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Tour des Suds
The Tour des Suds is one of the best-known classic Park City trails, but it's been chopped up a bit by construction recently. It's still a good route uphill if you're aiming for a cruise on other trails such as Sam's, John's 99, TG1, TG2, and (in the other direction) the trails of Deer Valley such as Flagstaff, Naildriver, and Deer Camp. Dominic traverses a field of blooming wyethia, with Deer Valley in the background. Photos July 5, 2002 by Bruce. |
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Here we describe a loop up Tour des Suds, north through TG1, TG2, and John's 99, then back via John's and Gravedigger. Altitude change is 1500, with a peak of 8900. Total climbing around 2200, distance 13.5 miles. This trail has been torn badly by construction. Fortunately signs direct you through singletrack and doubletrack bypasses on the lower portion. Here Bruce climbs out of the trees onto doubletrack. |
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Like most routes on the west side of Park City, navigation
can be confusing due to multiple trail intersections. (We're still not
sure whether we were on the "right" trail from TG2 to John's
99.) If you get on the wrong trail, don't sweat it. The city's right below
you, so you can't stay lost. If you find a busy-looking trail intersection
and wait a few minutes, chances are another biker will point you in the
right direction.
The loop starts at Daly Canyon, as you climb south up gravel doubletrack. There's an alternate singletrack in the trees at mile 0.25. You can bypass much of the doubletrack in the first 1.5 miles by hopping singletracks, but it will make your mileage a bit different from ours. (See the map.) Once you know where the trail ends up, the singletrack option is lots more fun. Looking at the greenery surrounding Dominic as he climbs the mountain, it's easy to see why Tour des Suds has been so popular. |
| The trail must skirt around a construction zone via the
singletrack Ontario Bypass trail. You'll run near the southern border of
constructions as you climb, sometimes on decent singletrack, some
doubletrack, and a couple of newly cut detours. The last mile uphill is
beautiful singletrack on the original Tour. Once you're at the top, you
can head off west to TG or east to Deer Valley.
Mike rips through a meadow on TG1, which forks off to the north near the top of Tour des Suds. |
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Most of the trail is in forest, with aspen, choke cherry,
and fir. On TG, there are a couple of small meadows where you can take a
breath and look towards Deer Valley and Park City.
TG1 and TG2 have a few short technical steep sections. I'd recommend this loop to advanced riders. After climbing Tour des Suds, get your "vertical's worth" by picking a nice downhill ride. Here Mike takes a corner between fir and aspen.
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| Important Note: The Tour des Suds has, once again, been chewed up and rerouted due to construction in the Deer Valley region. Check with a local bike shop for current conditions, and for riding instructions. |
| Riding notes, Tour des Suds to TG and
John's: 0.0 Start just past end of pavement in Daly Canyon 0.25 Singletrack entering trees on left side of road (mileage assumes you went up road) 0.7 Curve around water tank, left uphill at fork 1.0 Road turns R, note singletrack comes in on L Turn R at fork just past turn in road (singletrack option climbs up to L of road) 1.2 Curve L - don't go straight onto faint singletrack (1.3 singletrack crosses road) (1.45 ST on R goes uphill) Ontario Bypass 1.55 Hard L on singletrack (DT closed just uphill) (ST option comes in on R) 2.0 Guardsman Road N 40° 37.265' W 111° 29.755' Uphill 100 ft then hard L on ST Tour des Suds 2.25 R uphill onto doubletrack 2.65 R onto singletrack (cross Guardsman Road again) 2.9 Fork at border construction, keep L 3.2 Cross under lift, keep straight ST then DT, then up to Guardsman road, keep L at road fork 3.3 Two singletracks R, take either one 3.42 Fork, keep left (R is shortcut to TG) Trail climbs more steeply through switchbacks 4.3 Fork near Guardsman Road, go L to TG1 N 40° 36.469' W 111° 30.453' (Straight crosses Guardsman, goes to Deer Valley) |
Tour des Suds to TG and John's, continued... TG1 5.5 After passing mine tailings, turn uphill on DT Up around corner, turn R under lift at 5.65 TG2 6.8 Trail comes in from L 6.85 Fork L 7.2 Fork L in meadow on hillside John's 99 8.45 Keep R on DT, up to saddle at 8.55 R on ST under end of lift John's 8.7 Fork R downhill 10.3 Fork R 10.7 King road, find trail across road Gravedigger 11.05 Uphill on rough DT Fork L onto ST through gulley 12.0 Onto DT, turn L. (Option turn L past water tank for fast return) Keep straight 12.25 As road turns, drop down ST on L After 100 ft, fork hard L 13.0 Fork hard L 13.3 Drop onto gravel road, go R 13.5 Back at parking |
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Getting there: Go south in Park City until the road dumps onto Main Street. Follow it uphill into Daly Canyon. When you hit dirt, park and head uphill on the gravel road. N 40° 37.983' W 111° 29.841' For a single-page riding guide to this loop (condensed for printing), click here!
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