Flying Dog Trail

UtahMountainBiking.com is your source for bike trail info, repair instructions, feature articles, first aid, fitness, and goodies.

Flying Dog Trail

The Flying Dog trail is a new trail that arcs between the middle of the Jeremy 24-7 to Glenwild connector, and the top of the Cobblestone Loop. In other words, you need to climb another trail to get to it. This is one of the best trails in the area. If you're going to do anything in the Jeremy Ranch area, you need to do this one. For those not familiar with the area, we're talking about the hills to the north of I-80 as you approach the Park City exit.

View south from the Viewpoint on Flying Dog. We're at 7200 feet elevation. August 31, 2007.

The Flying Dog trail is very well-planned and expertly constructed. Early-intermediate riders will love this trail, but experts will also. Only the strongest beginners should consider it, because of the length (the shortest route is a 10-mile ride with 1500 vertical feet elevation change). The trail instructions below include the 10-mile easier ride, a 16-mile moderate ride, and a tough 23-mile grinfest with 3000 feet of climbing. And you can add a dip down the Bobs Basin DH trails while you're passing by. There are a lot of great options here.

This is Flying Dog as it forks uphill of Jeremy 24-7.

The ride starts in rocky oakbrush foothill terrain. There are three main trailheads: Graduate (near the school in Jeremy Ranch and climbing up via Fink Again), Jeremy (where the pavement meets the East Canyon gravel road), and Glenwild. The shortest access to the trail is through Jeremy, but most riders start at Glenwild.

I'm a bit up the Preserve Connector trail, which cuts across between the two sides of Flying Dog, looking west over Jeremy Ranch. Many riders use the Connector as part of their Flying Dog ride.

As the trail climbs, the oak gets bigger, then a few maples join in. As you climb higher and hit the north-facing slopes, you enter aspen forest, with a fir here and there. Throughout the ride, there's an assortment of open brush slopes, meadows, views, and forest.

The fun-to-work ratio is high here. The trail curves and dips constantly. Switchbacks and climbing turns are smooth and well-designed.

Left: Typical gambel oak slope.
Right: Aspen at 7800 feet.

A much-overlooked option is to start by climbing Graduate and Fink Again, then proceed to Flying Dog. After whatever short or long ride you chose to do, head down one of the DH freeride trails. If you've got anything left, keep circling back up until you've gotten your fill. Ant Farm, Team Cutthroat, and Dropout are great downhill-only routes with a lot of fun stuff. But you don't need to be an expert to ride them. Just go around the stuff that scares you.

Typical trail area on Flying Dog.

Getting there:
Jeremy Ranch 24-7: Just after Parley's Summit, take the Jeremy Ranch exit and turn north (left) under the freeway. Turn left at the first stop sign, then take the next right (Jeremy Ranch Drive). Continue until the road turns sharply around to the right, where you'll see the dirt East Canyon Road branching off to the left. Park and climb the ST on the east side of the road (the direction your car was facing as you came around the paved turn).

Glenwild: At the I-80 Park City exit, go north (left from the exit if you're coming from SLC) to the frontage road. Turn right. About 1/4 mile later at the second road on your left, turn left. Find the trail parking area just before the northbound road crosses the creek. (You'll see the trail map kiosk and bathroom). GPS N 40° 43.662' W 111° 32.051'. Head up the road to start your ride. Just past the bridge, turn right on singletrack and you're on the Stealth Trail.

A sample of the loving attention this trail has received: Many drainages have rock armor-plating. Several swampy areas have wooden boardwalks.

Jeremy Ranch, Graduate trailhead: At the I-80 Park City exit, go north (left from the exit if you're coming from SLC) to the frontage road. Turn left on the frontage road. Next turn left again toward the school. As you pass the school, there's parking on the left. Just past the school, there's a fenced area with a shed on the right, and a gravel roadway on the far side. About 100 yards down this gravel path, at the end of a broad gravel area (don't park here), there's a wooden bridge. That's your trail. At the first fork, keep R. At the 2nd fork (Fink Again), go L.

1. Lapdog Loop (short and sweet), rating=easier
Jeremy-Preserve-Flying Dog Loop, counterclockwise
0.0   24-7 Trailhead, East Canyon Road Jeremy Ranch
        N40 46.150 W111 35.033
2.0   L uphill on Flying Dog
        N40 45.845 W111 33.142
2.5   R on Preserve Connector
        N40 45.841 W111 33.046
3.5   L on DT then straight N uphill on road
        N40 45.870 W111 32.566
3.8   R at road fork
        N40 46.080 W111 32.671
3.85 R off road on DT
        N40 46.118 W111 32.639
4.5   L uphill on Flying Dog
        N40 46.337 W111 32.013
5.1   Cross road
        N40 46.402 W111 32.475
7.7   Viewpoint uphill 100 yds
        N40 46.304 W111 33.087
8.4   Back at Preserve junction, fork R downhill
        N40 45.841 W111 33.046
8.9   Fork R on 24-7
        N40 45.845 W111 33.142
10.9 Back at trailhead

For the Big Dog Loop, you start at Glenwild and go up Stealth. After turning onto Flying Dog, you stay on Flying Dog for a clockwise loop. (You pass both ends of the Preserve Connector, but don't ride on it.) After descending the lower switchbacks of Flying Dog, you hit either side of the Cobblestone Loop then drop toward Glenwild. When you reach Glenwild, you go left and ride the easier half of the loop back to the trailhead.

2. Big Dog Loop, 16 miles, rating=moderate
Flying Dog with Lower Glenwild
0.0 Glenwild TH, toward mountain on road
       N40 43.681 W111 32.178
       Cross bridge, L on Stealth ST
       N40 43.714 W111 32.206
0.3 Ignore trail forking R uphill
       N40 43.849 W111 32.517
1.8 Left on Stealth/24-7
       N40 44.478 W111 32.941
2.1 R (L=Dropout DH trail)
       N40 44.638 W111 33.124
2.2 R (L=Cutthroat, 2nd L = Ant Farm)
       N40 44.690 W111 33.066
2.8 R (L=Fink Again)
       N40 45.044 W111 33.087
3.5 Cross paved road
       N40 45.325 W111 33.053
4.3 Keep R (L=bailout to JR)
       N40 45.675 W111 33.101

4.5 R uphill on Flying Dog
       N40 45.845 W111 33.142
4.9 L on Flying Dog
       N40 45.841 W111 33.046
5.6 R=Viewpoint 100 yards
        N40 46.304 W111 33.087
8.9 Keep L (R = Preserve Connector)
       N40 46.337 W111 32.013
10.2 Cross paved road N40 46.035 W111 31.789
10.5 Cross paved road N40 45.799 W111 31.627
10.7 Cobblestone loop, fork L
        N40 45.704 W111 31.573
11.4 Exit loop, fork L downhill
        N40 45.365 W111 31.750
12.3 Fork R on Glenwild
        N40 44.756 W111 31.279
14.9 L downhill
        N40 43.928 W111 31.965
16.1 Back at parking

For the Big Pretzel (or "Dog-eat-Dog") ride, you start at Glenwild and go up Stealth. After turning onto Flying Dog, you fork onto the Preserve Connector, then ride the upper part of Flying Dog counterclockwise. Then you go right back up the Preserve Connector, catch the lower switchbacks of Flying Dog down to the Cobblestone Loop. When you reach Glenwild, you go right and climb another tough mountain to the top of the Glenwild loop. After descending a bit, you can take the shorter loop back, or go a bit further to Steath-24-7. You can even do a couple of laps on the freeride trails before quitting.

3. The Big Pretzel, 23 miles, rating=tough
Flying Dog w Stealth and Glenwild
0.0 Glenwild TH, toward mountain on road
       N40 43.681 W111 32.178
       Cross bridge, L on Stealth ST
       N40 43.714 W111 32.206
0.3 Ignore trail forking R uphill
       N40 43.849 W111 32.517
1.8 Left on Stealth/24-7
       N40 44.478 W111 32.941
2.1 R (L=Dropout DH trail)
       N40 44.638 W111 33.124
2.2 R (L=Cutthroat, 2nd L = Ant Farm)
       N40 44.690 W111 33.066
2.8 R (L=Fink Again)
       N40 45.044 W111 33.087
3.5 Cross paved road
       N40 45.325 W111 33.053
4.3 Keep R (L=bailout to JR)
       N40 45.675 W111 33.101
4.4 Keep R uphill
       N40 45.788 W111 33.171
4.5 R uphill on Flying Dog
        N40 45.845 W111 33.142
4.9   R on Preserve Connector
        N40 45.841 W111 33.046
5.9   L on DT then straight N uphill on road
        N40 45.870 W111 32.566
6.2   R at road fork
        N40 46.080 W111 32.671

6.3   R off road on DT
        N40 46.118 W111 32.639
6.9   L uphill on Flying Dog
        N40 46.337 W111 32.013
7.5   Cross road
        N40 46.402 W111 32.475
10.2 Viewpoint uphill 100 yds
        N40 46.304 W111 33.087
12.9 Back at Preserve junction, fork L uphill
        N40 45.841 W111 33.046
        Retrace route through Preserve Connector
14.9 Flying Dog, L downhill
        N40 46.337 W111 32.013
16.2 Cross paved road N40 46.035 W111 31.789
16.5 Cross paved road N40 45.799 W111 31.627
16.7 Cobblestone loop, fork L
        N40 45.704 W111 31.573
17.4 Exit loop, fork L downhill
        N40 45.365 W111 31.750
18.3 Fork R on Glenwild
        N40 44.756 W111 31.279
18.9 Cross paved road N40 44.749 W111 31.936
20    Top of hill, cross road
        N40 44.470 W111 32.360
20.5 Fork R DH on DT (across=Glenwild)
        N40 44.375 W111 32.483
21.1 L on Stealth
        N40 44.478 W111 32.941
23    Back at parking

Riding resources for this trail:
Single-page riding guides: Short&Sweet Lapdog Loop
      Big Dog Loop    The Big Pretzel (Dog-eat-dog)
GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."):
     Map datum WGS 84
    Garmin     National Geographic    Google    GPX
Large-format topo map (600K): download

For additional information, including nearby lodging, rentals, camping, and current conditions, may we suggest:
Synderville Basin Special Recreation District: http://www.basinrecreation.com
Park City area info and lodging: http://www.parkcityinfo.com/
Deer Valley Resort: http://www.deervalley.com/
Park City Mountain Resort: http://www.parkcitymountain.com/
The Canyons Resort: http://www.thecanyons.com/
Utah outdoor activities: http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/
Camping: http://www.outdoorsinutah.com/camping.htm
Utah website: http://www.utah.com/
General info on visiting Salt Lake City: http://www.slctravel.com/
FAQ, National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/wcnf/unit/slrd/questions.shtml
Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/wcnf/