The Maples Loop is a beautiful singletrack ride on the base of Mount Ogden. It incorporates the East Fork Trail, Green Pond Trail, Snowbasin's Strawberry Express connector trail, and the Wheeler Creek Trail.  From any of the three trailheads on the loop, it's 11.6 miles with 1600 vertical feet of climbing, rising to a peak altitude of 6900 on the slopes of Snowbasin resort. An alternative is to start at the Wheeler trailhead opposite the Pineview dam: the Wheeler trail adds an easy 3.5 miles plus 500 vertical (15.1 miles total, total climbing 2100 ft). The track has easy-intermediate (East Fork), intermediate (Snowbasin), and upper-intermediate (Green Pond) sections.

View towards Snowbasin from Green Pond. The pond isn't directly on the trail. You must watch for a small connector foot trail. If you see the pond through the trees from above, you missed it. Photos by Bruce, October 22, 2003.

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You can ride either direction, but it's easier to navigate through Snowbasin if you go clockwise. I like starting from the Wheeler Pineview trailhead and doing the 15-mile lariat loop.

Bruce heads up the East Fork Trail. Over the ridge to the north is Pineview Reservoir. The draw in the more distant mountain contains the Southern Skyline trail. Photo snapped by a 69-year old mountain biker, while his 73-year old riding partner was napping 1/4 mile below. Thanks!

The East Fork trail is machine-cut and smooth, with a few gentle switchbacks and about a dozen wooden bridges spanning the gulleys. The Green Pond trail is a fairly easy slope, but twisty and containing rocks and a few sharp roots to skewer your tire (my tire, anyway). The Wheeler Creek (Maples) trail has been reworked in recent years, and is mostly broad and easy to ride. The Snowbasin Strawberry Express to Base trail has quite a few switchbacks, but they're broad, bermed, and easy to handle.

View up towards Mount Ogden.

From the Strawberry Express connector trail, we're looking down towards the lodges and parking areas of Snowbasin.

Rolling under a lift at Snowbasin.

View down the Wheeler Creek Trail, riding the loop clockwise.

Getting there:  From Ogden, head up the canyon on U-39. For the Wheeler trailhead, turn R on doubletrack just before Pineview dam (Trailhead GPS N 41° 15.168' W 111° 50.511'). For Art Nord, keep straight (R) at the dam, then 2.7 miles later, turn R on U-226. Go another 3.6 miles and turn R into the Art Nord trailhead parking N 41° 14.017' W 111° 49.224'.
From the south, leave I-15 for US-89 in Farmington. Turn right (east) to take I-84 up Weber Canyon. Take the Huntsville/Pineview exit and turn left under the freeway, then right to continue up the canyon. About a mile later, follow the signs to turn left towards Huntsville on U-167. 6.8 miles after leaving I-84, turn left on U-226 towards Snowbasin. The Green Pond trailhead is at a parking turnout 1.3 miles from the turn. The Snowbasin turnoff (which leads to the Maples Campground) is 3.0 miles, the Middle Fork trailhead is 4.7, and Art Nord is 6.0.

[For a single-page riding guide to this trail, click here.]

For additional information, including nearby lodging, rentals, camping, and current conditions, may we suggest:
General info on visiting Ogden:  http://www.utah.com/ogden/   http://www.go-utah.com/ogden 
Utah outdoor activities:  http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/ 
Snowbasin Resort:  http://www.snowbasin.com/
Camping:  http://www.outdoorsinutah.com/camping.htm 
Forest Service Ranger District: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/wcnf/ 
Pineview Reservoir:  http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/wcnf/recreation/pineview.shtml