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Mill Creek Pipeline Trail
In the lower half of Salt Lake City's Mill Creek Canyon is the Mill Creek Pipeline trail. It's a great lower-altitude alpine bike ride. This narrow single-track is usually open by mid-April and stays clear of snow until November. Looking southwest across the canyon from the trail. May 26, 1999 by Bruce Argyle |
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Several trails connect the Mill Creek road to the trail, allowing riders to pick up the trail and bail out at four locations. To do the entire trail out-and-back from the upper trailhead on the Mill Creek Canyon road, it's 14 miles. Many riders climb the canyon road and connect to the trail at one of the upper locations, then drop down Rattlesnake Gulch for a loop ride. |
| Much of the trail is smooth hard-pack dirt. But the
narrowness, exposure to steep hillsides, and occasional tricky terrain make it an
intermediate technical trail. Much of the trail is shaded cruising through the woods,
while the western third is exposed to wind or heat on steep slopes. The trail bed is firm, giving good support to your tires even when wet. This is an excellent early-season ride. Here we're looking at the first few feet of the trail. The trailhead GPS is N 40° 42.495' W 111° 41.443'. May 26, 1999 by Bruce Argyle
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Dogs are allowed in Mill Creek Canyon. Be sure Fido is compatible with other mutts. You're sure to run into a few of them. Jackie (at left) thinks nothing of this 14-mile run. Even on weekdays, the trail sees fairly heavy use. Be courteous. And be smart. Our ER sees occasional head-on collisions by bikers speeding on this trail. Jackie (Jack Russell
terrier) and her pet biker. |
Except for the descent into Burch Hollow (about 600 feet vertical), there isn't much elevation change on the Pipeline trail. At the Salt Lake end of the trail, there's a fabulous overlook of the valley. (Trail end GPS N 40° 41.618' W 111° 46.924'.) This view at right is about a mile from the end of the trail. May 26, 1999 by Bruce Argyle |
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While most of the Pipeline is easy cruising, we wouldn't recommend taking a newbie down
Rattlesnake Gulch. This descent is advanced technical. When the dust gets deep and
slippery, Rattlesnake can be a white-knuckle slide for the best riders. The lower pipeline can be ridden in up to eight inches of snow. This is a fun ride after a spring storm. Here Dominic Bria follows Matt Flygare through a dip. Photo March 25, 2000. |
| Getting there: Get to Foothill Blvd on the east bench of Salt Lake City via I-215. Exit at 39th South. Take 3800 South eastbound into the Canyon. Our favorite strategy is to do the first segment as a road and single-track loop, and the rest of the trail as an out-and-back: Drive 3.5 miles past the fee station. Park near the gate 1/4 mile past the Burch Hollow trailhead, at GPS N 40° 41.958' W 111° 42.752'. (Note: the gate to upper Mill Creek Canyon is open to cars July 1 to November 1, but you can pedal or hike up the road any time.) |
| Pedal 1.5 miles up the paved road. The trail takes off on your left just
before the road takes a sharp turn to the right at N 40° 42.495' W 111° 41.443'. Do the entire trail, then watch for Burch Hollow on your way back. 5.5 miles from the overlook you'll see a fork in the trail at N 40° 41.954' W 111° 43.434'. Take the right fork 1/4 mile down to the Burch Hollow trialhead. Peddle 1/4 mile uphill to your car. The trip is 14 miles. Dominic cruises a shady
portion of the Pipeline Trail. The Mill Creek Pipeline Trail has a 62-second video introduction. See our video section. |
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Fiscal Note: There's a $3 fee per car (2009), payable as you leave the canyon. It doesn't cost anything if you ride your bike up -- it only costs if you take a car into the canyon. |
| Riding resources for this trail: One-page riding guide Lodging, camping, shops: Links to northern SLC resources |
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