Alpine's Lambert Park is a foothill area on the edge of the national forest.
Over 16 miles of singletrack trails meander though scrub oak, maple, and sage. The singletrack
ranges from
easy intermediate to advanced intermediate. The many interconnecting
trails offer hundreds of riding options. Lambert Park is popular for early
and late season riding, as well as winter fat biking.
On the Middle Trail of Lambert Park. Original Lambert Park trail review August
1998 by Bruce.
Latest update May 2018.
The lower and
southern side of the park -- south of Box Elder Drive -- offers snow-clear
singletrack by early March. During the winter, the snow on the loop
consisting of Middle Trail and High Bench is usually packed and ready for
Fat Bikes. (In mid-winter, other trails depend on the timing and amount of
snowfall and the determination of the local fatties.)
Swooping
turns on the Ziggy trail.
There are many different ways to ride Lambert Park. (You can
hit every trail in one day, but the shortest way to do that is a monster
ride of around 16 miles.)
Although built by cyclists
specifically for mountain biking, hikers and equestrians are welcome. Some
singletrack trails are closed to horses because of risk of injury to
horse/rider/cyclist (Rodeo, Lambert Luge, the southern-end DH flow
trails).
Mitt flies through the trees during an early April
bike race in Lambert Park.
Lambert in the
winter...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Trails and Riding Areas
Northern Lambert Park
The
area north of Box Elder Drive features climbs and downhills in cool maple
forest, as the park extends further up the mountain. Lambert's most
popular ride is on this hillside. Go to the this trail page for individual
trail descriptions and sample ride.
The Bowery
picnic pavilion and trailhead parking area.
Western
Lambert Park
The main corridor down the west
side of the park is home to trails favored by local hikers, and a mainstay
of mountain bikers. These trails tend to stay open year-round. After
packed singletrack fat-tire biking during the winter, they quickly dry for
early-spring riding.
On the southern end of Lambert
Park, the riding area again extends higher up the mountain. In 2022, this
area was rebuilt to offer flow trails, so it's a different experience from
the XC riding elsewhere in Lambert. There are two
trailheads with immediate access to the south trails, or you can pedal in
via the Redford Run neighborhood trail.
The main north-south doubletrack (High Bench Road) is a fun broad path
for beginners and families. As of summer 2017, motorized vehicles are
forbidden in Lambert Park, except on paved Box Elder Drive and the
paved roads to the Bowery and Rodeo Grounds parking areas. At this time
the ban includes High Bench Road and the Lambert Homestead (poppy field)
road. These dirt roads will continue to exist, however, as they are
used for utility access by authorized vehicles and as fire-fighting and
evacuation routes.
In late 2021 through 2022, a broad hiking-only trail called Judy's Trail
was created in Lambert Park. It starts
at the Bowery, crosses Box Elder at the junction between Middle and Rodeo
Up/Down, then heads south along the far west edge of the park before
turning to cross the bike trails as it heads east uphill. After it crosses
the top of
the Poppy Trail it goes north back to Box Elder Drive to close a loop
south of Box Elder.
Getting started...
Taste 'o Lambert.Beginner. Fun but non-threatening, no brutal climbing.
About 3 miles. Start at the Rodeo Grounds. Ride down Rodeo to the River
Trail. Follow the River Trail until it turns back to become the Middle
Trail. Ride Middle back to Rodeo Up.
Diane cruises past the poppies of the
Poppy Trail.
May 25, 2001.
Lambert Classic.Early-intermediate. A
nice ride, with moderate amounts of climbing. Start at the Rodeo Grounds
parking. Go down Rodeo, turn onto River. At the south end, curve back
north onto Middle. Turn right onto Ziggy then right again to Zag. Left
downhill on Ziggy, follow Ziggy down. Back at Middle, turn right on
Middle, then right on Poppy and continue on Ruin. Right on Middle. Right
on Spring and climb all the way up and around, then connect to Rodeo Up to
get back to parking.
Lambert in Four Seasons. If video will not play in window above, click to launch in separate window through YouTube
Trailheads... Driving directions below with map
Rodeo Grounds trailhead
Far north end of Lambert Park, best for riders who want to ride laps on
the famous Rodeo trail. This is a popular trailhead but has plenty of
parking. Bathroom, kiosk. The lower Rodeo downhill trail starts on the south
side of parking by the kiosk.
Rodeo Grounds parking, looking east.
Bowery trailhead
The Bowery is just off of Box Elder Drive as you enter the park from
Grove Drive. After crossing the creek, go right, then turn left on the
smaller paved road when Box Elder Drive turns to the right. The Bowery has amenities such as bathroom, water, shaded picnic tables,
volleyball pit. The Spring trail is on the south side of the parking lot.
Bowery parking, looking east.
Moyle Drive trailhead
Small trailhead without bathroom, located at
the end of Moyle Drive with direct access to the hiking loop trail and the
High Bench bike trail. On Alpine Blvd, turn left onto Moyle Drive and
continue to the end of the pavement.
Aerial view of the Moyle trailhead.
South Trailhead also called High Bench or the "Church" trailhead
Very popular place to start your ride. On Alpine Blvd, turn left as you
pass the church, then immediately left onto a narrow paved road at the back side of
the church. This road will end at the gravel trailhead. Nice bathroom with running
water, lots of parking.
High Bench trailhead, looking northeast.
Bald Mountain - unofficial TH
There's a wide area for parking at the end of Bald Mountain Drive for
riders who want to start from the far south end. No water or
bathroom. This is also a good spot to
start the Redford Run trail -- good for true beginners and kids.
Bald Mountain parking, looking north.
Getting to Lambert Park by bike...
From Draper... Get to the Peak
View trailhead, then take Peak View to Three Falls.
As you reach Fort Canyon, take either Forbidden or continue on Three Falls
to Bodily Harm (see the Three Falls
to Alpine Cove page). Once you hit Alpine Cove, take city streets 1/2 mile to
Lambert Park. You'll arrive at Box Elder Drive. See the trail pages linked
above. Within Alpine... In the southern 2/3 of Alpine, pedal uphill to intersect the Redford Run trail,
then traverse north to the south end of Lambert Park. From Cedar Hills and Highland... The Lone
Peak Wilderness trail from the American Fork Canyon
mouth is also discussed on the Redford Run trail page, but some of the trail lies
within the borders of an
official wilderness area.
Looking northeast at the
switchbacks descending into Alpine.
Topo map as of September 2022
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.
