Cable Line Trail

From Intrepid’s main mountain-bike parking lot, this is a 6.1-mile out-and-back to the historic cable support on the far east rim. The stored route follows a 3.04-mile trail corridor from the lot to the site, then returns the same way. The approach uses the parking connector, Raven Roll, Great Pyramid, Big Chief, Miner's Point and Upper Dark Horse before the Cable Line segment. The often-cited 1.4 miles describes Cable Line itself, not the full hike from the lot. Plan about three and a half hours for the complete walk; the destination comes after a long approach.

From the lot, take its signed connector to Raven Roll, then follow the link to Great Pyramid. Continue to Big Chief and turn onto Miner's Point; Upper Dark Horse leads to the Cable Line fork. The first tenth-mile of Cable Line is easy doubletrack, then it narrows to dirt singletrack and begins descending. Around 0.3 mile from the fork, Lower Dark Horse branches right; stay left. At roughly 0.4 mile, Midpoint joins; keep uphill and left for the cable support. Lower Dark Horse and Midpoint are separate side routes, not part of this out-and-back. Retrace the same sequence to return to the lot.

Expect broad dirt track, narrower dirt singletrack and sections of Kayenta slickrock. The dirt is usually easier to read; on slickrock, cairns and old branches help mark the line, but the continuation can blend into the stone. Slow down at junctions and keep an offline map available. The park describes the east rim as its most remote trail section, requires basic route-finding skills and warns of spotty cell service. Hikers and mountain bikers share the trail. The spur drops toward the cable site, so the return includes climbing back across the same rough ground.

The terminal is a rusted tripod and pulley assembly above the river canyon. In the early 1950s, an equipment cable helped oil workers move materials between the mesa and their river-side operation while they built a flow line. The line was completed in 1951; the well was out of service by 1953, and the surface pipe was later removed. The surviving tripod, cable, bolts and wood are protected cultural artifacts. Look, but leave them in place.

From the rim, the Colorado River and bright evaporation ponds sit far below, with the La Sal Mountains along the distant horizon. The blue basins are part of modern potash operations: river water dissolves potassium salts from deep Paradox Formation deposits, then evaporation concentrates the mineral for harvest. Those deposits formed in ancient marine and evaporite cycles, more than 300 million years ago. The view ties the old cable work to the mining landscape still visible across the canyon.

Use the main mountain-bike lot on the Intrepid trail system, about 0.9 mile beyond the entrance station, and begin on its marked connector. The Visitor Center lot is a different access point and creates a longer approach than the distance stored here. A day-use fee is charged per vehicle. Park guidance allows dogs on mountain-biking trails when leashed; keep a dog close on this shared route, especially near passing bikes and the exposed rim.