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Forest Lake Loop
This is a scenic 9.1 mile loop with 1400 vertical feet of climbing,
located in the North Fork of American Fork Canyon. Because of a tricky
technical descent to Forest Lake and Shaffer Fork, this ride rates an
advanced technical. There's 4 miles of gravel road, 3 miles of singletrack,
and 2 miles of technical doubletrack.
View looking north over Forest Lake
from Ridge Trail 157. Photos August 22, 2006.
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On Ridge Trail 157, we've left Pole
Line Pass and
are heading to Sandy Baker Pass, heading south. |
After Sandy Baker Pass, the Ridge
Trail contours
around though deep pine and aspen forest. |
| The ride begins at Dutchman Flat, 4 miles up the North Fork
Road from Tibble Fork. For a longer ride, you can start from the Tibble
Fork parking area, for a 17-mile lariat-shaped ride. After the Mineral
Basin fork, the road becomes steeper as you climb to Pole Line Pass.
View down-trail on the lower portion
of the Forest Lake Trail. |
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| Find Ridge Trail 157 near the west side of the clearing on your right
as you reach the summit. (The trail will be straight, level, and slightly
downhill. If you immediately start uphill, you're not on the trail.)
You'll follow 157 for 2.3 miles to the Forest Lake fork.
The Forest Lake Trail plunges steeply, 500 vertical feet in
0.6 mile (approaching a 20% grade). Get your butt back of the seat, keep
the handlebars light. |
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At Forest Lake, keep right onto dirt road, which rapidly becomes an
unbelievable undulating rockpile. Whoop-de-do the sidewalls, or surf right
down the middle. It's a lot of fun, but it will beat you up. You'll drop
another 900 vertical in 2 miles. Fast reactions and confident
route-picking will get you through the boulders. Go too slow -- ENDO.
Looking back toward the mountain.
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| After crossing the river, turn right uphill on the North
Fork gravel road. Pedal back
to parking.
This ride is a nice loop. The climb up the road lets you enjoy the
scenery while getting a good workout. The ridge trail is lovely
singletrack. And the downhill is, well, nice if you like those steep technical
surfaces. So it's not for everybody. |
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Forest Lake Loop, From Dutchman Flat
0.0 Begin riding uphill on gravel road
N 40° 31.626 W 111° 36.205
0.7 Fork R uphill
4.0 Pole Line Pass. Find ST on right.
(If you go immediately uphill:
wrong way!)
N 40° 31.901 W 111° 34.243
4.6 Fork R
N 40° 31.404 W 111°
34.249
6.3 Fork R downhill to Forest Lake
N 40° 30.347 W 111°
34.861
6.8 Pass Lake, keep R on DT
8.7 Cross river, go R uphill on road
N 40° 31.364 W 111°
36.506
9.1 Back at parking
A wide spot in the doubletrack below
Forest Lake in Shaffer Fork. Nicely tuned suspension, aggressive attitude
but a light touch, and you'll be fine. |
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Getting there: From I-15, take the
Alpine-Highland exit just south of Point-of-the-Mountain. Go east towards
the mountains on UT-92 and continue up American Fork Canyon. There's a $6
fee (as of 2009). About 6 miles up the canyon, turn left at the North Fork junction and
drive 2 miles to Tibble Fork Reservoir. Drive straight past the
outhouse onto the gravel road that goes up along the river. Drive 4 miles
uphill to Dutchman Flat. Find the parking area with a wooden fence on your
left. Start the ride heading uphill.
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