The 365 trail is an easier singletrack ride in Ogden Valley's North
Fork Park. Most riders combine it with a portion of the Pipeline trail for
a loop ride, while others use it as a starting point for a ride to the Mule
Ear - Mule Shoe loop and Cutler Flat.
(See below for details on the Pipeline Trail.) 365 is also your route to
the Spork bikes-only trail.
Rolling through a meadow area filled with lupine
flowers. Photos and ride report by Bruce
on June 19, 2019.
365 Trail details and loop ride description
365 is 2.2 miles long and is an experienced-beginner to
early-intermediate ride. The starting elevation is 5550 feet. There's 100
feet of elevation difference between the bottom and top, but some
up-and-down will bring the total climbing for the loop ride to around 200
vertical feet.
The trail wanders through many groves of trees and
small meadows.
365 starts at the main campground gate. Shortly after
turning onto the road to the Ben Lomond
trailhead, there are posts with a tire-ripper on the opposite side. Turn
left into the cindered parking area just before the gate. The trail starts
on the far side of the parking area at the uphill corner.
The 365 Trail is also your route to the Spork
one-way bikes-only loop. Spork forks to the left at mile 0.7 from the 365
south gate trailhead.
Handlebar view as the trail twists and turns.
On the day of my check-out ride, most riders were going
counterclockwise -- climbing to the top of 365 and riding it downhill. If
you want to do this, go back to the road and pedal through the gate. 100
yards later, at the far side of the camp host's semi-circle, turn right on
the broad gravel path. Find the entry to the Pipeline trail on the uphill
side, about 60 feet from the road.
A lot of the ride is in forest shade.
The general course of 365 is an arc around the south and
west sides of the North Fork main campground. But the trail makes a lot of
meanders, stuffing those 2.2 miles into an as-the-crow-flies distance of
around 1/3 mile bottom to top.
Mule's Ear flowers and stout old oak trees along the
trail.
There are a lot of humps in the trail, serving as water
diversion, speed control, and launch ramps -- if you're so inclined. Turns
are nicely banked.
Just off the side of the trail, you'll see picnic tables and campsites
here and there. The trail skirts the campground.
There's a lot of pretty scenery on this little loop.
At the trail's highest elevation, you'll circle around the Ben
Lomond trailhead. It's the primitive parking area with the big metal
corral. You'll cross two feeders to Ben Lomond before descending back to
the east. Just keep straight at any intersection or road crossing.
At mile 1.7, you'll cross a small trail. To the left uphill, the trail
goes to Durfee Creek, where you can either ride out on the road or
continue singletrack up to the junction of Mule Ear with the Mule
Connector. This trail is labeled Traily McTrailface on Trailforks.
Almost to the Ben Lomond trailhead area on a
clockwise ride.
2.2 miles from the parking area, 365 ends on the Pipeline
trail. Turn right to descend back to the trailhead. (A left turn takes you
uphill, where you can connect directly to the Mule Shoe trail. To do this,
follow Pipeline gently uphill, crossing a road, and then a small creek.
Just after crossing the creek, take the right fork steeply uphill. The
connector will climb to Mule Shoe just east of the road crossing. See the Mule
Loop page.)
Rolling around a typical banked turn.
When Pipeline approaches a small fenced water reservoir, keep left. The
right fork just goes out to the road. At mile 2.5, Pipeline ends on a
gravel semi-circle. Turn right and go out to the road, then left to
descend 100 yards to the gate and the trailhead parking.
Looking
down the upper Pipeline trail. There's a pipe buried under the trail here,
making it flat and straight.
Pipeline Trail details
The Pipeline trail is 0.7 miles long, consisting of an
older upper section along the pipeline corridor itself, plus a new twisty
route through the trees on the downhill end. The elevation change over the
trail is only 100 feet. Pipeline serves two roles: (1) the lower half is
part of a loop ride on the 365 Trail, and (2) with the 2019 addition of a
connector trail, Pipeline links the 365 trailhead parking lot to Mule
Shoe.
Rolling past some blooming Mules Ear.
At the bottom, Pipeline begins on the uphill side of the
campground host's traffic circle just inside the North Fork Park gate.
From the 365 parking lot, go through the gate. Pedal 100 yards uphill,
then turn right into a wide gravel path. Spot the singletrack on the
uphill side of the path, about 50 feet from the road.
The Pipeline trail runs through a heavily forested
area.
After 0.3 miles climbing through the trees, you'll reach a
fenced water-storage pond. Keep right (the left fork goes out to the
road). You're now on the actual pipeline corridor. Here the trail becomes
straight and flat, with only a hint of uphill tilt.
100 yards later, keep right again as the 365 Trail joins
on your left.
Handlebar view as we negotiate the trees of the lower
Pipeline trail.
At mile 0.4 of the singletrack, the trail crosses a
campground road. Then at mile 0.6 it crosses the creek. If the bridge is
washed out or underwater, there's a short connector to the road on your
left just before the bridge. It's only about 30 feet up to the road, where
you can cross the creek, then immediately catch another connector back to
the trail.
Heading uphill, we're crossing a campground road to
continue on the flat portion of Pipeline.
Just after crossing the creek, there's a trail fork. The
trail to the left just goes in an arc around to the road. (The road here
-- with a right turn at the road fork just uphill -- is the old route up
to the Mule Loop.)
Fork left, and the trail becomes steep for the first time.
This is the new connector trail to Mule Shoe. It's a stiff climb for 100
yards, then the trail curves to the right and levels out. In 0.2 miles it
reaches Mule Shoe.
We're at the bridge. Can be ridden, but boy is it
slippery. Just don't fall off to your right.
The Mule Shoe trail fork is oriented so it would send you
onto a counterclockwise loop. If your goal is the easier Mule Ear
Connector trail (or you're headed for Cutler Flat), make a hard left turn
here. Mule Shoe will hit the road in 1/10th mile, Cross over to Mule Ear,
and in another 1/10th mile, turn hard right onto Mule Ear Connector.
Looking downhill on the new Pipeline to Mule Shoe
connection.
Bottom Line:
365 is a very nice trail to meander around and play on. I encountered lots of
group riders on this trail, most of them going counterclockwise. If you're
in a hurry to get uphill, consider going up Pipeline, which is a more
direct route to the Mule Loop. The newer section of Pipeline, and the
connector uphill to Mule Shoe, makes this trail suddenly important and
worth riding.
Looking toward Ben Lomond, we see the rollers that
help the trail shed water.
365 Trail and Pipeline
clockwise loop...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Getting there: Go up Ogden Canyon. (From the
north on I-15, take the 12th South Ogden exit and head east on Highway 39.
From the south, exit I-15 on US 89. Pass I-84 and climb up the hill, then
turn right on Harrison Blvd. Continue on Harrison until you hit U-39 and
turn R toward Ogden Canyon.) Turn left across the dam at Pineview
Reservoir. At the stop sign in Eden, turn left. Turn left at the stop sign
in Liberty. After about 1/4 mile, take the next right. Just after you
cross the river, veer left toward North Fork Park. Turn left again at the
Ben Lomond Trailhead - North Fork Park sign. As you approach the
campground entry gate, turn left into the 365 Trail trailhead and park.
The 365 Trail is at the southwest corner of the parking lot.
For the Pipeline trail, pedal back to the road, go through the gate and
100 yards uphill, then turn right to find the trail post marking the entry
to the singletrack trail.
