As a mountain biker, and general lover of the outdoors, I always love it when I get to explore new trails or terrain. In all likelihood I’m not the first to be there, and certainly not the last, but that’s not the point; it’s new to me. I figure out the nuances of the trail, what to watch out for, and find those unique treasures that each trail or new mountain offers. This constant desire for a fresh, new trail we’ve never ridden is what drives a lot of us who choose to adventure in nature, and it was the driving force behind White Pine Touring expanding the terrain where we guide our mountain bike tours.
Recently we expanded our guiding permits to include the Riverview/Coyote Loop trail system, and the Dutch Hollow trailhead in Wasatch Mountain State Park, as well as the newly completed W.O.W. Trail in Wasatch County. These new offerings will allow White Pine Touring clients, past and future, to explore new trails outside of Park City, and will allow our mountain bike guiding season to begin earlier in the spring and later into the fall before the snow blankets the trails.
Riverview/Coyote Loop
Even though the Riverview/Coyote Loop trail system sits on private land near Heber, White Pine Touring was able to reach an operating agreement with the land owners that allows us to guide on this otherwise private trail system. The riding is fast and flowy, interspersed with some fun, technical rock sections. You are mostly riding past sage brush and scrub oaks with the occasional aspen grove on the Coyote loop. There are roughly 25 miles of trail on this loop; varying from beginner single and doubletrack to advanced singletrack.
The Riverview/Coyote Loop rides best in springtime to early summer, and late summer into fall/early winter. The highlight is the view of Mount Timpanogos and Cascade Peak at the southern end of the Heber Valley. For your first ride I would recommend checking out the Riverview trail; riding the upper and lower Riverview trails as well as Sheep Bones and the Drop Out. Start at the Coyote Gulch trailhead and climb to Upper Riverview to ride a loop in a counter-clockwise direction. For a bigger challenge, ride the full Coyote Loop.
Wasatch Mountain State Park/Dutch Hollow
Dutch Hollow is a little known gem of a trail system in Wasatch County. With around 15-20 miles of singletrack, these trails ensure there are plenty of options to keep you busy for a good ride. The northeastern portion of Dutch Hollow is comprised of tight and turny, hand-cut singletrack that will challenge the intermediate rider with trails like 1000 Turns and Bone Yard. The Barrel is a not-to-be-missed trail that is ideal for making laps to build your bike handling skills, while the Prospect and Phosphate trails allow you to build larger rides and loops, as well as connecting you into the new W.O.W. Trail.
You’ll be riding past scrub oak and sage brush if you’re exploring Dutch Hollow and fall is an incredible time to ride these trails with the changing colors and cooler temps. I like starting at the Dutch Hollow trailhead off River Road and putting together a lot of little loops from there, but you really can’t go wrong. Eventually Dutch Hollow will be connected to the Riverview trail system, mentioned above, giving mountain bikers the option to connect some large singletrack rides for a full day of adventure.
W.O.W. (Wasatch over Wasatch) Trail
The W.O.W. trail is one of the most recently completed trails in Summit and Wasatch County, and is INCREDIBLE! The W.O.W. lives up to its acronym in every way. The views of the Heber/Midway Valley are unmatched, including Deer Creek reservoir, Mount Timpanogos and Cascade Peak. Starting at the top of the trail, near the Midway reservoir, you roll out on an easy climb through a beautiful aspen grove. After about 600 feet of climbing, the trail starts a 3,500 foot descent into the Heber valley. As the trail descends you’ll be blown away not only by the flow, but by how well the W.O.W. was designed and built.
Leaving the aspens behind, you pop onto a ridge with sage, juniper and scrub oak before crossing onto the north side of the ridge and entering the loamy pine forest. As you lose elevation, the trail morphs back into the scrub oak and sage topography. From the lower trailhead you can connect into Dutch Hollow and the Phosphate trail. This has quickly become one of my favorite trails/shuttles, and should be on anyone’s checklist who is planning to mountain bike in Park City.
With over 450 miles of mountain bike trails in Park City alone, whether you are a local, returning visitor or first timer, there is always a new adventure waiting for you. Thanks to our expanded mountain bike guide permits, White Pine Touring can help you explore all of the areas mentioned above, or you can grab your bike and explore them on your own. Regardless of the way you decide to ride them, do yourself a favor and check out these trails for yourself. You’ll be glad you did!
Scott House, Communications Director