 |
Lambert Park Trail Looking for delicious upper-intermediate singletrack that you can ride in the off-season? Or anytime? Head to Alpine's Lambert Park. Mike Engberson hits the sidewall on a tight turn in the ravine of the Rodeo Trail. June 30, 2000.
|
| Lambert Park is a foothill area on the edge of the national forest. Over 16 miles of singletrack trails meander though scrub oak, maple, fir, and sage. The singletrack rates from easy-intermediate to advanced-intermediate on the southeast corner (the dog trails). |
| The lower and
southern side of the park -- south of Box Elder Drive -- offer snow-clear
singletrack by early March. Some winters, the riding never stops. In the spring,
it's a mass of flowers and deer. Lambert Park is warm and dry three months
before the canyon trails clear of snow.
There are only a few days during the entire year when you can't ride these trails. In the winter, start your ride around 10 a.m., before the exposed dirt gets squishy. Here Matt makes a turn on the Rodeo Trail. January, 2000. |
|
|
|
| There are many different ways to ride Lambert Park.
(You can hit every trail in one day, but the shortest way to do that is a monster
ride of around 16 miles.) We'll
tell you about a couple of the local riders' favorite routes.
In addition to its singletrack system, Lambert Park has doubletrack for ATVs, motorcycles, beginning cyclists, and horses. Motorized vehicles are forbidden on the singletrack ($500 fine). |
 |
Some
singletrack trails are closed to horses because of risk of injury to
horse/rider/cyclist (Rodeo, Lambert's Luge). Although built by cyclists
specifically for mountain biking, equestrians are welcome to ride most of
Lambert's singletrack when conditions are appropriate.
Videos: the Lambert Park trail has THREE video clips available: "Alpine's Lambert Park," "Four Seasons," and "Night Ride." See our video section. Bruce Argyle rolls among oak on the River Trail, with his dog Jackie in pursuit. June 30, 2000, photo by Mike Engberson.
|
| Some sample rides: |
| Taste 'o Lambert. Beginner. Fun but non-threatening, no brutal climbing.
About 3 miles. Start at the Rodeo Grounds. Ride down Rodeo to the River
Trail. Follow the River Trail until it turns back to become the Middle
Trail. Ride Middle back to Rodeo Up.
Diane cruises past the poppies of the
Poppy Trail. |
|
| Lambert Classic. Intermediate. A nice ride, with moderate amounts of climbing. Start at the Rodeo Grounds parking. Go down Rodeo, turn onto River. At the south end, curve back north onto Middle. Turn right onto Ziggy then right again to Zag. Left downhill on Ziggy, follow Ziggy down. Back at Middle, turn right on Middle, then right on Poppy and continue on Ruin. Right on Middle. Right on Spring and climb all the way up and around, then connect to Rodeo Up to get back to parking. |
 |
Buckaroo. Expert. Whoop-de-doos, bike handling challenges, climbing, and bombing on the cooler north end of Lambert. Start at the Rodeo Grounds parking. Take Rodeo Down then left onto Rodeo Up. Right onto Middle Spring and climb the hill. Left on Spring and bomb downhill. Catch the last 1/2 of Rodeo Up, and drop left into Rodeo Down. Fly to Middle, then turn left on Spring and climb. Just after passing the spring, here are your options: left on Middle Spring, or right on upper Rodeo. Drop to the bottom of Rodeo, then climb back Rodeo Up. Repeat various permutations until you puke. After climbing up, try going right Spring to descend the southern side (clockwise direction) of Spring. |
| Tour de Lambo. Expert. A longish ride that hits many of the highlights of Lambert. Start at the Rodeo Grounds parking. Take Rodeo Down, and continue on down Middle. Veer left at the water tank road, then R on Flank singletrack. Left uphill on Black Dog before the next DT. Cross the ATV-track and climb Corkscrew. Pass Brown Dog. Left to descend White Dog and continue straight onto Ziggy. Stay on Ziggy to Middle Trail and turn right. Turn right uphill on Poppy and continue around to Ruin. Left to retrace a bit on Middle, then cross the road to River. Veer left on High Bench and follow it all the way until it rejoins River, then keep straight to the Spring shortcut. Right on Spring, then veer left onto Lambert's Luge. At the bottom, join High Bench and go back south to join River. Curve around onto Middle and ride northward, turning right on Spring. Climb Spring all the way to the top, then drop off the hill on Middle Spring. Connect to Rodeo and find your car. |
|
|
|
Trail Descriptions:
Black Dog. Trail winds from the middle of Corkscrew down to Flank and
River, just
south of the water tank. Some
technical aspects, length 0.5 miles with 300 vertical feet elevation change.
Stiff climb. Top N40 27.958 W111 45.017, bottom N40 27.936 W111 45.325.
Brown Dog. Tougher trail extending from Corkscrew to Indian, just
north of the water tank. Length 0.3 miles, 150 vertical feet elevation change,
offers some rock stunts at trailside marked by diamond posts. Some easier shortcuts have appeared 11/08
- the shortcuts offer an easy climbing route and connect to the upper portion of
Zag. Top N40 28.003 W111 45.027, bottom N40 28.043 W111 45.148.
Corkscrew. North to south, it joins the top of White Dog, traverses the edge
of the wilderness border, then plunges
rapidly to the far south end of Lambert. From the south, it's a brutal climb.
From the south, it's often used as a connector from the city trail to Flank.
Length 0.7 miles, elevation change 220 feet. North end N40 28.101 W111 45.040,
south end @ City Trail N 40° 27.656
W 111° 45.167.
Flank. Short connector ties the bottom of Corkscrew to the water tank road
to join River or Middle. Usually open year-round. Length 0.4 miles. South
end at Corkscrew N 40° 27.699 W 111° 45.106 - North end water tank road N 40°
27.961 W 111° 45.317. (The south end of Flank lies on private land.)
High Bench. North-south route on far western side of Lambert Park.
Upper-intermediate. Forks off River at both northern and southern ends. Forested
areas snowbound in winter. 1.1 mile, elevation change 130 feet. North
end @ River Tr just after it forks off Middle near Box Elder road N 40° 28.533
W 111° 45.423 - South end @ church road N 40° 27.898 W 111° 45.341
Indian: Short trail connects upper Zag (just below the road past the
water tank) to Flank. North end at Zag N40 28.027 W111 45.155,
south end at Flank N40 27.825 W111 45.177.
Karma. Short optional route off River Trail, 0.3 miles. Forks off on
northern end just after River crosses gravel road then bridge.
Lambert Luge. Challenging route from the lower portion of Spring to High Bench, features tight
turns, whoop-de-doos. After passing the connector to Ruin Trail, it's downhill
only. No horses! Crosses Middle and River on the way down. 0.5 miles, elevation change 120
feet. North end @ Spring Tr N 40° 28.460 W 111° 45.323 -
South (downhill) end @ High Bench Tr N 40° 28.212 W 111° 45.593. Access to
downhill portion off Ruin @ N 40° 28.287 W 111° 45.327.
Middle Spring. Serpentine narrow trail with tight turns and challenges, connects
top of Spring to top of Rodeo Trail. Advanced. Climb or descend. 0.6 miles.
Elevation change 150 feet. Bottom @ Rodeo Up N 40° 28.669 W
111° 45.028 - Top @ Spring Tr N 40° 28.648 W 111° 44.768
Middle. Fairly straight north-south route, intermediate. "Main
Street" of Lambert, with access to River, Rodeo, Spring, Ruin, Poppy, Ziggy.
Usually open year-round. 1 mile, elevation change 130 feet. North
end @ Box Elder paved road N 40° 28.540 W 111° 45.400 - South end @ water tank
road N 40° 27.963 W 111° 45.340
Poppy. Climbs from the Middle Trail up to the poppy field near the old
homestead. Continues as Ruin Trail at the 3-way intersection with the
Lambert Luge connector.
Usually open year-round. Length 0.4 miles, elevation change 100 feet. Bottom
end @ Middle Tr N 40° 28.000 W 111° 45.388 - Top at Ruin/Luge Connector N 40° 28.287 W 111°
45.327
River. North-south route, intermediate. Usually open year-round. Access to
High Bench trail at each end. 1 mile,
elevation change 130 feet. North end @ Middle Tr N 40° 28.527 W
111° 45.390 - South end @ water tank road N 40° 27.963 W 111° 45.340
River Alternate. When southbound, forks left off of River
just after crossing the High Bench Road and the creek bridge at N40 28.517 W111 45.448.
At first, runs to the east of River. Extends about 1/2 mile, crossing River as
it crosses DT (N40 28.437 W111 45.501) near the water utility shed, then
rejoining River from the west side at N40 28.394 W111 45.529.
Rodeo Down. Downhill ONLY. No horses.
Extends from the north side of the creek at the tippy-top of Spring (where the
water comes out of the mountain, criss-crossing bridges over the creek down to a
thrill-a-second hoop-de-doo down a wash. Very popular
trail, usually snowbound in the winter, clears in March. 0.5 miles. 150 feet
elevation change. Top @ N 40° 28.620 W 111° 45.757. Short connector to rodeo grounds parking
@ N 40° 28.682 W 111° 45.033. Bottom joins Rodeo Up N 40° 28.560 W
111° 45.405
Rodeo Up. Uphill ONLY. Climbing route to the top of Rodeo Down. Connects to
Middle Spring to continue uphill. 0.5 miles. Bottom end via
connector to Box Elder paved road N 40° 28.553 W 111° 45.392 - Upper end
connect Rodeo Down N 40° 28.693 W 111° 45.034
Ruin. From top of Poppy Trail to Middle Trail. Goes past old Lambert homestead.
Features jumps when ridden top-to-bottom. Access to Lambert's Luge just before
the first jump. Usually open year-round. Length 0.5 miles, elevation change 100
feet. Top at Ruin/Luge Connector N 40° 28.287 W 111° 45.327 -
Bottom @ Middle Tr N 40° 28.027 W° 111 45.441
Spring. Long loop, 400 feet climbing, upper intermediate to advanced. Recommend
counter-clockwise. Not recommended in winter. Runs from center of Middle Trail,
connects to Middle Spring at top, curves around to connect to Rodeo Up. Access to north end of Lambert's Luge just before crossing
Box Elder road. 2 miles. South end @ Middle Trail N 40° 28.379 W
111° 45.438 - North end connects Rodeo Up N 40° 28.681 W 111° 45.207.
(Shortcut off beginning of Middle near Box Elder Road @ N 40° 28.527 W 111° 45.390)
White Dog. Winding trail connects upper Zag and Ziggy (near the private property
border) to Corkscrew, 0.3 miles. Climbing or downhill, moderately technical. Bottom
N40 28.106 W111 45.141, top N40 28.103 W111 45.039.
Wildcat. Trail plunges from southbound Corkscrew all the way to High
Bench Road across from the High Bench Trail. Fairly high-speed downhill, tough
climb. Length 0.4 miles. Top N40 27.921 W111 44.989, Bottom N40 27.903 W111 45.337.
Zag. Back-and-forth meandering trail takes its time climbing from the base of
Ziggy to the middle of Ziggy near the Corkscrew fork. Length 1 mile, elevation
change 150 feet. Downhill end on southern downhill Ziggy @ N 40°
27.998 W 111° 45.370 - Uphill end where Ziggy and White Dog meet N40 28.106 W111 45.141.
Ziggy. As DH, starts top of White Dog, connects to top of Zag (and bottom of White Dog),
then descends to
Middle Trail. As climber, connects via ZPC to Poppy then up to White Dog. Upper
portion (above Zag) has climbing route DH-only route in trees. Upper section may have deep snow in winter.
Jump, gap jump. Length
0.8 miles, elevation change 300 feet.
Southern (downhill) end @ Middle Tr near water tank road N 40° 27.973 W 111°
45.363, top N40 28.103 W111 45.039.
ZPC. Ziggy to Poppy Connector is a short trail
that ties Ziggy to Poppy, with a Y-fork at the south end to smooth the uphill vs
downhill connection to Ziggy. It offers southbound riders a climbing connection
to the upper mountain without descending to Middle. Southbound, it forks left of
Poppy at N40 28.145 W111 45.281 just after it exits the trees and begins descending in earnest. Descending
riders can veer off Ziggy and head for Ruin or Lambert Luge for alternate
downhills. It forks right off Ziggy about 0.2 miles from Zag at N40 28.100 W111 45.266. Length 0.2 miles
|
|
| Diamond markers: Short 2x4 with diamond and arrow, designates harder detour, will rejoin. Milder Climbs: Harder Climbs: |
|
|
Getting there: Take I-15 to the
Alpine/Highland exit, just south of Point-of-the-Mountain. Drive straight east 5 miles
towards the mountains, turning left at the stoplight in Highland (where you see the
grocery store and gas station). Drive 2 miles north into Alpine to the 4-way stop at 200
North. Turn right. At the next stop sign, turn left. You'll be on 200 East, which becomes
Grove Drive. Continue northeast on Grove for two miles. The road will turn
90 degrees to the right. Pass two streets on your left, then arrive at a T
in the road. Turn right, across the river. At the fork in the road, go right
for the Bowery parking area, left for the Rodeo grounds. Rodeo grounds: Keep left at the fork and drive 0.25 mile on pavement, then turn right onto a dirt road and drive 0.25 mile. The trailhead is on the right side of the road, where you'll see a parking strip and a bathroom just before the rodeo arena. (Toilet.) Bowery: Keep right at the fork as you cross the river on the paved road. Pass the High Bench dirt road on your right. About 300 feet further up the paved road, keep straight as the main road turns right, entering a smaller road. The Bowery pavilion is on the left, 500 feet up the dirt road, with a parking lot on the right. (Toilet, pavilion, water.) Church trailhead: About 1.5 miles up Grove Drive (as above), turn right on Alpine Boulevard. Go 1/2 mile to a big church. The trailhead starts alongside the fence near the small outbuilding and trash bins at the western (downhill) edge of the church's parking lot. When the trail crosses a small creek to join another trail, you're on High Bench. On Sundays, drive past the church and enter the gravel road. Park 150 feet later near the trail kiosk. |
| Other trail resources! Click for: Color-coded trails map One-page riding guide. GPS track files (right-click a file and select "save as..."): Garmin Lambert.mps Topofusion: Lambert.gpx Map datum GS84. Updated 2011. Lambert Park Interactive Tracks Map: Load Lodging, camping, shops: Links to northern county resources |
|
Copyright 2011 Mad Scientist Software Inc
Original review 1998. Last updated July 2011
