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Rock Springs Loop Trail
The Rock Springs Loop in Payson Canyon is a great singletrack ride with terrific views. This trail covers some of the same territory as the 18-mile Blackhawk Loop Trail, but at 11 miles it's significantly shorter. Starting at 7900 feet elevation, the trail climbs only 500 feet, but up-and-down riding will make the total vertical about 1800. Surface is intermediate technical. View towards Mount Nebo as we cross the ridge at the Blackhawk Campground road. Photos by Bruce, September 30, 2002. |
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| The Nebo Loop area is famous for its fall leaves. But it's a
scenic ride anytime. You'll go through groves of aspen and maple, with the
occasional fir. In the early morning, you may surprise deer, moose, and
elk as you pop out of the trees into a meadow. Wildflowers are everywhere,
and include lupine, mule's ear, daisy, and penstemmon.
There are a couple of gates on this loop. Be sure to close them after you. The gates aren't to keep you out, they're to keep cattle in. View along the trail, as we ride south on the eastern side of the loop.
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Again and again, the trail breaks out to provide fantastic views of nearby mountains and canyons. You'll look east towards the Birdseye area, north down Payson Canyon, and south down Beaver Dam Canyon. View south down Beaver Dam Canyon. |
| There are several riding options to tailor your ride. For a
longer ride, without adding a lot of climbing, loop around through the
Blackhawk Campground.
For a shorter ride, cross the Nebo Loop road at Frank Young Canyon and drop straight down to the middle of the Rock Springs Trail. Fall hits the maple leaves, dropped by last night's rainstorm. The trail surface was surprisingly firm despite the rain. |
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The Nebo Loop area is very popular for horse riding. Steeper
areas may be a bit loose after a dry spell, as the horses churn the trail.
This trail gives plenty of room to sidestep horses.
When you finish your loop, draw straws to see who drives the car, while the rest of you plunge down the Bennie Creek Trail. Jackie waits patiently while her water-carrier gets a GPS coordinate on a trail intersection. |
| Riding Notes, from the trailhead opposite
the Ranger Station: 0.0 From the fenced parking area, head right up the ridge Find the trail as the doubletrack ends N 39° 55.535' W 111° 37.753' 0.25 Trail joins Blackhawk, turn R N 39° 55.410' W 111° 37.574' 0.55 Fork R (L= Blackhawk Loop) N 39° 55.147' W 111° 37.617' 1.9 Reach road, cross to parking area Trail continues through fence N 39° 54.542' W 111° 38.373' (Ignore smaller trails, keep southwest) 2.6 Fork R and slightly uphill at trail sign N 39° 54.155' W 111° 38.337' Handlebar view as we drop down towards Rock Spring. |
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4.4 Reach doubletrack, go R to paved road N 39° 53.824' W 111° 39.324' Turn left on road 5.9 Fork R onto Santaquin Canyon Road 6.9 Fork R off road onto Rock Springs Tr N 39° 54.398' W 111° 41.624' 7.7 Keep straight (L=Schram Tr) 8.0 Straight (R=Lizard Lake Tr to Road) 8.7 Straight (R=Tie Fork or Frank Young Tr) 9.9 Fork R on Rock Springs (L=Jones Ranch) 11.1 Doubletrack, continue straight to road N 39° 55.676' W 111° 38.068' Turn R on road, then L 0.1 mile later 11.5 Back at vehicle Lizard Lake is this small pond, temporarily dry. (Photo October 1999) |
| Getting there: Going south, take the Payson exit
250 from
I-15 and turn left. Head into Payson on U-115 to the traffic light, then turn left (100
North, U-198). About 1/3 mile later, at the top of a small hill, turn right at 600 East.
Set your odometer now! Keep going up Payson Canyon.
To start from the Ranger Station trailhead, drive 12.8 miles from Payson. Just past Payson Lakes, you'll see a trail sign on your right. The dirt road here connects to the Rock Springs Trail 0.1 mile up. Go PAST this road 1/10 mile, and turn left across from the Ranger Station. Go 1/10 mile to park. The trailhead is at a tiny ways up the dirt road on your right, at the top of the ridge. GPS N 39° 55.535' W 111° 37.753'. For the Blackhawk Trailhead, continue up the road to mile 14 and turn left at the fork to Blackhawk Campground. About 1/10 mile down the road, there's a turnout on the right. The trailhead is at the log fence, heading west. GPS N 39° 54.542' W 111° 38.373'. |
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