Lambert Park has four routes that run from north to south on the west
side of the park. They are have a gentle downhill slope from north to
south, connecting the steeper hillside trails in the northern
riding block and south riding block.
These four routes are, from west to east, the High Bench trail, the River
trail with a combined segment of High Bench, the Middle trail, and a
combination of a bit of Spring, upper Luge, upper Poppy, and lower Ziggy.
Bruce
rides the High Bench trail under large willow trees. Original Lambert Park
review by Bruce published in August 1998.
Latest update May 2018.
These trails dry quickly in the spring, or after rainstorms.
Dry riding days begin to occur in early March for these routes, a few
weeks earlier than the trails higher on the hillside. See the general information page for Lambert Park.
Note that the western-most trail is a broad hiking-only loop trail. On
the north, it skirts the outside edge of the park just west of the High
Bench trail, then crosses High Bench, River, Middle as it turns uphill
before looping back to the north.
Taking
a bit of air on the "practice jumps" on the Ruin trail. There's
not much tech stuff in Lambert Park. The city wants the trails to be solid
intermediate riding for contented local families. Nothing wrong with that.
The terrain for these trails tends to be similar -- groves
of oak brush and occasional maples, separated by meadows of sage. They are
popular with local hikers, and occasionally see horses.
The riding is dryer and hotter as you progress south or east up-slope.
Hitting a sagebrush flat between groves of oak.
The best trailhead for these trails is the Lambert South Trailhead.
This is also known as the High Bench or church trailhead. It lies at Lambert Park's southwest end,
with a large parking area, covered picnic tables, and a bathroom with
running water.
You can catch the middle of High Bench or River at the Moyle Drive
trailhead.
The Bowery trailhead
in the north section also allows
quick access by coasting down and across Box Elder Drive. On the far
south, Alpine's Bald Mountain Drive ends at the bottom of Corkscrew, and
there's room for parking here.
Most riders access the west-side trails through the
trailhead at High Bench. The parking area and kiosk are just across the
small bridge ahead. We're looking west.
High Bench
Stats Length: 1.1 mi.
Elevation change: 150 ft
Tech: intermediate
Westernmost trail. South half is easy technically; north
intermediate
South (lower) end High Bench trailhead N40 27.885 W111 45.348
River trail fork m 0.2 N40 28.006 W111 45.471
River trail rejoins m 1.05 N40 28.536 W111 45.423
North end on Middle trail N40 28.529 W111 45.389
Twisting through the larger trees on the southern
half of High Bench.
High Bench is the westernmost and lowest-altitude bike trail in
Lambert Park. (The broad hiking-only loop trail lies just west of High
Bench for its northern 2/3.) High Bench runs in a north-south direction. Compared to trails just
100 yards uphill, High Bench is cool and lush with tall mature trees.
The trail starts at the South Trailhead (often called the High Bench trailhead
or church trailhead) at the southwest corner of the park.
High Bench is cooler and more lush. This spot is just
north of the trailhead.
At mile 0.2, fork left to stay on High Bench as the River
Trail heads toward the High Bench Road. As it continues north, High Bench
will cross a dirt service road twice before crossing a gravel fire road.
After crossing the fire road, the trail character changes as it becomes
twisty and more technical.
Drone shot shows a tiny biker pedaling past a sitting
area along Dry Creek on the High Bench trail.
High Bench will approach the edge of Dry Creek before
turning east. Shortly after crossing the High Bench gravel road (closed to
motor traffic except for service vehicles), the River trail will rejoin on
the right.
The trail ends at the Middle Trail. Here a left turn takes you to Rodeo
Up, straight ahead takes you to the Spring trail, and a right turn sends
you downhill on the Middle Trail.
See the video below with the Poppy trail and High
Bench.
High Bench is an all-season trail. In the winter when
snow-packed, it's often combined with the Middle Trail as a loop ride.
Middle Trail
Stats Length: 1.0 mi.
Elevation change: 150 ft
Tech: easier-intermediate, a bit more techy than River or High
Bench
Upper end Box Elder Drive N40 28.540 W111 45.393
4-way Spring (L), High Bench/River (R) 100
ft
Spring Trail origin L m 0.3 N40 28.374 W111 45.432
Lambert Luge crosses m 0.4 N40 28.296 W111 45.406
Ruin joins L m 0.8 N40 28.025 W111 45.430
Poppy joins L m 0.9 N40 27.995 W111 45.385
Zag Ziggy join L m 1.0 N40 27.973 W111 45.358
Bottom end High Bench Road and water tank road N40 27.959 W111 45.339
A bit of techy stuff on Middle
The Middle Trail runs one mile down the middle of Lambert
Park from Box Elder Drive to the water tank gravel road. It's one of the
park's most-traveled trails by bikers, runners, and hikers. It offers
loops with High Bench, River, or the Spring/Luge/Poppy/Ziggy combo.
The Middle Trail is the most reliably packed trail for snow riding in
winter, as an out-and-back or as a loop with High Bench.
There are a couple of fun dips on the Middle Trail.
Nothing scary.
Navigating the Middle Trail is easy north-to-south if you
simply keep straight at any trail intersections or dirt-road crossings.
When you hit the bridge at the south end and cross the water tank road,
follow the trail around to the High Bench trailhead.
From the south, it's a bit more complicated. There are two "Middle
trail" options as you cross the bridge from the kiosk at the High
Bench trailhead. Right then left takes you to the gravel road
intersection, and you'll head east to the trail. Right then straight
across the gravel High Bench Road take you to the curving trail, where
you'll cross the water tank road northbound.
Rolling south, about half-way down the one mile run
of Middle.
Most of trail forks are near the south end. As you head
northbound, keep left at Zag/Ziggy, Poppy, and Ruin, then keep right as a
small connector heads to the River trail. Further north, you'll cross
Lambert Luge, then keep left as Spring forks away.
The Middle trail alternates between sage and small groves of gambel
oak, with occasional taller trees. It's a fairly open ride compared to
High Bench. It dries quickly and is usually reliably good to ride.
Hitting Middle in the frosty early morning sunshine.
In January and February, the Middle Trail is usually the
first one hit by fat bikers. For most of the winter, this trail will be
reliably packed down. The most common loop snow ride is the combination of
Middle and High Bench.
Enjoying a bluebird day on the snow in Lambert Park.
Middle and River
trails loop...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Lambert Luge
Stats Length: 0.5 mi. One-way from the Poppy connector downhill
Elevation change: 110 ft
Tech: upper-intermediate
North (upper) end Spring Trail N40 28.460 W111 45.323
R downhill at Poppy connector m 0.2 N40 28.304 W111 45.331
Luge becomes ONE WAY here
Cross Middle m 0.3 N40 28.297 W111 45.406
Cross River m 0.5 N40 28.223 W111 45.529
West (bottom) High Bench, cross then join southbound N40 28.216 W111 45.548
Entering Lambert Luge southbound at the Spring trail
fork.
Lambert Luge has a split character. As it splits off Spring,
the north half is a rolling and turning ride with frequent rock gardens.
After it turns westbound at the Poppy connector, it becomes a twisting
luge ride and is one-way downhill -- no horses or hikers please -- from
this point.
At this fork, you either enter the one-way downhill
run of the Luge, or turn to the intersection of Poppy and Ruin.
The trail suddenly narrows at this point, as it zips back
and forth across a small shallow ravine. Most years, the vegetation is
scratchier than any other trail in the park, because we always forget to
prune the downhill section.
It's a fun fast ride, although
much too short.
Coming out of a turn as we ride
"the Luge."
At its western end, Luge will cross the High Bench road.
Then it crosses River then High Bench. After crossing High Bench, Luge take a
quick dip and curve around to join High Bench southbound. A little odd,
but you'll figure it out.
While the downhill section of Lambert Luge gets
snowed in every winter, the upper half often gets packed down by fat
bikers, proving a third north-south route that's packed for snow riding.
River Trail
Stats Length: 0.7 mi.
Elevation change: 130 ft
Tech: easier-intermediate
North end at Middle near Box Elder Drive N40 28.530 W111 45.389
High Bench R, River L m 0.05 N40 28.536 W111 45.423
R after bridge, L is alternate m 0.1 N40 28.517 W111 45.448
Alternate crosses at road m 0.2 N40 28.437 W111 45.501
Alternate rejoins m 0.3 N40 28.394 W111 45.531
Keep R at Middle connector m 0.6 N40 28.079 W111 45.478
South end on High Bench N40 28.003 W111 45.461
Northbound on the River Trail after the first High
Bench Road crossing. It will cross the main dirt road three times.
The River trail offers another north-south corridor. In the
north, it starts combined with High Bench on the Middle Trail just south
of Box Elder Drive. It recombines with High Bench after 0.7 miles to
continue southbound to the High Bench trailhead.
River is a fairly open trail, with a long stretch through the park's
central sage brush plain. It doesn't spend much time in oak groves,
tending to pass nearby rather than through.
Heading toward Lone Peak on the big sage flat in the
middle of Lambert.
The River trail has an alternate line called Kharma that forks away to the
left just after the trail crosses the High Bench road southbound. It
crosses over at a dirt-road at mile 0.3, then joins from the right at mile
0.4. See below!
The River trail is the least likely of the north-south trails to be
packed down in winter, and usually can't be done in January or February.
See
video with Middle trail, above.
Northbound,
dropping to a bridge in a small ravine near the north end of the trail.
Kharma Trail
Stats Length: 0.2 mi.
Elevation change: 30 ft
Tech: intermediate
Whooping in a ravine
Upper end at near the bridge on upper River N40 28.520 W111 45.441
Cross river and dirt road m 0.1 N40 28.437 W111 45.501
Lower end on River N40 28.394 W111 45.529
Playing in the ravine on Kharma.
Kharma is an alternate line on River that offers some
whooshing in a ravine. It's is two-directional, but everybody rides it
north to south. The north end is found on River, just as you cross the
little bridge after High Bench road. It's a popular alternative to the
main River trail.
Kharma forks left off River as you head
north-to-south.
Kharma will cross River and a maintenance doubletrack at
the same time. After a couple of dips through ravines, it will rejoin
River to continue your southbound trip.
Rolling up and down, back and forth. But too short.
Spring Trail
Stats Length: 2.0 mi, 0.5 of it in the western section
Elevation change: 300 ft
Tech: easier-intermediate
Southwest end at Middle N40 28.379 W111 45.437
Passes north origin of Luge m 0.3 N40 28.463 W111 45.321
Crosses Box Elder Drive m 0.5 N40 28.463 W111 45.321
(See Northern trail page for northern Spring trail details)
Circles then ends on Rodeo Up N40 28.681 W111 45.204
Northbound on the Spring trail midway between the
Middle trail and the Lambert Luge origin.
Only 1/4 of the Spring trail lies in the western section
below Box Elder Drive. It meanders from its origin on Middle near the
"big dip" to the origin of Lambert Luge, then north to cross the
road into the north section.
The Bowery trailhead on Spring is just north of Box Elder, and is often
used by riders who are heading for the western trails on the other side of
the road. For more details about the Spring trail, see the northern
section page.
Pedaling past the Bowery trailhead on Spring.
Poppy Trail
Stats Length: 0.4 mi.
Elevation change: 120 ft
Tech: easy
Famous poppies mid to late May
Upper end at upper Ruin and Luge connect N40 28.286 W111 45.328
Homestead N40 28.217 W111 45.281
Fork R, L to Ziggy N40 28.143 W111 45.281
Lower end on Middle N40 28.002 W111 45.388
The poppies cluster under mountain mahogany trees
just east of the old homestead's rock walls.
The Poppy trail is popular with hikers heading uphill to the
Lambert Homestead in late May. At other times, it's one of the less-used
trails. But it's a good route uphill for jumping practice on the Ruin
trail. Riders working on their bunny-hop skills will ride around this
0.9-mile loop counterclockwise.
Handlebar view as we ride through scrub oak on Poppy.
The trail lies mostly in sage, with nearby gambel oak. The
trail base is firm with embedded gravel.
It's worth taking a break from the bike to investigate the old Lambert
Homestead. Much of this area was farm and orchard that went feral, and the
poppies originally grew around the farmstead home.
Although
the lower half of Poppy is a climbing and descending route, the upper half
is a traverse which -- when joined with a bit of Spring, Lambert Luge on
the north end and Ziggy on the south -- creates an other north-south
corridor between the northern and southern sections of the park.
Luge to Poppy to Ziggy to High Bench loop...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Ruin Trail
Stats Length: 0.4 mi.
Elevation change: 110 ft
Tech: intermediate
Series of small ramp jumps when done top to bottom
Upper end at Poppy and Luge connect N40 28.286 W111 45.329
Bottom end on Middle N40 28.027 W111 45.434
The Ruin trail is the location of small
"officially sanctioned" practice jumps. Ride around them, or
roll over them if you don't want to practice "taking air."
The Ruin trail is a two-direction trail where some old rock
jumping ramps have been allowed to remain for your bike-hopping practice.
Many riders run the jump line, then turn around and pedal back to the top
for another go. Good practice for beginning jumpers.
Most of the jumps are in a line near the top of the Ruin trail, but
there's half a dozen more scattered along the trail as you descend.
Looking north as we descend Ruin.
The first few jumping ramps are quite close together, designed so that you can
take your choice of an easy-looking ramp or two as you coast downhill. To
hit every ramp, the run needs to be taken at a slower speed.
The jump ramps are low enough that you can simply
roll over them. Or ride around them.
After the first set of jumps, Ruin descends through groves
of oak and maple for a high-speed and fun ride.
The Ruin trail ends on Middle, with the curve of the trail
tending to send you southbound. The Poppy trail, which climbs back to the
top of Ruin, is just 100 yards south of the trail junction.
View along the lower Ruin trail as we approach
Middle.
Sample ride, Bowery to Poppies with High Bench
0.0 R downhill on Spring from TH N40 28.587 W111 45.216
0.1 Cross Box Elder Drive N40 28.549 W111 45.324
100 feet, keep L (R=to Middle
or High Bench)
N40 28.541 W111 45.340
0.3 Straight (L) on Luge N40 28.460 W111 45.322
0.5 L on connector N40 28.304 W111 45.334
40 feet then L on Poppy (R =
Ruin)
0.6 Homestead on R N40 28.223 W111 45.284
0.7 L onto ZPC (R = Poppy) N40 28.143 W111 45.281
0.75 Keep R (L = Ziggy up) N40 28.108 W111 45.279
0.85 Straight (L = Zag) N40 28.000 W111 45.372
0.9 Keep straight, join Middle N40 27.974 W111 45.359
0.95 Cross road to ST N40 27.959 W111 45.339
1.0 Keep R and cross main road N40 27.925 W111 45.332
Pass behind bathroom, straight
to High Bench
N40 27.917 W111 45.357
1.2 Fork L (R = River) N40 28.004 W111 45.461
2.1 Cross road and join River N40 28.532 W111 45.424
2.15 Cross Middle to connector N40 28.529 W111 45.391
2.2 R on Spring N40 28.541 W111 45.340, cross road
2.3 Back at TH
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.
