bike ride is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m., with riders gathering at the Southview trailhead on Shurtz Canyon Drive. The ride is hosted by the Bureau of Land Management’s Cedar City Field Office and the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association.

The five trails were recently completed through partnerships among the BLM, Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association, American Conservation Experience, Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative, Utah State Parks, Cedar City Corporation, Dixie National Forest and Boy Scouts of America.

The 3-mile Twilight Zone Trail was added to the Three Peaks Trail and was built by local volunteers associated with the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association. This intermediate trail has short bits of single tract connecting granite outcroppings and ladder bridges onto and off of rock outcroppings.

Three new trails were added to the Thunderbird Canyons Trail System. Thor’s Hideout received a half-mile addition with a small loop ride toward the bottom end of the trail. Thor’s Lookout was built at the junction of Red Hollow and Thor’s Hideout, giving riders a short out and back trail with a scenic view of Cedar Canyon.

The third trail that was added to the Thunderbird Canyons system currently remains unnamed. It branches off the Ghost Flats Trail .25 miles east of the Thunderbird Garden trailhead.

The trail starts off with switchbacks that will challenge even the most advanced riders but pays off with a progressively more impressive view of Cedar City. After the switch backs, the trail winds its way towards Ghost Flats. This trail is advanced for bikers but can be a great hike for those looking for a new adventure. Those taking this trail can return on the Ghost Flats trail if they wish to hike or bike it as a loop.

One new trail was added to the Iron Hills Trail System, which now allows a shuttle option for riding the ever popular Lichen It and Lava Flow loop. This is a fun, fast 2.5-mile trail that connects at the intersection of Lichen It and Lava Flow. The trails are multi-directional, so riders are asked to be mindful of uphill traffic.

About the BLM

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews