The Park City trail network is constantly changing and evolving. Every year we get new trails and more miles. Every year an old trail is refreshed. And every year new connections are made to link together more and more miles of velvety singletrack. Most trails are machine-made with bits here and there dug by hand. But the toil is the same and the work is honest!
We’re thankful to live and operate in a community that is so devoted to creating new trails. So far in 2017, the city, in partnership with the Mountain Trails Foundation, has created no less than five new trails within Park City proper.
I touched base with the manager of one of our bike shops, Ian Hartley at White Pine Touring, to get his thoughts on the new trails and who they’re intended for. Ian has lived in Park City for a long time and been a rider for even longer. He works closely with the various trail builders around town via the shop. Here are some of his insights.
Free Mason (Lost Prospector connector) – 1.5 miles
This trail is right outside White Pine Touring (WPT) and is a welcome connection. In the past, to access Lost Prospector, you had to ride the paved Poison Creek trail up to the Town Pointe Condos and sprint across Deer Valley Drive and then slog up Aerie Dr. The only alternative was to ride down the Rail Trail (also paved) to Skid Row and climb up from there. Free Mason lets you rip up the hill underneath Lost Prospector (LP) and wrap around until you meet it just before LP crosses Aerie Dr. This easily saves you 15 minutes and keeps you from having to cross Deer Valley Drive. Take the Rail Trail east, away from town, for a hundred yards or so from WPT, and Free Mason will be on your right.
PorcUclimb and Down Dog (Round Valley) – 2.4 mile loop
These new trails were actually created for adaptive cyclists as well as beginners. PorcUclimb is in the heart of Round Valley and is uphill only. Nice and wide, it’s a great trail for easy pedaling. At the top is Down Dog, a descending only trail with a moderate grade and fun, swooping berms that is also very wide to accommodate adaptive bikes. PorcUclimb is also a nice connection to the top of Nowhere Elks and lets you bypass the top of Rambler, which can have some fast riders coming down. It starts off the Seventy 101 trail, another beginner trail, and connects you to other beginner trails. Essentially, PorcUclimb allows you to access one of the high points of Round Valley without having to ride anything too technical.
Happy Gilmore & TM (Round Valley) – 2.4 miles
These two trails are excellent additions to Round Valley. They were actually built in 2016 but have been become really popular this summer. They provide easy connections to the middle of Round Valley from Old Ranch Road and the Trailside Bike Park. Basically these trails help you navigate around the West and North sides of Round Valley and let you add in bonus miles to your ride. Both trails have rolling moderate climbs and some unique but manageable rock features.
Blazing Saddle (Shadow Lake to Puke Hill Connector) – 0.7 miles
This trail seems like a godsend. In the past, at the top of the Shadow Lake trail, you had to ride up a loose and sort of steep road to get to the bottom of Puke Hill and Scotts Bypass. But the new connector lets you ride singletrack all the way up at a moderate grade with a few technical corners thrown in for flavor. This one is sweet especially because now you can access the Crest trail or Guardsman Pass exclusively on singletrack.
Some of these may seem short but they are huge in terms of access and connectivity. Park City has been adding to the trail network here incrementally since the ’70s, and the pace has not slowed.
For more information on Park City’s trails including an interactive map, check out the Mountain Trails Foundation. If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Park City, see Mountain Biking Park City for information on lodging, transportation, restaurants, and more.
Jans and White Pine Touring are proud to offer mountain and road bike rentals as well as guided tours on Park City’s best singletrack! If you’re headed to Park City in the future, the trail network can be a little overwhelming. Let one of our talented guides show you the way.
Related Links:
Mountain Bike Rentals
Guided Mountain Bike Tours
