The northern end of Lambert Park -- north of Box Elder Drive -- has a
different character than the rest of the park. It's a bit cooler here. The
trees are bigger. In years with usual snow depth, these northern trails
are snowed-under for January through March. And the snow stays a bit
longer.
North Lambert may not be ready to ride for 6 to 8 weeks after XC bikes are
riding south of Box Elder.
Coming around a hairpin
turn on Middle Spring. Original Lambert Park trail review August 1998 by Bruce.
Latest update May 2018.
The northern trails have two trailheads: the
Rodeo grounds and the Bowery. You can also pedal across Box Elder Drive
from the Middle or Spring trails -- which are discussed on the western
Lambert trail page. See the map.
The Spring trail runs past the Bowery trailhead. This
is good spot to start for either the northern, or the western Lambert
trails. The Bowery is reached via a short paved connector from Box Elder Drive.
The theme of the north end is DOWNHILL. Not hard-core
boulder-dropping tech, but swooping intermediate trail. Even experienced
beginners will enjoy lower Rodeo.
The four trails discussed on this page are Rodeo Up, Middle Spring,
Spring, and Rodeo (upper and lower). The trails lie on Alpine City
property and are maintained by volunteers. See the general Lambert
Park page for additional information.
Hitting the sidewall of the old wash on lower Rodeo
in early spring.
Rodeo Up
Stats Length: 0.5 mi. One-way
Elevation change: 150 ft
Tech: intermediate
Uphill ONLY. Climbing route to the top of lower half of Rodeo.
Bottom end Box Elder paved road N 40 28.553 W 111 45.392
Upper end Rodeo Grounds trailhead
Trying not to bang the handlebars on the lower trail
as it twists through tight maple forest.
Rodeo Up is a climbing route for the lower (ravine) portion
of the Rodeo Trail. It's often a tight fit, as the trail twists through
tall gambel oak. It starts on Box Elder Drive, where Middle, Rodeo Up,
Rodeo Down, and the Lambert hiking-only loop cross the road at the
crosswalk. (It's the left-most of the three trails on the north side of
the crosswalk.)
When combined with Middle Spring, Rodeo Up offers a climb to the top of
Rodeo and Spring that is significantly tougher and more technical than
climbing Spring.
This area is fairly lush and green, especially
compared to southern Lambert. It's noticeably cooler.
The ride is mostly in dense tall forest, but there are a
couple of breakouts through sage flats where you can admire the mountains.
Rodeo Up will cross the Rodeo Trail in a small clearing. When you see
signs of a trail crossing ahead, look uphill before proceeding. Riders
will be coming fast. Go straight across to re-enter the woods.
Breaking out of the forest, we're heading toward the
next stand of gambel oak as the granite peaks of the Snowbird ridge offer
nice views.
At the top of Rodeo Up, a right fork takes you onto Middle
Spring.
A few feet further along Rodeo Up, you can fork to the left to drop
down lower Rodeo. If you keep straight, you'll climb to the Rodeo Grounds
trailhead. (Do not fork left. This is the one-way of upper Rodeo.)
Getting closer to the uphill end of Rodeo Up. As I
said, some of the turns are a bit tight if you're climbing with any
velocity.
Middle Spring
Stats Length: 0.6 mi
Elevation change: 180 ft
Tech: Upper-intermediate to advanced
Serpentine narrow trail with tight turns and challenges.
Connects
top of Rodeo Up to top of Spring near Rodeo Trail
Bottom end near top of Rodeo Up N 40 28.669 W 111 45.028
Upper end on Spring Trail N 40 28.648 W 111 44.768
Getting close to the top of Middle Spring. The big
boulders fell off the hillside above us, so we must be approaching the
break in the slope.
Middle Spring is a two-way trail that has hairpin turns and
occasional steeps. It lies in low gambel oak forest on the northeast upper
slope. As you climb uphill from Rodeo Up, you'll quickly cross Rodeo, then
an old doubletrack before hitting the main body of the trail..
Middle Spring winds back and forth across the slope, taking up as much
distance as possible. As an uphill, it has a couple of difficult --
although short -- grunts. There are frequent breaks in the climbing where
you'll coast a bit back downhill as you traverse.
Drone view. The homes of Box Elder sit in an island
in the middle of Lambert Park, surrounded on north, south, and west by the
park, and on the east by the US Forest wilderness.
At the top, Middle Spring makes a T intersection with Spring
in a dense grove of maple. A left turn takes you a bit uphill to the north
before Spring plunges west downhill. (When Spring hits the paved Rodeo
Grounds road, you can turn uphill on the road to the parking lot, or go
across to join the middle of Rodeo Up.)
A right turn takes you to a shallow ravine in a small clearing. Here a
left turn continues on Spring, while straight ahead will drop you into the
Rodeo trail.
We're arriving at the Spring trail. Left turn to
descend the north limb of Spring, right to descend Rodeo or the southern
limb of Spring.
As a downhill, there are a lot of fast straight-aways ending
in hairpin turns in the oak. You may have an occasional glimpse of the
mountains to the north.
After crossing an old doubletrack, the trail crosses Rodeo before
ending on Rodeo Up. Make a right turn here, as Rodeo Up is one-way. 30
feet later, you can drop to the left to descend lower Rodeo, or go
straight and uphill to the Rodeo Grounds parking.
Total climbing is almost twice as much as the
altitude change, because the trail typically reverses from climbing to
descending after every turn.
Spring Trail
Stats Length: 2.0 mi
Elevation change: 350 ft south side, 150 feet north side
Tech: intermediate
South end Middle Trail N40 28.374 W111 45.432
connects Lambert Luge m 0.3
crosses Box Elder Dr m 0.5 N40 28.550 W111 45.319
Bowery trailhead m 0.6 N40 28.591 W111 45.214
Rodeo trail fork m 1.3 N40 28.617 W111 44.755
Middle Spring fork m 1.4 N40 28.652 W111 44.766
Rodeo grounds connector m 1.8 N40 28.766 W111 45.106
North end on Rodeo Up N40 28.680 W111 45.206
Riding northeast on Spring as we approach Box Elder
Drive.
Most bikers have used Spring in the counterclockwise direction,
using it as a climbing route to the top of Rodeo or Middle Spring, or as a
loop-around ending on Rodeo Up. A 2018 remodel of several steep spots now
makes the clockwise direction an attractive option as well. It's a
straightforward climb in either direction, alternating forest and sage.
The terrain is a mix of sage, scrub oak, and a bit of
maple.
The southwest 0.3 miles of Spring is less-used. Starting in the middle of the
park, this segment spans between the Middle Trail and the start of Lambert
Luge before turning and heading north to Box Elder Drive. Typically,
riders will reach Spring either from the Bowery
trailhead, or while riding on trail via the connector from the 4-way of the Middle Trail with
River/High Bench just across from the exit from Rodeo onto Box Elder
Drive.
At the top of Spring, we're riding through a tunnel
of oak among boulders from the hillside above.
The
trail will run up and over the intake box of the spring. The cement
platform is a popular spot to stop and take in the views. Directly below
you along the creek is the entry to Rodeo, while a right-turn uphill
continues toward Middle Spring.
Riding a swooping turn on the northern limb of
Spring.
The northern side of Spring runs along the edge of
the park. Formerly a steep trail that was essentially one-way westbound,
the 2018 remodel makes this side an excellent climbing trail as well as a
fun descender.
Downhill on Spring.
In the counterclockwise direction on the northern side of Spring,
you can fork onto a short connector to the Alpine rodeo arena parking. If you continue
downhill, Spring crosses the rodeo grounds road, then connects to Rodeo
Up. If you don't WANT to go up, within 100 feet you'll have the option to
turn right downhill to drop into lower Rodeo.
Heavy winter snow often stops fatties from riding the
Spring Trail in mid-winter. But it's usually good through December.
Spring trail...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Rodeo trailhead to Spring trail connector
Stats Length: 0.1 mi.
Elevation change: 30 ft
Tech: easy
Short connector from Rodeo Grounds parking to northern limb of
Spring.
Upper end on Spring N40 28.766 W111 45.106
Bottom end north side of Rodeo trailhead parking N40 28.721 W111 45.043
Looking downhill at the Rodeo grounds parking from
the connector trail.
This short trail heads north from the rodeo grounds parking
to the Spring trail. New in May 2018, it opens up new riding
possibilities. Combined with the remodeling of Spring so it can be climbed
clockwise, it offers a quick route to the top of Rodeo.
Climbing up the connecting trail to the fork with
Spring.
Rodeo Trail
Stats Length: 0.8 mi. One-way downhill!
Elevation change: 300 ft
Tech: intermediate DH trail
Short connector from Rodeo Grounds parking divides the
trail into upper Rodeo and lower Rodeo
Upper end on Spring N40 28.621 W111 44.759
Cross Middle Spring m 0.25 N40 28.669 W111 44.985
Parking connector m 0.3 N40 28.688 W111 45.024
Cross Rodeo Up m 0.5 N40 28.659 W111 45.185
Bottom end on Box Elder Drive N40 28.540 W111 45.393
Hitting the first bridge shortly after dropping into
Rodeo.
The Rodeo Trail is the most popular trail in Lambert Park.
It is a one-way downhill run -- and is closed to horses. Rodeo offers a
one-way twisting forested downhill through its first half, then a swooping
wall-hitting run down a wash. It will cross the creek 6 times on stout
wooden bridges.
Upper Rodeo is a mix of maple and oak, with larger
trees proving cool shade -- and keeping the trail covered with snow until
late April or early May.
Rodeo forks off the Spring Trail. To get to the top, you can
ride Middle Spring uphill, then fork right at the Spring trailfork. Or you
can climb the southern limb of the Spring trail, which is easier.
The first 1/3 mile of Rodeo drops through tall maple forest, winding
back and forth across the creek. Shortly after the 5th bridge, you'll
cross the Middle Spring trail, then quickly arrive at the top of lower
Rodeo. At this spot, you can turn to the right for the Rodeo Grounds
parking, keep straight into the ravine, or fork left to head for the
bottom of Middle Spring for another climb. (You MUST fork left on Middle
Spring from Rodeo Up. Beyond this spot, Rodeo Up is one-way.)
Descending upper Rodeo.
Now Rodeo will whoosh back and forth as it descends the
wash. As you enter a flat clearing, you're about to cross Rodeo Up. Look
for riders and yield!
As Rodeo approaches Box Elder Drive, you can hook to the right on Rodeo
Up for another go. (The broad trail to your left is a hiking-only loop
trail.) Or, you can cross the road to Middle. On Middle about 100 feet from the road, a connector to your
left takes you to the Spring Trail, where another left turn will take you
across Box Elder again for the trip uphill on the Spring Trail.
Hitting the wall of the wash on lower Rodeo.
Rodeo via Rodeo Up
and Middle Spring...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Sample ride, Rodeo Loop via Middle Spring
0.0 Rodeo Up from Box Elder Drive
N40 28.548 W111 45.397
Fork L to Rodeo Up N40 28.565 W111 45.399
0.3 Spring joins on L N40 28.677 W111 45.205
0.35 Cross Rodeo N40 28.660 W111 45.185
0.5 R on Middle Spring N40 28.673 W111 45.029
0.55 Cross Rodeo N40 28.672 W111 44.988
1.1 R on Spring N40 28.647 W111 44.767
1.2 Straight to Rodeo N40 28.620 W111 44.758
1.4 Cross Middle Spring N40 28.672 W111 44.988
1.5 Straight to lower Rodeo N40 28.686 W111 45.024
1.6 Cross Rodeo Up N40 28.660 W111 45.185
1.9 Back at Box Elder
Getting there: Take I-15 to the
Alpine/Highland exit, just south of Point-of-the-Mountain. Drive straight east 5 miles
towards the mountains, turning left at the stoplight in Highland (where you see the
grocery store and gas station). Drive 2 miles north into Alpine to the 4-way stop at 200
North. Turn right. At the next stop sign, turn left. You'll be on 200 East, which becomes
Grove Drive. Continue northeast on Grove for two miles. The road will turn
90 degrees to the right. Pass two streets on your left, then arrive at a T
in the road. Turn right, across the river. At the fork in the road, go right
for the Bowery parking area, left for the Rodeo grounds.
Rodeo grounds trailhead: Keep
left at the fork and drive 0.25 mile on pavement, then turn right onto a dirt road and
drive 0.25 mile. The trailhead is on the right side of the road, where
you'll see a parking strip and a bathroom just before the
rodeo arena. (Toilet.)
Bowery trailhead: Keep right at the fork as you cross the river on the
paved road. Pass the High Bench dirt road on your right. About 300 feet further up the paved
road, keep straight as the main road turns right, entering a smaller road. 500 feet up the dirt
road,, the Bowery pavilion is on the left, with a parking lot on the right. (Toilet,
pavilion, water.)
South (aka High Bench or "church") trailhead: About 1.5 miles up Grove Drive (as above), turn right on
Alpine Boulevard. Go 1/2 mile until the road turns from east to south in
front of a big church. After you pass the church, fork left toward the mountains.
Immediately after the church's back fence turn left onto a narrow paved road
and proceed to the trailhead. (Toilet, shaded picnic, water.)
Moyle Drive:
On Alpine Blvd, turn left onto Moyle and
drive to the end. The High Bench trail crosses the road just east of
parking. The trail that crosses the parking area is a hiking trail
(Judy's).
Bald Mountain Drive: Turn onto 100 South in Alpine. Drive
east until you're forced to turn at Country Manor Lane. Go left. At 300
North, turn right, then take the next left on Bald Mountain Drive. Go to
the end of the road and park.
