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Bonneville Shoreline Trail
through Corner Canyon
In the southeast Salt Lake valley, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST)
is completed from Hidden Valley in Sandy to the Flight Park at Point of
the Mountain. Because navigation through the Corner
Canyon area can be tricky due to multiple trail intersections, this
little piece of the BST has its own page. The course of the BST and its
intersecting trails will be discussed east to west. The "Corner
Canyon BST" refers to the segment from the Corner Canyon Road to
Coyote Hollow.
Looking from the Corner Canyon Road at the BST
trailhead. Photos on this page were taken over several years by Bruce, compiled
here in 2016.
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| This is more of a "understanding the trail" page
than a specific "do this ride" page. The Corner
Canyon to Sandy BST and the Traverse Mountain Corner Canyon to
Flight Park BST are discussed on separate pages. The Corner Canyon BST
segment is also unique because it is NEVER closed due to damp conditions.
(Lower Corner Canyon, Gasline
and Aqueduct, and Rattler are similarly
always open for riding.)
We'll start this segment at the BST Trailhead on the gravel
Corner Canyon Road, 1.1 miles uphill from Highland Drive. There's a bathroom, picnic tables, shade, and trail
kiosk here. (The northbound BST begins
across the road.) Enter the Corner Canyon section from the south
side of the BST trailhead parking.
Looking north at the trailhead area from the BST
below Corner Canyon Road.
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As you look over the canyon to the west from this vantage on
the hillside, it helps to visualize the course of the trail. See the open
area in the little valley ahead? And the broad trail heading west from
there? That's the place
where most riders get lost. There's a doubletrack intersection at the top
of the Corner Canyon trail (the route that comes uphill from the
Equestrian Center trailhead). Trail signs tend to be a bit out-of-the-way
and unnoticed in the wide trail intersection area. Just remember if you're westbound, stay westbound when
you hit the big open area. Likewise, if you're eastbound, stay eastbound
across the big clearing to find your way to the bridge as the BST narrows
to singletrack again.
From the eastern side of Corner Canyon, here's where
the trail forks are found. |
| We're now coasting downhill from the Corner Canyon Road
trailhead. The first westbound trail fork, about 0.2 miles from the trailhead, is the Rattler
Trail. (The Rattler trail
connects uphill to the Ghost Falls trail.) Keep to the right and downhill
to stay on the BST.
Rattler trail fork, heading west. |
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The trail heads generally southwest, meandering around
drainages on the old Lake Bonneville sediments. This area has a lot of
sand and pebble in the trail-base, so it's usually good to ride in the
early spring, on warm days in winter, or after heavy rainstorms. (However,
connecting trails such as Ghost Falls, Canyon
Hollow, and Clarks are NOT
good to ride under these conditions. Always check Draper's trail page when
it's not obviously sunny and dry.)
Coasting downhill southwest. Our continuing journey
will take us above the homes in the upper center of the photo. |
| After a few meanders, the singletrack joins the Aqueduct
Trail at mile 0.5 from the trailhead. Turn to the left and head southwest
for just over 100 yards on this broad cindered doubletrack.
A nice shady spot to grab a snack bar, as my Rocky
Mountain sits at the apex of the hump.
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You'll now come to a confusing trail intersection (made a
bit more confusing by pipeline construction that dug right through the
trail junction). Your goal is to go straight and a little to the right to
resume the BST singletrack.
(1) There's a broad doubletrack dropping 90 degrees to the
right. That's the route down to the Carolina Hills trailhead. It connects
to the Corner Canyon trail in 0.4 miles. That's
not the trail you're looking for.
Here's Little Rocky waiting at the trail sign on a
north-bound ride. The BST singletrack (up from the bridge in the valley)
is right behind me, and about 100 yards ahead of me down the Aqueduct
doubletrack is the uphill BST to the Corner Canyon Road trailhead. |
| (2) Almost straight ahead and a bit left, the Gasline Trail
heads southwest. This nice singletrack joins the Ghost Falls
trail after
0.5 miles. But it's also not the trail you want.
(3) A bit to the right and to the west is the continuing BST. That's
your way down to the multi-trail intersection area at the bottom of the
valley.
Gasline Trail. That's not the one you're looking for.
But it seems every time I'm on Ghost Falls, I run into a lost soul who
took this trail thinking it was the BST.
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Now you'll drop steadily through brush
and occasional oak scrub as the route carves out a big S shape to the
bottom of Corner Canyon. At mile 0.9 from the Corner Canyon Road,
the trail turns sharply right in a box elder grove and crosses a bridge over the
creek.
From the bridge, your goal is to keep the bike aiming straight. You're
pedaling west. On your
right is a connector to the Corner Canyon trail. If you fork onto Corner
Canyon, it's a mile down to Highland Drive, with a connector to the
Creekside trail about 0.1 mile downhill.
Looking east uphill on the BST. |
| As you enter the open area, the doubletrack to the left
climbs uphill for connections to Canyon Hollow
and Ghost Falls. The big DT
on the right descends Corner Canyon. Keep
heading straight west and uphill.
Keep straight as Creekview crosses the BST 0.2 miles from the bridge. (Creekview
heads north along the hillside for about a mile before dropping down to
the creek and joining Corner Canyon to pass under Highland Drive.)
Follow the trail into the trees. In 2016, there's an unmarked split in
the trail here, which rejoins about 50 feet later. Now you reach a marked trail fork. Keep
right. The trail to your left, heading east and slightly uphill, is Canyon
Hollow, destined for the top of Traverse Ridge.
Here's the bridge, as seen from the west side (the
ride-uphill eastbound direction). |
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About 50 feet further west is a second trail intersection.
The right fork goes to the Coyote Hollow trailhead, just 100 feet away. This
is the end of the Corner Canyon segment of the BST.
Fork left uphill and begin a semi-stiff climb on a trail that winds
through thick oak forest. This is the combined Bonneville Shoreline Trail and
Clark's
Connector. After 1/10th mile of uphill climbing, you'll come to a T
intersection. Clark's Trail is across the bridge to your left.
Clark's is a
one-way uphill-only route to the top of Traverse Ridge. Turn right to
continue the BST.
Climbing up the Clark's Connector section of the BST.
(Since this photo 10 years ago, there are water channels and exposed
roots. So it's not quite this baby-smooth.) |
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So... turning it around...
If you're westbound from the Traverse Mountain (Draper) section of
the BST, here's your navigation:
90 degrees left just before the bridge of Clark's
0.1 later, keep R (L = Coyote TH)
50 feet, keep L (R = Canyon Hollow)
Descend broad trail, keeping straight east-northeast
Cross the DT intersection, keep straight until you see the bridge
Climb the ST, with a little piece of DT in the middle.
Little Rocky rests on the Clark's/BST sign at the T
intersection (aiming towards Clark's).
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We will now consider the stretch from Coyote Hollow to
Potato Hill. Note that this is NOT officially part of the "Corner
Canyon BST" and may be subject to closure under damp conditions. I
discuss it here because the Coyoto-to-Potato bit is commonly used as part
of a winter fat-bike loop ride (Potato Hill,
BST, Canyon Hollow, and east Ann's).
From the Clark's intersection, the BST begins a modest but
steady climb as it contours a small canyon to the west. It needs to gain
altitude to get above the obscenely-sized mansions on the hillside above
the temple.
Climbing westbound to get above those ridiculous
monster homes. |
| Shortly after passing above the homes, 0.6 miles from
Clark's, you'll reach the Potato Hill trail fork. The BST continues on the
right. The Potato Hill trail will deliver you to Ann's Trail after 0.5
miles of gentle climbing, and in another 0.2 miles, to the Potato
Trailhead on Traverse Mountain Road.
For trail connections further west, see the Draper BST
page.
Alex approaches the Potato Hill fork from the Draper
BST (we're looking west). Potato Hill is up and to the left. |
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Bonneville Shoreline TH on Corner Canyon Road: From Draper, take 123rd South to 13th
East and turn south (right). At the roundabout just down the hill, turn east
(the equivalent of a left turn at the roundabout) on Pioneer
Road. Go around one mile to 20th East, then turn right going south on
Highland Drive. Turn left to the parking lot of Orson Smith Park, but
immediately turn right as you enter the parking area. Drive on the gravel
Corner Canyon Road 1.1 miles uphill. Turn right into the BST trailhead.
Then northbound BST is on the uphill side of the road, across from the
trailhead parking entry.
Coyote Hollow trailhead: From Traverse Ridge Road,
turn to Mike Weir Drive. Drive about a mile until the road veers left downhill. Take the next right
turn, turn right again, then left. You should now be on Gray Fox Drive.
Take the next right into Coyote Hollow Court. The parking is on the right
at the end of the pavement. After entering singletrack, the trail fork in
100 feet is the BST. Fork right to go westbound, or keep left to go east
and north. |
Corner Canyon (Equestrian Center) Trailhead: On Highland Blvd. Climb the Corner Canyon
singletrack,
joining doubletrack on the way, to a wide intersection of multiple trails.
The BST is across the wooden bridge 90 degrees to your left. You'll
climb past connections to other trails, then just past Rattler,
you'll reach the Corner Canyon Road trailhead.
Potato Hill: Take the Bluffdale exit from I-15 and turn
east towards the mountains on Highland Drive. At the light at the top of
the hill, turn right on Traverse Mountain Road. After one mile, pass Mike
Weir Drive on your left. Look for the Potato Hill TH on your left about
mile 1.3 from the light.
Red Rock (Mike Weir) trailhead: Leave I-15 and turn right at the light on Traverse Mountain Road. After one mile,
turn left onto Mike Weir Drive. The trailhead parking is on your right,
1/2 mile later. A short connector takes you up to the BST. |
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