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Wolverine Ridge Loop (Lily Lake)
Wolverine Ridge is an ATV trail system on the north slope of
the Uinta Mountains, near the Bear River. The system offers quick and
easy loop rides, plus the brutal and long Wolverine Loop.
Base altitude is 8400, peak 9500. The Wolverine Loop is 16 miles and
requires 2000 vertical feet of climbing, with some advanced-tech sections.
For an easy, pretty family ride, try the 2.3-mile dirt road to Lily Lake.
Looking north over Lily Lake, the
lilies are blooming. Photos August 6, 2003 by Bruce.
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Some of the trail system is broad-track dirt road; most is
ATV-width trail. Most of the ATV trails are fairly smooth and suitable for
beginning riders. The exception is the Wolverine Trail, which has rough
advanced-technical sections and a brutal 500-vertical in 1/2 mile climb.
View down a typical buff trail
section, as the track winds through aspen and lodgepole pine. |
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Don't plan on spectacular Uinta Mountain views. Except for
the look at Lily Lake, and one brief spot on the Deadman Trail, you're
constantly riding in dense forest. This means there are NO landmarks to
orient yourself. Getting lost is easy. Take your bike odometer, a map, a
compass, and ideally a GPS unit.
View from the bridge as we cross the
Bear River. |
| The annual Wolverine Ridge XC mountain bike race is held
here, so our Race Loop ride description follows the 2003 course. (Care to
do TWO laps, anyone?) You may want to experiment with other routes. For
example, a nice short loop for intermediate riders is up Sage Draw, then
onto the Lily Lake Road, then onto the Deadman Trail and returning via
East Fork and back to parking (8 miles, around 600 vertical of climbing).
In this damp section of the Upper
Wolverine trail, planking creates a nice cruise through the pines. |
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The air here is fairly cool, even in mid-summer. But at 9000
feet, biking will seem like a bit of work. Despite the absence of
vista-type views, it's a pretty ride. Trees are mostly lodgepole pine and
aspen. Wildflowers include lupine, penstemmon, and paintbrush.
About a mile of the trail is in an
area recently burned. |
Family Ride, Lily Lake Road:
0.0 Lily Lake Road, eastbound from U-150
N 40° 53.958' W 110° 49.697'
alt=8600
0.5 Pass Bearclaw Trail (on L) by log fence
N 40° 53.701' W 110° 49.309'
alt=8700
1.2 Pass Sage Draw (through fence)
Keep straight
Wolverine Trail on R
N 40° 53.250' W 110° 48.956'
alt=8800
1.6 Keep straight (L)
N 40° 52.976' W 110° 48.793'
alt=8810
2.1 Fork R towards lake
2.3 Middle shore of lake N 40° 52.60' W 110° 48.55'
View south over regrowth in burned area, Deadman
Trail. |
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Riding notes, race loop (single lap):
0.0 Left (east from middle of parking area)
0.4 Return trail joins on R
0.5 R downhill, through gate, cross river
N 40° 54.505' W 110° 49.427'
alt=8400
0.8 Keep straight
1.0 Keep straight
1.5 R up Sage Draw (L=return East Fork)
N 40° 54.020' W 110° 49.090'
alt=8570
1.6 Straight (L)
2.0 Straight (L), R=Bearclaw=finish
N 40° 53.585' W 110° 48.948'
alt=8700
2.5 Through fence, straight across road (L=Lily Lake)
N 40° 53.250' W 110° 48.956'
alt=8810
3.5 Over ridgetop, alt=9200
4.5 Fork L
N 40° 52.096' W 110° 49.600'
alt=8550
4.9 Straight (follow telephone poles)
5.4 L on gravel road
N 40° 51.421' W 110° 49.291'
alt=8800
6.3 Pass 1st DT (one-way)
L on DT just before cattleguard
(BR)
N 40° 50.802' W 110° 48.883'
alt=9090
6.7 Straight (R)
N 40° 51.120' W 110° 48.870'
alt=9450
8.6 Straight (down) |
8.8 Straight (R) by weather
station
N 40° 51.895' W 110° 47.908'
alt=9120
Straight (L) as 2 DTs in from R
9.9 Straight (R), Lily Lake on L
N 40° 52.568' W 110° 48.495'
alt=9000
10.0 Hard R on smaller DT (Deadman Trail)
N 40° 52.685' W 110° 48.462'
10.4 Fork L
N 40° 52.618' W 110° 48.111'
alt=9100
10.6 Keep L
11.1 Hard R, 100 ft, then L
N 40° 53.061' W 110° 48.297'
alt=8820
11.6 Trail rejoins on L
12.1 Straight
13.0 Back at Sage Draw fork (m-1.5), go L
(R returns directly to parking)
13.6 Fork R on Bearclaw (see mile 2.0 above)
N 40° 53.585' W 110° 48.948'
alt=8700
14.1 R at fence (Lily Lake road on L)
N 40° 53.701' W 110° 49.309'
14.3 Fork R uphill on Wasatch
N 40° 53.847' W 110° 49.292'
14.6 Fork L, N 40° 53.857' W 110° 49.028'
14.9 R on Ostler, N 40° 54.130' W 110° 49.191'
15.1 L onto original outgoing trail
N 40° 54.260' W 110° 49.215'
16.0 Back at parking |
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Getting there: Take I-80 over Parley's, then
exit southbound on US-40 just past Park City. Exit US-40 eastbound and
drive to Kamas. At the stop sign in Kamas, turn left. Drive north about
1/4 mile then turn right onto the Mirror Lake Highway, U-150. Drive over
the Bald Mountain Summit. 49 miles from Kamas, cross the Bear River, then
turn left into the Bear River Lodge. (Buy a Gatorade.) Backtrack the way
you came 0.15 miles to the second gravel road on the left, where the sign
says "Scout Camp" and "Self-serve Passes." Just 100
feet up the road, stop and pay your $3 fee, then turn right into the large
parking area, N 40° 54.78' W 110° 49.60'. There are 3 routes out of the
parking lot, all of which reconnect in about 1/2 mile. Our mileage assumes
you parked in the middle of the lot and took the middle trail outbound.
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