Cache Valley, Utah
Cache Valley is a picturesque, 50-mile-long basin in northern Utah, framed by the Wellsville Mountains to the west and the Bear River Range (part of the Wasatch Mountains) to the east. First settled in 1856, the city of Logan, home to Utah State University, serves as the valley’s largest hub.
Defined by its rich, irrigated landscape, the valley’s verdant soil is ideal for dairy and farming. This lush area is also a major draw for outdoor enthusiasts, offering everything from skiing and snowmobiling in the winter to extensive hiking, camping, and mountain exploration in the summer.
About the Ride
Following our incredibly fun and scenic ride through Cache Valley a few days prior, my husband mapped out a slightly shorter loop that ventured farther south. This new route kept us immersed in the farmland, past farms bustling with activity. We enjoyed admiring the horses and cattle, and even spotted some show pigs! (I still regret not stopping for a VeloPig selfie with the pickup truck and trailer advertising the owner’s prize-winning swine.)
Unlike the previous ride, this route offered a few rolling hills in the valley, plus the expected short climb back up onto the bench. We smiled the entire way, thrilled to be riding in a place we love, enjoying the delightful weather and low humidity.
Ride Overview
- • Ride Name: 34-LoganWellsvilleMendonLoop
- • Ride with GPS: Link to turn-by-turn navigation cue sheet
- • Location: Cache Valley, Utah
- • Course Type: loop
- • Course Surface: paved
- • Bike: Salsa Warbird
- • Distance: 35.35 miles
- • Moving Time: 2:39:34
- • Average Speed: 13.3 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 978 feet
- • Elevation Range: 4,456 to 4,839 feet
- • Weather: 77° and partly cloudy, climbing to 85°
- • Date of ride: July 2, 2025
- • Start time: 8:27 AM
Fun Pictures from Along the Way
After making our way off the bench and into the mostly flat valley floor, we rode south toward Hyrum admiring the Wellsville Mountains to the west beyond an irrigated field.
When we stopped to say hi to some horses, they came trotting toward us with their donkey friend.
We made a slight detour and rode briefly on a gravel road toward the Wellsville Mountains for a slightly closer look…
And of course I had to stop to take in the sweet aroma of the freshly baled hay!
We stopped at PioneerPark for a short break to refuel, use the restrooms, and take a few minutes to read the various bronze plaques. One read, “Pioneer Park was conceived and constructed by the friends and neighbors of the Greater Mendon area as part of the Sesquicentennial Celebration marking 150 years since the first Mormon Pioneers made the trek from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley.”
With the Wellsville Mountains behind us, we turned almost due east on Mendon Road for about seven miles before starting the gradual climb back up to the bench.
Looking northwest…
Stopping for a quick selfie with the Wellsville Mountains behind us…
Looking northeast toward the Wasatch Mountains…
Looking southeast toward the Wasatch Mountains…
We stopped briefly at the Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area, a 272-acre marshland and wetlands habitat located west of Logan. Home to a wide variety of birds including Short-eared Owls and Sandhill Cranes, the area is a bird lover’s paradise.
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin…
Garmin map and elevation graph…
Final Thoughts on the Rides
We finished with another great Utah ride in the books. We felt safe without a lot of vehicular traffic the entire ride and couldn’t have asked for better weather – mid-70’s to the mid-80’s and with low humidity! If we lived locally, this would be a favorite route.
Questions
- • Have you been to Utah? ~ Yes, several times in addition to living in Logan the first two years we were married.
- • Have you ever been to a pig farm? ~ No, but I’ve driven and ridden by pig farms and the odor is strong and very unpleasant!
- • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ pictures, always pictures, unless I’m racing
You do get to do the best rides, Debbie!
And COWS! Of course you had to wave to them! The show pigs sound hilarious, too, I wish you could have done that VeloPig selfie.
Low traffic, perfect weather, and rolling hills make all this a bike rider’s dream!
We certainly were lucky with getting in some awesome rides during our trip this past summer, Catrina. The show pigs trailer was decorated up big time and had a catchy name, but I can’t remember it. 🙁 I really should have turned back around and taken a picture.