Provo Canyon Race Loop Trail

Provo Canyon Race Loop Trail

This trail is a fun singletrack in the gambel oak above the Provo Canyon water pipeline. It offers a few steep pitches, so it's rated upper-intermediate in technical requirement. The climb to the loop is strenuous, but the loop itself isn't too tough aerobically. Because the mountainside faces south, the trail can be ridden very early in spring -- and most of the winter.

Photo above: View south from the trail, looking at Provo Peak. Like Mt. Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain is made of Pennsylvanian-Period limestone, deposited 320 million years ago in a deep ocean basin. Photos Bruce Argyle, October 15, 2001.

Altitude is 5000 feet at the base, with a vertical climb of 600 feet. The loop itself is 2.2 miles long, while the connector to the bridge is 0.9 miles. (Up to the loop, once around, and back down is a 4.0 mile ride.) Most riders do a few loops.

View towards the mouth of Provo Canyon, as the pipeline enters conglomerate cliffs laid down during the era of Lake Bonneville.

The trail is located on a shelf on the north slope of lower Provo Canyon, between the water pipeline and the Orem Bench Trail on the ridgeline above. It loops and undulates through grass and gambel oak. The main loop can seem confusing without a map, because there are many "cheater" routes and older trails that interconnect.

There are several ways to get to the loop. There are several dirt roads and trails that find their way uphill. You can also drop down from the Orem Bench road to the loop.

The best access is from the west end of the paved parking lot. Heading up Provo Canyon, go past Canyon View park, then turn left across the Provo River into a big parking area. Find a gravel road at the far west end that heads uphill.

Mount Timpanogos looms over the trail on the northeast. This trail section is typical, with singletrack curving through grass among clusters of gambel oak.

Starting from the bridge (see below):
0.0   ride west on the paved road
        go to the west end of the parking lot
0.15 go right uphill
0.45 fence on left, road forks, go right uphill
0.6   fork, continue left uphill towards the pipeline
0.65 go under pipeline
0.75 (0.1 mile past pipeline) singletrack goes left
0.9   at top of gulley, fork right to enter loop
---

Singletrack from drinking fountain:
(Note: haven't checked this since pipeline construction!)
0.0   At drinking fountain on parkway, to north uphill
0.25 right on doubletrack at fence
        100 feet later, singletrack turns back uphill on your left
0.45 merge right onto doubletrack
        turn left uphill to go under pipeline
0.55 arrive at loop, turn right
0.65 fork at top of gulley, go left to start loop
---

Loop directions (starting at southeast corner):
0.0   start north uphill, trail curves west (left)
0.15 "cheater" route turns right uphill, continue left
        trail loops right to head back east
0.35 "cheater" route rejoins on your right, go straight
        trail loops left to go west again
0.55 "X" intersection, keep left downhill
        trail loops right, heads back east

0.85 back at "X", keep left uphill
trail loops L, turning back west, then southwest
1.45 fork in trail, go R (L is short "cheater" route)
1.75 left (east) on doubletrack at pipeline
L as singletrack leaves DT (don't go over pipe)
2.0 "cheater" route rejoins on left
2.1 pass singletrack access trail on right (go straight)
2.2 starting point: fork L for another loop, R = down

View up Provo Canyon from the trail.

Getting there: Exit I-15 on Orem's 800 North and drive straight towards the mountains. Keep left to enter Provo Canyon. After 1 mile, you'll pass the entrance to Canyon View Park on your left. About 100 yards later, there's a diversion dam, then a bridge over the river. Drive over the bridge and park in the lot. Ride to the northwest corner of the parking area. Begin your ride by pedaling up the gravel road. (Haven't determined if the singletrack access still exists, but if you want to look for it, go west -- downhill -- 1/4 mile on the paved Provo River parkway. At the drinking fountain, turn uphill on the singletrack.)

Note: Any "No Trespassing" signs along the gravel road apply to the property along the lower road, not to the access road itself.

Thanks to Kris Nosack for this Google map of the trail system, summer 2007. Note location of gravel road relative to parking.

Riding resources:
One-page riding guide
GPS track files: (Right click and Save as...)
Garmin GPX Topo
Topographic map: View map
Lodging, camping, shops:
Links to Provo area resources