Shadow Play
Middle Earth, Top Shelf Bourbon, Toque, Jenny from the Block and Backwoodz, all from the lot at the end of Alexander.
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/shadow-play/
Getting there
Park at Cliff Shadows Open Desert Park trailhead
West end of W Alexander Rd, just west of Cliff Shadows Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89129
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack via Top of Middle Earth | 1.0 mi |
| 1.0 | Top Shelf Bourbonsingletrack | 0.6 mi |
| 1.6 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 0.6 mi |
| 2.2 | Toquesingletrack | 0.5 mi |
| 2.7 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack via Rise Over Run · Backwoodz loop · Blazing Saddles | 5.0 mi |
| 7.6 | Toquesingletrack | 0.5 mi |
| 8.1 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack | 1.7 mi |
| 9.8 | Back at Cliff Shadows Open Desert Park trailhead |
Know before you go
- A figure-eight through the north half of Cliff Shadows. Rise Over Run and part of Toque get ridden both ways, about 3 miles of repeat in all.
- Stays off No Dab and Toque (Technical), the two rockiest trails here. What's left is twisty, punchy singletrack with some limestone ledges. It's not buff.
- Backwoodz has rider-built features. BLM's plan keeps the trail but says those features will be reviewed, so they may change.
- Busy with hikers and off-leash dogs close to the lot. Skip the closed social trails that cut between these routes. No shade, so plan around the heat.
Ride smart
- Water: plan on about 1.5 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 "Shadow Play ride, parked at Cliff Shadows Open Desert Park trailhead, Cliff Shadows / La Madre Foothills", 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.