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Climbing Richfield West Mountain Road
Ride 15.2 miles gaining 4,599’ at 5.2% (6.6% climb only) to 9,6434’
We have documented most of the Top 100 Gravel Climbs in the US and this is a Top 10 Most Epic of those 100 and the most epic climb we have encountered in Utah.
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Summary by PJAMM’s Brad Butterfield:
I rode 10 of the 13 top 100 climbs in Utah and this was the most epic. The climb begins just outside of the small town of Richfield perpendicular to a main, though small, highway. The first mile of the climb passes a rock quarry, then you’ll enter the Fishlake National Forest.
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The climb begins at the western edge of Richfield by riding up Richfield West Mountain Road from Interstate 70.
Richfield (pop. 8,305) is located in central Utah, approximately 160 miles south of Salt Lake City sitting at 5,280 feet and surrounded by beautiful red rock mountains and snow-covered peaks. Richfield was first settled in 1864 by ten Mormon pioneers and now serves as the county seat of Sevier County and is the largest city in the southern-central Utah region.
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Road surface for the first couple miles of the climb.
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The varying surface along the middle and upper portions of the ride - always fairly smooth.
The opening 5 miles of the climb traverse orange, red, maroon hills and magnificent rock formations. The gradient stair steps - steep in some areas, and flat in others. The road quality is decent for the entire the climb. Naturally, there are some rocky sections, and a few sections with fine, loose dirt - but this climb can be done on any standard gravel bike.
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Scenes along the first mile of the climb.
National Forest sign at mile .7
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There are many interesting rock formation along the climb. We pass this row of boulders 6/10ths of a mile from the start.
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We pass this formation at mile 1.2
The red hues in the Pahvant Mountains are largely attributed to iron oxide, which forms when iron-bearing minerals oxidize, or rust, upon exposure to air and water. This process gives the rocks their characteristic red and orange colors.
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This climb is in the Pavant Mountain Range with a high peak of 10,222’ at Mine Camp Peak just northeast of our climb finish.
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Photos around mile 2 of the climb.
Turn right at mile 7.7 where Richfield West turns to Civilian Conservation Road and ultimately Sand Rock Ridge Road, and ride toward White Pine Peak.
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Aerial photos of miles 2-4
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The rock formations that we see on this climb are formed by erosion of thousands of years, much through frost wedging as well as wind and rain.
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Limestone and sandstone are the prevalent rock types forming the colorful surroundings seen from the Richfield West Mountain Road.
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Formations like the one in the photos above are the result of millions of years of geological processes, including sediment deposition, uplift, and erosion, which have sculpted the terrain into the breathtaking vistas seen today. As previously mentioned, the reddish hues in the rock are primarily due to the presence of iron oxide.
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We see the red bluffs and mesas through breaks in the scrub brush to our left along mile 7-8.
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After a ½ mile -5% descent, we ride through a small creek and valley at mile 9.
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Free range cattle at mile 11.
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Around mile 13.5 and at an elevation of 9,000 feet we pass through some enchanting aspen groves. The aspen trees you see are part of one of the most remarkable organisms on Earth, known as Pando. Located in the Fishlake National Forest, Pando is the world's largest and oldest known aspen clone. This single organism consists of approximately 47,000 individual trees, all connected by a massive root system that spans 106 acres and weighs around 13 million pounds. The Pando is only a 40 minute drive from the start of this climb.
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Intersection of Fire Road 500 and Sand Rock Ridge Road.
Turn left at this intersection at mile 13.9, 1.3 miles from the finish.
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We encountered some extraordinary cumulus cloud formations along this ride.
We encountered some extraordinary cumulus cloud formations along this ride. As occurs frequently at high elevations in the mountains, we got dumped on at the end of the climb—the clouds and rain came in quicker than I could get back down the mountain after summiting.
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Inauspicious . . . or, pretty darn cool . . . finish.
The summit is marked by an abandoned house/shack/miners cabin(?). The door was unlocked when I rode the climb, but there was nothing worth seeing inside - the mice had taken over. Expect to see ATV’s on this road - it is a popular area for that crowd and they dominated the road for my entire climb.
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At the top of the climb, there are panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and mountains. An interesting finish to an epic climb.
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This climb is truly an epic adventure, offering a mix of challenging gradients, stunning geological features, and unique natural phenomena. The rustic old cabin at the high-elevation finish, set in a grassy open area with scattered rocks and low vegetation, marks the end of a really fun ride.
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That’s a wrap!!
