Ride 01 · Blue Diamond / Cottonwood Valley · intermediate · all rides
Half Grin
Grind up Badger Pass, catch the bottom of 3 Mile Smile, cruise home on Lil' Daytona.
⚠︎
Not yet rider-checked. This line was routed from OpenStreetMap trail data and hasn't been ridden end to end yet. Cross-check turns against the trail signs or Trailforks.
17miles
1,670ft climb
4,642ft high point
2:35est. moving
Lowchunk (2.3%)
singletrack 88% dirt road 8% pavement 4%
Your timesno timed runs yet
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Starting GPS…
0:00.0Timer: ride to the start
elevation · drag across to follow on the map
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Get the GPS file
Scan with a friend's phone, or tap below. Then open it in your ride app.
- iPhone: tap Download, open it from the Downloads bar, then Share → Trailforks, Strava or Garmin.
- Android: tap Download, then open the file and pick your app.
- Garmin: or drag it into Garmin Connect → Courses → Import on a computer.
https://bsqrd-designs.com/dirt/half-grin/
Getting there
Park at Cottonwood Station
14 Cottonwood Dr, Blue Diamond, NV 89004
- It's a small-town cafe lot. Park considerately, and grab a coffee after.
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Village Boulevardpavement | 0.2 mi |
| 0.2 | Sage Lanepavement | 0.1 mi |
| 0.3 | Cerrito Streetpavement | 0.1 mi |
| 0.5 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 0.6 mi |
| 1.1 | Monkeyshinesingletrack | 0.5 mi |
| 1.6 | Molly'ssingletrack | 0.2 mi |
| 1.8 | Old Spanish Trailsingletrack | 1.0 mi |
| 2.8 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 1.9 mi |
| 4.7 | Badger Pass Trailsingletrack via Badger Pass | 2.9 mi |
| 7.6 | Badger Pass Climbsingletrack via Drop into the Smile | 0.3 mi |
| 7.9 | 3 Mile Smilesingletrack | 1.4 mi |
| 9.3 | White Rhino Connectorsingletrack | 0.1 mi |
| 9.5 | White Rhino (Latenight Connector)singletrack | 0.8 mi |
| 10.3 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 2.0 mi |
| 12.3 | Lil' Daytonasingletrack | 1.3 mi |
| 13.5 | Black Velvet Access Roaddirt road | 0.8 mi |
| 14.4 | Dirt roaddirt road | 0.3 mi |
| 14.7 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 2.3 mi |
| 17.0 | Back at Cottonwood Station |
Know before you go
- You get the lower ~1.4 mi of 3 Mile Smile, because Badger Pass Climb joins it halfway down. Want all three miles? Ride Full Grin.
- 3 Mile Smile is downhill-primary. Ride it northbound only.
- About 0.1 mi of Landmine Loop near the village is the only way through. It's short.
- The 0.3 mi of Badger Pass Climb here runs against its usual uphill flow (Trailforks (checked Oct 8, 2026)). Watch for climbers.
Ride smart
- Water: plan on about 2 L for this ride. There's none on the trail.
- Signal is spotty. Tell someone your route and your time back.
- Emergency: call 911 and say "Half Grin ride, parked at Cottonwood Station, Blue Diamond / Cottonwood Valley", plus the coordinates from Locate me.
- Wildlife: give horses, burros and anything with horns room, and never feed them.
- Stay on trail. Desert crust and mountain soil take decades to heal.
Report a problem or share a photo
Washout, closure, new fence or a missing sign? Got a great shot of a junction? Send it. It goes straight to Ryan; photos he approves show up on this page with your credit.
Trail photos
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End ride?
Turn calls, the timer and your recording stop when the ride ends.