

It’s about a 7-mile trail that ends at the dam at the south end. It will make a few switchback turns here and there and climb a few steep hills which would make it challenging, but not impossible, on a normal road bike. (Google Maps will show this gravel path marked as the Provo-Jordan River Parkway, but the signage indicates Deer Creek Trail.) This path follows the hillside above Deer Creek Reservoir and the rail line. Look for a small parking area on the left that will cross the rail tracks of the infamous Heber Creeper, which will give you access to the Deer Creek Trailhead. You’ll pass the intersection of Tate Lane on the left, which comes in from Route 113, and you will pass the historic Tate Barn. Or you could do any variation of out-and-back incorporating the Alpine Loop and Cascade Springs connector (but then it wouldn’t be a loop, right?).įrom the center of Midway, head south on 250 West, then west on 500 South, then due south on Stringtown Road. You will then ride clockwise around Deer Creek State Park's reservoir until you come to the dam at the south end from there, the rest of the ride is the same. If you are comfortable with a little more mileage and wish to avoid the gravel of the Deer Creek Trail, replace it at the beginning of the ride by taking Stringtown Road, turning left on Tate Lane, then right on Route 113, until it connects with Highway 189. This route as described below will be just under 40 miles, with a total elevation gain of 4,200 vertical feet. Sundance Ski Resort Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Highway 189, then up past Sundance Ski Resort via the Alpine Loop, before plunging down to the town of Alpine, and then onward to the finishing climb at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort high atop Little Cottonwood Canyon. On a few occasions, the Tour of Utah’s Queen stage took riders from Park City around Deer Creek reservoir on U.S. Most online and published route descriptions typically describe out-and-back rides from either side of state Route 92, since doing a true loop ends up being more mileage than most cyclists have the time or the legs to accomplish in a day (unless it’s your day job). In other words, this is as good as it gets on two wheels.
#Alpine mtb ride professional
No matter which way you ride it (or if you're a professional cyclist or not), you will find yourself climbing a stretch of winding pavement that tops out at 8,000 feet, through ancient aspen trees that seem to grow right out of the side of the road and jaw-dropping views all around. One of Utah’s most-loved rides for road cyclists, the 20-mile Alpine Loop scenic drive is a seasonal stretch of paved road connecting American Fork Canyon with Provo Canyon through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
