Mill Canyon Trail
featuring Mud Spring Loop
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Looking for an alpine singletrack ride that has everything?
Solid tough climb, fantastic views, rockin' tech downhill? The Mill Canyon
to Mud Spring Loop, in the North Fork of American Fork Canyon, gives you
all that. But in return, it demands good climbing skills, strong legs,
great aerobic capacity, and advanced downhill skills. This 13-mile loop
has over 3000 vertical feet of climbing, with a peak altitude of 8350
feet, and is for advanced riders only.
About five miles into the clockwise ride
as we approach the top of the Mill Canyon Trail, we've already climbed
2600 feet. We're looking north to the granite ridge separating American Fork
Canyon from Little Cottonwood. Box Elder Peak is on the left. Original
review August 4, 2003 by Bruce, updated
July 14, 2010 with new ride description and pictures.
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| The trailhead's location at Tibble Fork Reservoir offers a
family opportunity -- the monster climbers can tackle the loop, while
others fish, hike, swim, or paddle at the reservoir. Certainly this is one
of the prettiest trailheads in the state.
The ride begins from the parking lot at the reservoir. Head east uphill
on the road, and as the paved road turns left uphill, continue straight
onto the gravel North Fork road.
Looking south from Tibble Fork's
parking lot. Bathrooms and water are available here.
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A short distance up the gravel road, you'll see a series of
railroad-tie steps on your right. This is the old trail. It goes down and
through 100 feet of deep, wet, slippery riverbed.
If you don't
want to get your feet wet in the river (pansy!), keep riding up the road.
0.4 miles from the trailhead, on the right, you'll find primitive parking
and a bridge across the river. Cross the bridge and double back downstream
along the river.
View of the new bridge across North
Fork. Your canyon fees at work. |
| After a couple of dips through the small creek in Mill
Canyon, the trail begins to climb steeply. You'll be doing 300 vertical in
the next 1/2 mile, much of it in one brutal straight-ahead grunt. If the
horses and motorcycles have been kind, it CAN be ridden. If the trail
surface is loose, push your bike uphill.
Typical mellower trail section, as we
ride through a mix of maple, aspen, and fir with a lush understory.
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Most of the ride is in deep aspen and fir forest, with a
smattering of maple. It will be a few miles of cranking before there are
any views, but the forest is beautiful. So enjoy the trip. You're in the
middle of the biggest singletrack climb in the American Fork Canyon area.
The trail breaks out of the forest
into a (rare) meadow. We're looking east, just past the Mud Springs fork. |
| At mile 1.5, you'll reach the Mud
Springs fork. If you go right on Mud Springs, you'll climb 2200 feet in 3 miles -- an
average grade of over 14%! Much of the climbing comes in steep loose
chutes with root drops facing you. Until Mud Springs gets a re-route, I
recommend you do this ride clockwise by continuing uphill on Mill Canyon.
The switchbacks hug the north slope of
a ridge, offering a cool and shady climb. As of summer 2010, the surface
is good for a new trail, but still a little loose on the turns. |
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After passing the Mud Springs fork, Mill Canyon becomes
mellow. At mile 2.5, you'll reach the new (spring 2010) upper half of the
Mill Canyon trail. This well-built trail is a joy to ride, and will change
the way many riders approach American Fork Canyon.
Nearing the top of Mill Canyon, the
trail breaks out of the trees on this ridgeline, offering views of
Timpanogos on the south, then of the Snowbird Ridge to the north. |
| The trail turns back and forth countless times, with several
brief downhill breaks interrupting the gentle climb. At mile 6, you reach
the top of the Mill Canyon Trail. Continue straight east on the
doubletrack at the water trough. At the crest of the ridge, turn right
(south) on Ridge 157 (Great Western), which is
a dirt road for the next 1/2 mile.
Note 2014: Northbound on Ridge 157 (a left turn at
the top of Mill Canyon), there's new singletrack that makes climbing to Holman,
Old Trench, Forest
Lake, North Fork, or the Ant
Knolls an attractive possibility.
Almost there. Heading toward Mill
Canyon Spring. |
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Ridge 157 now turns to singletrack. You're rewarded with some of the
greatest views in Utah. Box Elder Peak, the Snowbird
ridge, Timpanogos, the Cascade Springs valley -- for three miles the great
views just keep coming in every direction. There will still be some
occasional climbing, often with big motorcycle-blackened boulders to make
things interesting.
View south from Ridge 157, with
Cascade Mountain lining up behind Timpanogos. To the southeast, you can
see a sliver of Deer Creek, the Heber Valley, and the town of Wallsburg. |
| Pedal straight through the 4-way where Tibble
Fork drops off to the west and Deer Creek South
Fork heads east. At the Mud Springs fork, turn hard right and begin
climbing again.
A turkey watches the cyclist from the
side of the Mud Springs trail as we climb uphill.
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Mud Springs climbs gently up to a broad meadow. If you want,
you can take the side trip to the AF Canyon
Overlook. Continue straight and right to begin plunging downhill. Here
it comes: 2300 vertical in 3 miles, much of it in steep washed-out technical sections where
you thread the needle through rocks and roots.
View back toward Timpanogos in 2003,
from the top of the Mud Springs Trail at 8200 feet. |
| This is not a
"cruiser" romp. It's a hang-back tech downhill requiring some
skill to negotiate. But there will be some mellower sections where you can
let it roll. The Mud Springs Trail will cross the Tibble Fork Trail (keep
straight), and take you back to Mill Canyon.
A meadow offers a brief break from the
steep descent. We're on the Mud Springs trail, just past the intersection with
the Tibble Fork Trail.
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Bottom Line: Very pretty. Satisfying ride. A big
climb with some tough sections, some technical climbing on Ridge 157. Mud
Springs has some nasty spots on the descent. Intermediates should descend
Tibble Fork instead of Mud Springs.
Alternate loops:
North Fork Road to Pole Line Pass, 157 to Mill Canyon and descend.
Climb Tibble Fork, north on 157, descend Mill Canyon.
Climb Mill Canyon, south on 157, descend Tibble Fork
Climb Mill Canyon, north on 157, descend Old Trench Rd trail
View north to Box Elder Peak from a
trailside viewpoint on Mud Springs.. |
Riding notes, counterclockwise
loop (hard!):
0.0 Pass bathrooms onto gravel road along river
N 40° 28.98' W 111° 38.68',
alt=6050'
0.4 R to bridge across river
N40 29.127 W111 38.286
0.6 Keep left to begin climb in canyon
1.5 Fork R (towards Tibble Fork)
N 40° 28.655' W 111° 37.695',
alt=7020
2.3 Straight, cross Tibble Fork trail
N 40° 28.158' W 111° 37.592',
alt=7350
3.0 Keep R (L goes to view)
N 40° 27.624' W 111° 37.519',
alt=7990
3.5 Keep L
N 40° 27.460' W 111° 37.582',
alt=8250
4.2 Mud Spring, fork L on Ridge 157
N 40° 27.127' W 111° 37.375',
alt=7980 |
5.0 Straight (R=Tibble Fork,
L=South Fork)
N 40° 27.547' W 111° 36.894',
alt=8070
6.6 L on DT
N 40° 28.067' W 111° 35.675',
alt=8370
7.2 L on DT (Ridge Trail is ST 50 ft right)
N 40° 28.442' W 111° 35.300'
7.4 Straight onto ST
N 40° 28.437' W 111°
35.437', alt=8280
10.9 Straight (L) (R = to Holman Tr)
N 40° 28.577' W 111° 36.714',
alt=7200
11.6 At first fork (m-1.35), keep straight
N 40° 28.655' W 111° 37.695',
alt=7020
12.8 Cross river
13.2 Back at parking
(2010: Climbing Mud Springs is very difficult,
due to erosion and trail damage.)
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Clockwise Loop (recommended):
0.0 Pass bathrooms onto gravel road along river
N 40° 28.98' W 111° 38.68',
alt=6050'
0.4 R to bridge across river
N40 29.127 W111 38.286
0.6 Keep left to begin climb in canyon
N40 28.985 W111 38.318
1.5 Keep straight (L) to Mill Canyon
N 40° 28.655' W 111° 37.695',
alt=7020
2.4 Keep straight (Old Trench Rd Tr on L)
N40 28.578 W111 36.709
5.4 Ridgeline with views
5.8 Straight onto DT N40 28.439 W111 35.440
6.0 Fork R on DT (GWT) N40 28.433 W111 35.318 |
6.5 Fork R on ST (GWT, Ridge 157)
N40 28.073 W111 35.674
7.4 Keep straight (faint descending trail on R)
8.1 Keep straight (R=Tibble, L=Deer Creek SF)
N40 27.544 W111 36.862
8.8 Hard R on Mud Springs Trail
N40 27.124 W111 37.378
9.6 Keep R in meadow (L= Overlook)
N40 27.505 W111 37.819
11.0 Cross Tibble Fork Trail N40 28.160 W111 37.593
11.7 L to descend Mill Canyon
Retrace path
13.2 Back at parking |
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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. Go past the dam and park in the
long parking area north of the lake N 40° 28.98' W 111° 38.68', altitude
6050 ft. On your bike, head up past the bathroom, and continue straight
onto gravel road as the paved road turns left.
Bathrooms: At the Tibble Fork Reservoir parking
area (trailhead).
Water: Tap just east of the outhouse at Tibble Fork Reservoir.
Camping: Several in American Fork Canyon. Granite Flat CG above
Tibble Fork, many primitive spots available in North Fork.
Nearest bike shops: Bike Peddler in American Fork, Timpanogos Cyclery in
Pleasant Grove.
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