This trail has a VIDEO.
| Wasatch Crest Trail This trail has a VIDEO. |
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View southwest overlooking Solitude Resort and Big Cottonwood
Canyon. The tilted rock layers seen on the mountains are caused by a warp along
the Wasatch Fault. (If you were looking at the Wasatch Front from the west
desert, the layers would form a "smile" from Big Cottonwood to Ogden.)
Precambrian and Cambrian rocks are exposed on the walls of Big Cottonwood, while
to the north, younger layers (such as the Jurassic rock of Parley's
Canyon) are exposed at the same height. A bit further north, the older layers are
again raised up, with Precambrian Quartzite again exposed near Ogden.
September 28, 1998, Bruce Argyle.
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The Wasatch Crest Trail runs along the ridge between Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Park City area, then descends towards the Salt Lake valley via Mill Creek Canyon. This is a popular, well-maintained, and well-travelled trail. It forms part of the Great Western Trail. (Other sections we've ridden include Ridge 157, Timpanogos Perimeter, and Timpanooke Loop.) Most riders begin at Guardsman Pass and ride towards Salt Lake, using a shuttle car to return to Guardsman Pass. Hardbodies will climb from Mill Creek Canyon's Big Water trail, then turn around at the radio shacks where the single-track ends and run back for a 20-mile out-and-back. The trail clears of snow in late June to early July. Matt's brother Grant Flygare and Grant's wife Melody ride the Crest trail towards Desolation Lake. September 18, 1999. |
| The trail is mostly hardpacked dirt. Starting just below
Guardsman's Pass, it climbs two miles up a dirt road through pines and aspens to reach the
crest. This brutal climb is called "Puke Hill," and is the only prolonged climb.
Altitude at the top is 9900 feet. After the second transmission shack, it converts to
single track. The trail rolls up and down, with fabulous views of the granite peaks
southward in Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood canyons. After the trail drops into Mill Creek Canyon, you'll follow the trail signs to the Lower Big Water Trail. The trail ends in the parking lot in upper Mill Creek Canyon. Dominic Bria climbs towards the ridge east of Desolation Lake. Photo by Bruce Argyle, Sept. 18, 1999.
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UtahMountainBiking.com is your source for bike trail info, repair instructions, feature articles, first aid, fitness, and goodies. |
| The sharp fin of rock above Desolation Lake is a challenge for the very best riders. The ridge is a col, a fin left standing between two glaciers as they ate into the mountain towards each other (there's a glacial cirque and lake on either side of the fin). Unless you're one of the elite, plan to walk your bike over this area -- or plan for some on-trail repairs and bandaging. Our last ride, we watched quite a few expert riders "try-and-die" as we were repairing our damaged steeds. Not one rider cleaned the ridge. |
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Into late summer, the trail is surrounded by sticky geranium, wild flax,
paintbrush, daisy, wild rose, and arnica. Later in the season, currants, rose hips, and
elderberry provide color as the leaves turn yellow. Until you drop into north Mill Creek
Canyon, every inch of the trail has a fabulous view extending over miles of alpine
landscape. Rose hips ripen in the autumn sun.. |
After Desolation Lake, the trail turns north towards Mill Creek Canyon and runs along the ridge overlooking the ski lifts of The Canyons (formerly Wolf Mountain, formerly Park West) ski area. This section of the trail (Mill Creek Canyon) is open to mountain bikers on even days only -- you can bike the 28th, but not the 29th. Conquering Puke Hill. (Left to Right) Dominic Bria (Mad Sci marketing consultant), Melody and husband Grant Flygare, Matt Flygare, Bruce (the Mad Scientist), and Mike Engberson (Mad Sci manager) |
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| Mill D option: Another option for riding the Wasatch Crest is to start at Mill D North Fork
in Big Cottonwood. Shuttle or ride to the trail head. You can bomb down Mill D
North Fork from Desolation Lake, or make the loop around north Mill Creek Canyon
and catch the Dog Lake trail back to Mill D. See the Mill
D North Fork page. Park City epic loops: For real hammerheads, consider riding the Wasatch Crest from Park City. Starting at Spiro, you climb to Scott's Pass, then drop back to the Midmountain trail at the fork above Mill Creek Canyon. Return via the Midmountain Trail (real epic), or drop down to the Canyons to return via the paved Olympic Trail. (See GPS files.) |
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The entire trip from Guardsman Pass to the Big Water Trail parking area is
around 13 miles. Most bikers do it as a one-way, with a shuttle car in Mill Creek. Another
option (our personal favorite) is to ride the Crest to Big Water, run 4 miles down the
Mill Creek Canyon road, ride the Pipeline Trail to Rattlesnake
Gulch, then run out the bottom of the canyon (26 miles). If you're a "lonely
biker," you can do an out-and-back or complete a loop on the Cottonwood side by
dropping down the trail to Desolation Lake to the Mill D North Fork trail, linking up with
the Big Cottonwood road across from Reynolds Flat. (Intersection of the Crest with the
Desolation Lake trail is GPS N 40° 39.508' W 111° 35.756'.) Worth another look in any season. Dominic on the ridge above Desolation Lake. Bruce Argyle, August 10, 1999. |
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A video introduction to this trail is available |
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| Getting there: Guardsman Pass trailhead: Get to Big
Cottonwood Canyon (Wasatch Blvd and 72nd South) and drive up past Solitude Resort (about
15 miles). Just before you reach Brighton, the road to Guardsman Pass turns off on your
left. At 0.8 miles, you'll see a red metal gate. Exactly one mile later (1.8 miles from
the fork in the road), you'll see a dirt road on the left. GPS N 40° 36.817' W 111°
33.532'. Park along the hairpin turn and bike up the road. (There's a second -- closed --
gate about 100 yards up the road. Just pack your bike around the gate and continue.) View from the ridge line looking at Desolation Lake, with Dr. Argyle's old hardtail bicycle in the foreground. This is a glacial lake, with the rounded valley (called a cirque) carved out by the weight of moving ice. September 28, 1998. |
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Mill Creek trailhead: 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. Drive all the way to the top of the canyon. The trail begins on the south end of
the Big Water Trailhead parking area GPS N 40° 40.922' W 111° 34.199'. (Note: the gate
to upper Mill Creek Canyon is open to cars July 1 to November 1. Mountain bikes are only
allowed on upper Mill Creek trails on EVEN numbered days!) For pictures of other sections of this awesome trail, go to the Desolation Lake (Mill Creek) and the Dog Lake (Big Water) page. |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."): Garmin National Geographic Google Earth GPX GPS files including Dog Lake and Mill D North Fork: Garmin National Geographic Google Earth GPX GPS files, loop rides via Park City (incl Midmountain option): Garmin GPX Medium-res topo: View High-res topo (900 KB): View Topo maps of loop via Park City: Medium-Res High-Res (1.5 MB) |
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