Our group from eastern Kansas just returned from riding the Paiute trails, basing at the Candy Mountain Resort north of Marysvale. The consensus of our group is, a.) it's a long way out there from eastern Kansas, b.) the Candy Mt. Resort is not the nicest or most convenient place to stay, c.) late May/early June was perhaps not the best time, and d.) a group ride should be limited to three or four machines due to the dust in the lower elevations.
The drive from eastern Kansas to Marysvale was about 1200 miles. OK, maybe for some that's not excessive but we can reach other areas (Ozarks, Colorado, Moab, Kentucky) that offer comparable riding with a lot less travel. Several of our group don't foresee a return to the area. I might but the trip would have to tie in with some other western destination.
The Candy Mt. Resort is, as we understand, under new management. They were friendly and helpful but the place needs a lot of work. Some of the cabins are kind of run down, the store doesn't stock some of the necessities you would expect and only 1 of the 4 gas pumps worked. Gas was also about 30 cents a gallon higher than at Tugs in Marysvale. Candy Mt. Resort is quite a distance from Marysvale and also not as convenient to the trail heads that lead west into the higher elevations. If we had a camper vehicle, we would choose the South Forty RV Park just on the north side of Marysvale. (I had to think about the name.) South Forty does not have good shade trees yet but by afternoon your camper and an awning will provide shade. South Forty is new, very clean and the owners are very knowledgeable and helpful about riding the area. If they would add a couple KOA type camper cabins close to the laundry/shower building it would be a perfect place. Our second choice would be Lizzie and Charlie's in Marysvale. They have some cabins and also RV slots. The owners are also very knowledgeable and helpful.
A better time to go would be September, maybe late August. Nearly all the higher elevation passes were blocked by snow. The trails were very scenic but it was also disappointing not to be able to pass through some of the trails due to snow. Also some of the trails are still limited to 50". Sometimes there was good reason but other times it was "just because." Backtracking and rerouting limited the areas we could ride. Also, the trails on the official Paiute Trails map, the Forest Service map and the routes that show up on GPS don't seem to match up. Even for an experienced group of riders but first timers to the area, it was fairly confusing. After the snow melts and the passes are open would be a much more rewarding time to experience the area.
Lastly, after three days my wife and I had had enough of the dust. Some of our group road another day or so but all of us were surprised at how dry the area is. I know the Marysvale area is high desert but we were surprised that you always have to start and end with a very dusty ride of several miles. We were spread out as we rode but the dust just doesn't settle and unfortunately some areas are so dry the loose dirt goes two or three inches deep. I highly recommend group sizes limited to no more than four vehicles with frequent stops and a slow pace. You might not travel as far but you won't be completely clogged with dust at the end of the day.
I feel like I also need to include some things we liked about the area so here goes. The scenery was wonderful. Hoover's restaurant north of town and the hotdog place on main street in Marysvale are good places to eat. The restaurant across from Candy Mt. Resort is OK but needs help. We ate breakfast and even though we were the only people in the place it took nearly 45 minutes to get our food. The weather was perfect, chilly mornings warming to comfortable afternoons and then cool evenings. Beautiful blue skies. The mining exhibit and the cabins were pretty interesting. These are just my thoughts. If I lives a whole lot closer, I might figure out the nuances of riding the area and enjoy it more.
The drive from eastern Kansas to Marysvale was about 1200 miles. OK, maybe for some that's not excessive but we can reach other areas (Ozarks, Colorado, Moab, Kentucky) that offer comparable riding with a lot less travel. Several of our group don't foresee a return to the area. I might but the trip would have to tie in with some other western destination.
The Candy Mt. Resort is, as we understand, under new management. They were friendly and helpful but the place needs a lot of work. Some of the cabins are kind of run down, the store doesn't stock some of the necessities you would expect and only 1 of the 4 gas pumps worked. Gas was also about 30 cents a gallon higher than at Tugs in Marysvale. Candy Mt. Resort is quite a distance from Marysvale and also not as convenient to the trail heads that lead west into the higher elevations. If we had a camper vehicle, we would choose the South Forty RV Park just on the north side of Marysvale. (I had to think about the name.) South Forty does not have good shade trees yet but by afternoon your camper and an awning will provide shade. South Forty is new, very clean and the owners are very knowledgeable and helpful about riding the area. If they would add a couple KOA type camper cabins close to the laundry/shower building it would be a perfect place. Our second choice would be Lizzie and Charlie's in Marysvale. They have some cabins and also RV slots. The owners are also very knowledgeable and helpful.
A better time to go would be September, maybe late August. Nearly all the higher elevation passes were blocked by snow. The trails were very scenic but it was also disappointing not to be able to pass through some of the trails due to snow. Also some of the trails are still limited to 50". Sometimes there was good reason but other times it was "just because." Backtracking and rerouting limited the areas we could ride. Also, the trails on the official Paiute Trails map, the Forest Service map and the routes that show up on GPS don't seem to match up. Even for an experienced group of riders but first timers to the area, it was fairly confusing. After the snow melts and the passes are open would be a much more rewarding time to experience the area.
Lastly, after three days my wife and I had had enough of the dust. Some of our group road another day or so but all of us were surprised at how dry the area is. I know the Marysvale area is high desert but we were surprised that you always have to start and end with a very dusty ride of several miles. We were spread out as we rode but the dust just doesn't settle and unfortunately some areas are so dry the loose dirt goes two or three inches deep. I highly recommend group sizes limited to no more than four vehicles with frequent stops and a slow pace. You might not travel as far but you won't be completely clogged with dust at the end of the day.
I feel like I also need to include some things we liked about the area so here goes. The scenery was wonderful. Hoover's restaurant north of town and the hotdog place on main street in Marysvale are good places to eat. The restaurant across from Candy Mt. Resort is OK but needs help. We ate breakfast and even though we were the only people in the place it took nearly 45 minutes to get our food. The weather was perfect, chilly mornings warming to comfortable afternoons and then cool evenings. Beautiful blue skies. The mining exhibit and the cabins were pretty interesting. These are just my thoughts. If I lives a whole lot closer, I might figure out the nuances of riding the area and enjoy it more.