Sun Up
An easy out-and-back on graded Rainbow Gardens Road, rolling south into the colored hills and turning around wherever your legs say so.
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/sun-up/
Getting there
Park at Rainbow Gardens North Staging Area
E Lake Mead Blvd (SR 147) at Rainbow Gardens Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89156
- BLM dirt pullout on the south side of Lake Mead Blvd, signed for the Sunrise Mountain area. No water, shade or restroom, and car break-ins are reported on this stretch, so leave nothing in sight.
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Rainbow Gardens Roaddirt road via Turnaround | 9.7 mi |
| 9.7 | Back at Rainbow Gardens North Staging Area |
Know before you go
- Same road both ways, so you can cut it short anywhere and it stays easy. Wide, graded dirt with washboard and a few gravel patches.
- Gentle grades both directions; good first desert dirt ride or a sunrise spin before the heat.
- Bikes stay on approved roads in the Rainbow Gardens ACEC, so no shortcuts down the side tracks.
- No shade and no water. After rain the road can rut badly, so give it a few dry days.
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 "Sun Up ride, parked at Rainbow Gardens North Staging Area, Rainbow Gardens / Frenchman Mountain", 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.
End ride?
Turn calls, the timer and your recording stop when the ride ends.