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Pine Canyon Bike Park
Area Trails including Birdie Shot
Pine Canyon above Midway is part of the Wasatch Mountain State Park.
The state park includes popular rides such as WOW, Phosphate
Loop, Dutch Hollow, and the Crows
Nest loops. This page discusses the Pine Canyon Bike Park area trails
and the Birdie Shot trail connecting lower WOW to Snake Creek Canyon
behind the golf course.
View south toward Midway and Deer Creek from upper
Happy Camper. Trail review by Bruce on
June 16, 2020. |
| The most popular feature in the bike park is the pump track.
Families with young children are the primary users. If you're an expert
rider determined to do gnarly stuff on the pump track, wait your turn and
don't intimidate the youngsters.
Entry to the pump track (and the beginner flow trail)
from Happy Camper.
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The starting elevation is 5750 feet at the bottom of the
Happy Camper trail. The expected riding season is late May through
October. The lower Bike Park trails are suitable for kids and beginners.
The Pine Canyon Flow expert trail has substantial jumps and should be done
only by experts.
Banked turn on the Pine Canyon Flow trail, an
expert-level downhill. |
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The area features rounded hills covered with gambel oak and maple.
There are occasional meadows of sage and wildflowers. Rock outcrops are
few, so the area trails are almost entirely dirt ribbon. Climbing is
gentle and steady. On the other hand, there are engineered bumps on the
downhill flow trails to add to the fun.
Heading uphill in Pine Canyon on Happy Camper, which
is the key to all the lower canyon trails. |
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The Bike Park trailhead is on SR 222, just a mile uphill
from the state park visitor's center. The improved gravel parking lot has
room for around 12 cars, but it will be very crowded with riding families
on weekends. Alternatively, you can park at the WOW trailhead one mile
further up the road and take the singletrack down to the trails.
The state park is a fee area ($7 per car in 2020). You'll need to
deposit your entry fee in the receiver and post the receipt on your dash
before pedaling away from the trailhead.
Fee station at the bike park trailhead. Behind it is
the return from the beginner flow trail, uphill is Happy Camper.
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| Happy Camper trail
At its lower end, Happy Camper begins on the Pine Canyon Road just
before it joins SR 222. It passes the bike park trailhead, the pump track,
and the entry to the intermediate downhill flow trail. Happy Camper ends
at a 4-way trail intersection of the WOW connector, Phosphate connector,
and the entry to the expert Pine Canyon Flow trail.
Looking downhill on Happy Camper. The trail is
suitable for beginning riders and children.
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Happy Camper is the key to reaching all the other area
trails. The rate of climb and the surface conditions of the trail make it
suitable for beginning riders. It's 1.2 miles in total length with 300
feet of elevation change.
The distance from the bike park trailhead to the intersection at the
top the flow trail is 0.8 miles. The 0.4 miles below the parking area is
used mostly by riders coming from town by bicycle. The section from Pine
Canyon Road to just above the pump track has been hardened with gravel.
Looking uphill on Happy Camper. We're just a bit
beyond the connector to the campground and the exit from the intermediate
downhill flow trail. |
| Pump Track
The pump track is 1/10th mile north (uphill) from the bike park
trailhead. Go uphill from the parking lot (past the exit from the beginner
Flow trail) to find a broad Happy Camper trail. Turn left uphill and pedal
450 feet. Drop to your left into the pump track area.
Looking northwest, just after entering the pump track
going counterclockwise.
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The pump track is fairly modest in size, consisting of an
oval loop with a center shortcut. Most of the riders will be young
children including preschool age. There are two shaded picnic tables for
parental hanging-out.
Looking northwest. The entry to the beginner flow
trail is right at the left edge of this photo. |
| Beginner Flow trail
At the south (down-canyon) side of the Pump Track oval, the beginner
Flow trail heads back to the parking area. It's only 400 feet in length,
with gentle rollers to improve balance on the bike.
Looking down the beginner flow trail. Mild bumps and
low speed.
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Intermediate Downhill Flow trail
As you continue uphill on Happy Camper, you'll pass the exit from the
expert Flow trail, then the Campground Connector (a short spur that goes
to the road across from the campground entrance). Right next to the
campground spur is the exit from the intermediate Flow trail. At mile 0.5
from the trailhead, you'll reach the top of the intermediate downhill Flow
trail.
Entry to the intermediate downhill flow trail off
Happy Camper. |
| The Flow trail is 0.3 miles long with only 80 feet of
elevation loss. Turns are banked and wide. There are some roller bumps,
but none of them require that your tires leave the ground.
Beginners will have no problems here. But if you're taking little kids,
be aware that high-speed riders may come flying down this trail. So I'd
recommend having a rear-guard parent tailing behind.
View down the trail. Turns are easy and the bumps are
simple to roll if you're not a fan of "taking air" yet.
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Pine Canyon Flow Expert trail
This is the trail that brings riders to the Pine Canyon Bike Park. The
entry to the trail is where Happy Camper reaches the Phosphate to WOW
connector trail. As you reach the 4-way at mile 0.8 from the trailhead,
keep right to enter the Flow trail. The straight and left uphill trail
connects through switchbacks to the Phosphate Loop uphill. The 160 degree
left turn is the connector trail to the WOW parking area.
At the 4-way. To the left is the trail uphill to the
Phosphate Loop. On the right is the drop-in to the flow trail. |
| The expert Flow trail is 0.5 miles long with 200 feet of
elevation loss. It starts out fairly mild with highly-banked turns and low
tabletops. The trail is designed to be taken with speed. As you continue
downhill, the bumps get bigger. It becomes very difficult to keep wheels
on the ground, so this is a true expert flow trail.
Looking south down the trail. In mid-photo are two
bumps that can be done as a gap jump.
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While some ride-arounds are appearing to the side of some of
the jumps, it's not a good idea to ride this trail unless you're prepared
to take air. Some of the features have a "lip" where you either
have to launch way up, or slow to a crawl where you risk being hit from
behind by the next rider.
The loop down and back up to the top is 1.2 miles, so doing multiple
runs is not tough.
A bigger double bump that's designed to be a gap
jump. I found the rock launch a bit too "sendy" for my taste. |
| Birdie Shot trail
The Birdie Shot trail connects the back of the golf course in Snake
Creek Canyon to the WOW trail. It's a two-way trail, although I expect
that most riders will use it as a descending route. The trail is 1.4 miles
long with a bit over 400 vertical feet of elevation change.
Looking west into Snake Canyon from Birdie Shot.
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The upper end of Birdie Shot forks away from WOW on a
ridgeline 1.2 miles and 150 vertical feet uphill from the WOW
trailhead. If you're starting from the Bike Park trailhead it will be 2.7
miles with 450 feet of climbing to reach the ridgeline trail fork.
Looking uphill on WOW as we climb to Birdie Shot for
the downhill. I like this direction because the climbing is easier on my
old legs. |
| The upper mile of Birdie Shot drops through constant tight
turns as it descends a dry oak and bitterbrush hillside. The turns don't
allow for a lot of speed at this time because the new trail is still a bit
loose and the riding lines on the berms haven't packed in.
Looking down into Snake Canyon at the entry into
Birdie Shot from WOW.
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There are nice views of Deer Creek, Cascade Mountain and
Timpanogos to the southwest, and the mountains of the Wasatch Ridge above
the Cottonwood Canyons in the northwest.
View to the south as we descend. |
| The lower half-mile of Birdie Shot is a winding series of
turns on a grassy meadow. In 2020 it's all still a bit bumpy and loose,
but I expect it will soon allow for more speed. When you reach a trail
fork, turn right to descend further. The straight (left) fork heading east
will join doubletrack connecting to the campground (see below).
If you're doing a loop (with Birdie Shot as your downhill), pedal west on
gravel from the trail's end. In 100 yards, turn left, then left again on
the Snake Canyon road. It will take you down to the Wasatch Mountain State
Park visitor center.
Snaking around on the lower trail as we approach the
golf course.
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Campground Connector
At mile 1.0 from the top of Birdie Shot, 0.4 miles from the bottom, the
campground connector forks off on the left. After 100 yards of new singletrack it
joins an old doubletrack road-cut as it descends to the east. It will
cross a campground nature trail at mile 0.3, then hit the back of a paved camping loop at 0.5. To exit the campground and reconnect to Happy Camper,
just keep heading east, then turn right downhill on the road that connects
the two campgrounds and follow it to the main entrance.
Coasting down the doubletrack toward the campground.
Not going to recommend doing this bit of trail unless you're staying in
the campground. |
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Getting there, Pine Canyon Bike Park trailhead: From
Provo Canyon, drive east to the end of Deer Creek Reservoir. Right
where the water ends, turn left (north) on U-113. Zero your odometer.
Drive north 3.8 miles into Midway. On Main Street, turn left (west) onto
Highway 222. Follow the signs for Wasatch Mountain State Park and/or for
Guardsman Pass, staying on 222. Pine Canyon Road will join on your
right. Just after you pass the golf course entry (on your left), watch for
the bike park trailhead on your right.
FEE: In 2021, $10 per car ($5 seniors).
Self-service fee deposit stations are located throughout the canyon,
including the Bike Park trailhead, the WOW trailheads, and the campground.
Bring exact cash or a checkbook. Plus, minor detail, a pencil or pen to
fill out the fee envelope and dashboard ticket.
Camping: State park.
Bathrooms: WOW trailheads, campground
Water: campground |
From Salt Lake City, go up Parleys Canyon on I-80,
then turn right (south) on US-40. Drive all the way into the middle of
Heber, then at 100 South turn right on SR 113 to Midway. In Midway,
continue straight as SR 113 turns south, and you'll be on SR 222. Go 2
blocks to 200 East and turn right. Turn left at 200 North and go
about 1/2 mile west and SR 222 will turn right to be northbound again.
When the road turns west, turn right to stay east of the golf course on
222. Once you pass the campground, look for the parking area on the right
about 1/4 mile uphill.
Birdie Shot trailhead: On SR 222, as you come to the
intersection at the main state park building, keep straight. You'll be on Snake
Creek Drive. Go 1.0 mile to the uphill end of the golf course and turn right
on gravel road. Turn right again after 100 yards and go 1/10th mile to a
small parking circle. There is no fee station at Birdie Shot at this time
(June 2020), so you'll need to pay your day-use fee elsewhere and place
the receipt on your dash before parking here.
Campground/Day-use trailhead: Just after SR 222 and the Pine
Canyon Road join at the mouth of the canyon, drive uphill past the golf
course entry. When you reach the campground entry (on the left), turn and
go through the entry station (paying the day-use fee rather than the
camping fee), then go to the right for the day-user parking lot. On your
bike, exit the campground back to SR 222 and cross the road to the
singletrack. A left turn uphill on Happy Camper takes you to the top of
the intermediate or expert flow trails. Staying right downhill will take
you to the pump track and beginner flow trail. |
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