Long Way Home
Out Mother and Ernie's to the far west ridge, rip Ernie's Extra and Cams Run down to Railroad Pass, cruise back on the bike path.
Your timesno timed runs yet
Ride mode times every run on its own: the clock starts when you roll out of the start and stops at the finish, with splits at each marked spot. Leave Ride mode on between laps and it re-arms when you're back at the start. Times stay on this phone.
Right now at the trailhead
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/long-way-home/
Getting there
Park at Bootleg Canyon Park trailhead
Bootleg Canyon Rd, Boulder City, NV 89005
- Free city lot at the foot of the bike park; take Yucca St north off Nevada Way and follow the Bootleg Canyon signs. No water on the trails.
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Bootleg Canyon Roaddirt road | 0.2 mi |
| 0.2 | IMBA (Easy)singletrack | 0.9 mi |
| 1.1 | Mother & Ernie's Epic (Difficult)singletrack via Mother & Ernie's | 4.1 mi |
| 5.2 | Ernie's Extra (FKA Caesar)singletrack via Ernie's Extra | 3.5 mi |
| 8.7 | Cams Runsingletrack | 0.9 mi |
| 9.6 | River Mountains Loop Trailpavement via Bike path home | 2.9 mi |
| 12.5 | Desert Cruisesingletrack | 1.6 mi |
| 14.1 | Bootleg Canyon Roaddirt road | 0.1 mi |
| 14.3 | Back at Bootleg Canyon Park trailhead |
Know before you go
- The first half is the same rough Mother climb as Tough Love; the payoff is the long Ernie's Extra descent (formerly Caesar), which runs southbound only.
- Cams Run has tight switchbacks; one rider-marked black-diamond alternate line is optional.
- About 2.9 mi of the return is the paved River Mountains Loop Trail along Boulder City Parkway. It is the honest price of closing the loop legally.
- No water or shade anywhere out west. This is a cool-season ride.
- Heads up: OpenStreetMap and MTB Project ride IMBA uphill, but Trailforks (checked Oct 8, 2026) lists it as downhill-primary. Climb it alert for riders coming down.
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 "Long Way Home ride, parked at Bootleg Canyon Park trailhead, Boulder City / Bootleg Canyon", 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
End ride?
Turn calls, the timer and your recording stop when the ride ends.