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Eagle Mountain - South Trails
Wile E
Coyote, 411, Eastwood, Fistful of Dollars, Deadwood
Connections to Crop Duster, Gunslinger, Jackrabbit & Roadrunner
This trail page discusses the
trails on the southern end of the Hidden Canyon area Eagle Mountain trail
system. Note that a quick description of all trails can be found on the Eagle
Mountain Overview Page. Other area trails are described on pages for the
northern Eagle Mountain trails, the Eagle Mountain Race
Loop, the Mountain Ranch Bike Park,
the Treadstone-area (Prayer Flag
hill) trails, and the Lake Mountain
slope trails.
Looking east as we approach the top of Crop Duster on
Eagle Mountain's southern end. Multiple updates by Bruce
since 2015, with the latest update June 21, 2022. |
| The favorite trail in the southern end is Deadwood, ridden
from the south end back to the north. A favorite loop starts at the "Rockpile"
parking. Take doubletrack down to Wile E Coyote, +/- 411 and Fistful of
Dollars, Deadwood, then Treadstone up to the prayer flags and Supersonic
to Cracker Jack and back to parking.
View north at the Oquirrh Mountains from the southern
Eagle Mountain trails.
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Wile E
Coyote is a favorite north-south route on the eastern side of the big
valley. It forks away from Roadrunner just 150 yards from Roadrunner's southern
end on ATV route 3. The trail is generally an easy ride in either
direction, which makes it a favorite for loop rides that include Fistful
of Dollars, Eastwood, or Deadwood.
Some riders will turn onto OHV route 2 after finishing Wile E Coyote
southbound. This is a 180 degree
left turn onto the ridgeline doubletrack. From here, take the DT back north
to the top of Gunslinger/Crop Duster.
View back to the north at the Oquirrh Mountains as
Bruce rides Wile E Coyote.
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From its origin on Roadrunner, Wile E Coyote runs south 0.9 miles before ending at a dirt-road
fork just across from the southern end of Deadwood. (To connect to
Deadwood, follow the doubletrack around to the right so you're heading
northwest. Spot the singletrack on your left after around 50 yards.)
A bit of late spring snow persists under the cedars
on Wile E Coyote.
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| When ridden north to south, Wile E Coyote is generally uphill, but has some up-and-down
that make it a bit tougher. It's a much harder bit of riding than the
doubletrack. While it gains only 150 feet in absolute altitude as you
progress south, the rolling hillside makes it seem like more. This southern end
of Wile E Coyote on ATV route 3 has connections to the south end of OHV
route 2, the 411 trail (which starts on the southbound doubletrack) and OHV route 4
westbound to connect to the Deadwood trail.
The
trail is easy to ride, but you can always hit the doubletrack (OHV route
3) if you're pressed for time on your loop ride.
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411 is usually used as a
climbing route to the top of Eastwood and Fistful of Dollars. It consists
of around 1/10th mile of ATV track followed by a narrow singletrack
winding up the mountain. It's a reasonable rate of climb although on
narrow trail with a bit more embedded rock than you're used to at Eagle
Mountain.
The unmarked tiny trail on the right is the origin of the 411 singletrack
from the dirt road.
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The trail (including the doubletrack at the bottom) is 0.6 miles with 200 feet of elevation
gain and would rank upper-intermediate in difficulty.
There will be some fabulous views over the valley, as you're looking
down on all the spots you thought were "way up there" on other
trails.
Looking up 411 shortly after leaving the doubletrack.
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At the top, you'll bump across a long field of boulders. As
it ends, you'll note a trail coming from your left, crossing, then
dropping off the hill to your right. That trail is Eastwood. But keep
straight. After another 200 yards, you'll hit the combined origin of
Eastwood and Fistful of Dollars just after the 411 trail joins an old
doubletrack. Left (and back 180 degrees) is Eastwood; right downhill into
the ravine is Fistful of Dollars. A peak at Utah Lake as we near the top of 411.
The doubletracks below are OHV route 2 on the ridgeline, route 3 at
mid-left and route 4 just below it. The DT at mid-right is the connection
to the 411 climb. |
Eastwood is a two-way trail that most riders use
as a downhill. It's an intermediate-level descent but makes a moderately
strenuous climb. It's 0.8 miles in length, crossing Deadwood near its
bottom, then joining Fistful of Dollars just before it joins Deadwood. There will be 230 feet of elevation change on the trail.
View down Eastwood toward the Wasatch Front. We're
seeing over Traverse Mountain on the left and there's a sliver of Utah
Lake on the right.
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Eastwood begins at the top of 411 straight across from Fistful of
Dollars. That would be a hard left turn at the (unmarked) beginning just
after 411 joins doubletrack. Eastwood runs heads
back northeast parallel to 411 then crosses over 411 to descend the mountain.
The trail takes a lazy looping turn as we drop off
the ridgeline. |
| Eastwood crosses
Deadwood before joining Fistful of Dollars near its end.
There is the option of climbing Eastwood immediately after descending Fistful
of Dollars in a short loop ride, but the tire tracks indicate that almost nobody does this.
The downhill is fairly straightforward. There will be
occasional grade reversals where you might pedal.
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Fistful
of Dollars is an expert-level downhill-only trail that starts at the top
of 411 and Eastwood. While much of the trail is swooping singletrack,
there are some short but slippery rock steeps that require aggressive
attitude and good skills.
Just getting started. That's our gunslinger ahead.
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Fistful of Dollars is 0.6 miles long with 230 feet of elevation loss.
While it looks pretty mellow at first, as you get lower on the mountain
there will be some steep spots that truly require expert skill. These
tend to occur on rocky outcrops, with the steep side-slope leaving no
ride-around. A nervous intermediate with poor brake modulation skill can
get hurt here. And because dust and pebbles cover the rock riding surface,
hiking down the ramp wearing cleat-bottomed bike shoes is unwise.
Approaching one of the first rock ramps. This one is
easy. They'll get spookier as we go. |
| After clearing the steeper middle section of the trail,
you'll cross Deadwood as it approaches the doubletrack. The trail is now
mellow
again. After a few wiggles, Eastwood will join on your right and Fistful
of Dollars will veer to cross the dirt road and join Deadwood to continue your
downhill.
The trail follows the ravine downhill to the north.
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Deadwood is a fun easier-intermediate trail on the western side of the big valley. Along
with Treadstone (the Prayer Flags trail) it's an absolute must-ride for
Eagle Mountain. It's also part of the classic Eagle Mountain Race Loop.
Skilled riders can connect to Treadstone after descending Eastwood or
Fistful of Dollars for a continuous downhill.
Passing through a scorched former
juniper forest. Juniper inhibits undergrowth, so the formerly bare ground
now shows grass and scrub.
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Deadwood is 1.9 miles long. When done south to north, there's a bit of climbing on the southern end then 300
feet of elevation loss northbound. (If you hit Deadwood from Eastwood or
Fistful of Dollars, you've skipped the flat and uphill portions.)
Traversing west on the first section
of Deadwood.
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riders will do Deadwood downhill south to north. The slope is gentle and it's
easy to ride. In 2022, the track was widened and turns were banked for a
zippy ride. It's part of the race loop and a must-do if you ride Eagle
Mountain.
Deadwood starts on ATV route 4 near the end of Wile E coyote and
ends at the ATV route 1 across from the western end of Treadstone.
View north as Deadwood rocks downhill on the slope
above the valley.
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On the southern end off ATV route 4, Deadwood climbs away from the road heading westbound. After
it skirts the low hill at the southern end of Hidden Valley, it will drop
down and cross another dirt road. It will climb a bit up the opposite hillside
before turn north.
Hitting a turn on Deadwood. (This photo was taken
before the extensive trail work of 2022. There are big turning berms now.)
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| Now, shortly after the combined Fistful of Dollars and
Eastwood join on your right, Deadwood begins a steady flight northbound.
The trail is smooth with long sight-lines and banked turns.
Handlebar view, northbound.
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At its north end, Deadwood hits dirt road and drops through a wash to end on
ATV
route 1. Across the ATV track is the southwestern
end of Treadstone (discussed on the Eagle
Mountain Middle Trails page). Climb uphill to continue the classic
singletrack loop via Treadstone, or turn to the right for Backspacer for an
alternate climbing route or to connect to Crop Duster.
Drone shot as Bruce rocks northbound in April.
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Other Area Trails and Connections
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| Crop Duster
Crop Duster is a two-way trail that functions as a climbing route to
Gunslinger, or as a swooping easy downhill. Crop Duster begins on the
Backspacer trail, heading east. This western end is fairly flat, following
a wash across the valley. Crop Duster has connections to Gunslinger (top
and bottom) and to Jackrabbit and Roadrunner. It's discussed in more
detail on the Eagle Mountain East Trails
page but is mentioned here because it lies across the valley from
Deadwood.
Descending Crop Duster on the east side of the
valley.
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| Gunslinger
As a downhill, Gunslinger starts right where Cropduster ends. The trail
drops to the west before turning back north to rejoin Cropduster 0.5 miles
later. The vertical drop is 200 feet. Again this trail is discussed in
more detail on the Eagle Mountain East Trails
page.
Gunslinger heads west across the ridge at the fork
with Cropduster.
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Jackrabbit
Jackrabbit starts high on the ridgeline at around the
middle of the Eagle Mountain riding area, about 0.3 miles
from the Rockpile and 0.1 mile from the top of Roadrunner. The first
portion is doubletrack. Jackrabbit is
1.4 miles long with almost no overall elevation change, but with a fair
amount of up-and-down. More details are found on the Eagle Mountain East Trails
page.
Looking south as we enter the singletrack portion of Jackrabbit.
The sign says "no motorized vehicles."
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Road Runner
From the Rockpile area, Road Runner can be reached by
taking a doubletrack to either end. Road Runner is 0.8 miles
long, but with only about 60 feet of overall elevation gain. My
description will assume you started the downhill southwestern end, as is
done for the race loop. It branches away from OHV route 3 0.3 miles south
of the "Rockpile" parking area. Wile E Coyote will fork to the right (southbound) just
1/10th mile uphill. Roadrunner ends on OHV route 2 just below the big
valley overlook. See the Eagle Mountain East Trails
page for more details.
View down the trail as Road Runner climbs toward the
ridgeline on the eastern side of the valley. |
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Getting there:
Take the I-15 Lehi Main Street exit and turn west. Continue west on SR-73,
crossing Redwood Road (11600 West). Continue westbound uphill. Just after
climbing the hill, turn left at the stop light onto The Ranches Parkway.
At Pony Express Parkway, turn right. The road will veer a bit south
(left), then back west (right) as you get one mile from Ranches Parkway.
After you pass a large hill on your left, just before Hidden Hollow
Elementary, take the next left. (Note: as of 2020,
there is no longer primitive parking near the elementary school and
construction may block access. See below. You may need to get creative to
find a roadside spot. There's a plan for a formal trailhead with all
services in Hidden Canyon, but the area is still undergoing basic road and
utility installation.)
Creed: At 0.25 miles past the elementary school, spot the trail on the hillside to your left
and cross the decorative patch of chunk rock to get there. (Note
construction has blocked this access in 2022!)
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Race Loop (rockpile) Parking:
Note 2022! While construction crews are trying to
preserve access, it is occasionally not possible to drive through
construction area! If so, you must ride from the Pony Express Parkway, or
take the dirt road (OHV route 1) in from the west. On
Pony Express Parkway, turn south and drive uphill past Hidden Hollow
Elementary. When the pavement ends, keep as straight as possible
southbound through the construction area. Drive a mile up the dirt road.
After you reach the top of a small rise and see another valley in front of
you, there's a big rockpile on the left. The parking is the primitive open
space south of the rockpile. Deer Tracks is west of the parking area
(across the dirt road), Cow Tracks is at the northeast corner, and dirt
roads on the east and south connect to other singletrack trails.
Bathrooms: None. Porta-Potty at the Mountain Ranch
Bike Park. A
full-service trailhead is planned for Hidden Canyon.
Camping: No developed or designated campgrounds. Flat spots can be
found in the race
staging area near the rockpile.
Bike services: UtahMountainBiking store in Lehi.
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Riding resources for this trail:
GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."):
Multi-track
GPX area file
High-res area topo map for printing: View
topo
Lodging, camping, shops: Links to Provo
area resources |
Copyright 2019 UtahMountainBiking.com
Division of Mad Scientist Software Inc
Latest update June 2022 |
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