American Fork Canyon

Located about an hour southeast of Salt Lake City in the majestic Wasatch Mountain range, Mary Ellen Gulch offers a lot of adventure for any outdoor enthusiast. From the bottom, you immediately experience the amazing scenery in the Wasatch National Forest and work your way up the old mining road past abandoned gold and silver mines of the late 1800s. Look hard enough, and you might find iron pyrite or fool's gold lying around. If you are more extreme, there have been rumors that you can get lucky panning the mountain streams. There is a story of a Jeeper who panned in one of these canyons and found just enough gold to pay for the expenses of his journey up. Who knows what you may find! As you finish the trail, enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and overlook the Mineral Basin ski lift.

Another amazing trail in the Wasatch Mountains, Mineral Basin takes you some incredible sights in a very short drive from the city. After completing Lower Mill Canyon or Baker Fork Road, this trail will give you the challenge and excitement that you were looking for. Due to this area's rich mining history, you will see a vast array of colorful rocks as you climb through the Wasatch National Forest. Moose, porcupines, and deer are often seen in the area. In the heat of the summer, this is a great trail to cool off a little. The mountains are on fire in the Fall, with all the leaves changing color. There are many reasons this trail will quickly become a favorite!

Forest Lake, an awesome spur off Lower Mill Canyon, takes you away from the crowd for fun on the rocks. The trail weaves through the pine forest up to about 10,000 feet and into the middle of an aspen grove. Most of the trail is shaded, creating spots where mud is frequently present. With its rock gardens and mud pits, Forest Lake keeps people of all skill levels and vehicle capabilities entertained through this short trail. This is also a great trail to camp along since you are off the busy trails. However, there can still be a fair amount of traffic on warm summer weekends. There is a large amount of wildlife present if you keep your eyes open. The top of the trail is a very peaceful spot to relax.

Traversing the western face of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch range, Timpooneke Road is a roughly 10-mile gravel out and back that offers unmatched alpine views of the Utah Valley below. The road has no technical challenges, and any AWD vehicle can access most of what this trail has to offer. Beginners should know this two-way trail can be narrow, a little rocky, and includes portions that parallel very steep cliffs.

Campers can also enjoy this beautiful stretch. The road begins at a National Forest campground and offers a dozen or so dispersed sites along the route. Sites have spectacular views of surrounding mountains and/or the cityscape below or might be tucked into deep forests. This trail should be at or near the top of anyone's list looking for an alpine getaway just minutes from I-15 in and around Provo or Salt Lake.

Cummings Parkway Road is a stunning 2200-foot ascent into the Wasatch Mountain State Park overlooking Heber Valley. While generally an easy to moderate trail, the nearly 8-mile trek demands attention as almost every mile is rocky and contains steep shelf roads, not to mention the 360-degree breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys in the area. If properly outfitted, airing down tires is a big plus for comfort and to save wear and tear on suspension components. There is very little camping directly on the track itself. Offshoot trails have beautiful options for dispersed camping. Be on the lookout for OHVs, as this trail gets moderately busy on weekends and holidays.

Mill Canyon Spring, in the Uinta National Forest, is a dispersed camper's dream. There are roughly a dozen sites on this three-mile track, almost all with spectacular views of Mount Timpanogos and the surrounding Wasatch Mountains. The track is steep in places with deep but easily avoided ruts. Occasional rocks and loose rocky climbs necessitate clearance and at least AWD. This is a beautiful drive, and considering its proximity to Salt Lake Valley, it's lightly trafficked.

Major Evans Road climbs up a series of tight switchbacks before settling onto a mellow shelf road through timber and meadow. The lower half, cut into the mountainside, is the technical portion of the drive, running through a dozen closely stacked switchbacks with a handful of narrow pinch points and one off-camber section tilted 12 to 15 degrees. Above the switchbacks the grade eases considerably and the road becomes a relaxed cruise past several camping spurs, with Milk Maid Trail visible across the drainage near the road's hardest turn and a view of Aspen Grove from a spur near the top. The road ends at a locked gate posted by Utah County, with a small turnaround and a view back down the canyon.

The road stays one vehicle wide for most of its length with only occasional pull-outs, and several of the lower switchbacks are tight enough that four-door rigs will need to back up and re-angle to get around. Three dispersed camping spurs are spread along the upper half of the road. One is shaded and offers some privacy tucked just off the main line. The largest, on a ridge top with open mountain views, comfortably fits three to four rigs and trailers are not allowed. A third, smaller spur near the top looks out over an aspen grove. American Fork Canyon is a Forest Service fee area, so a valid recreation pass or day-use fee is required to drive up to the trailhead.

Silver Lake Flat Road climbs out of American Fork Canyon, passing Tibble Fork Reservoir before switchbacking up to Silver Lake Flat Reservoir. The route starts on a rocky two-track and narrows onto a hogsback ridge with drop-offs on both sides before settling into graded dirt and rock for the climb to the top. Riders use this road to reach the reservoir itself, a quieter alternative to Tibble Fork, with fishing for grayling, rainbow, brook, and cutthroat trout, and moose are commonly seen in the area.

Expect a dirt and rocky surface with obstacles under 9 inches, washboard and erosion ruts after storms, and a shallow creek crossing that should be checked before driving through, since depth changes with runoff. The road is two vehicles wide with pullouts for passing.

Dispersed camping is available near the end of the road, with a handful of shaded sites large enough for three to four rigs, though trailers are not allowed. Additional sites are tucked farther in, past posted "no motor vehicle" areas. American Fork Canyon is a Forest Service fee area, so a valid recreation pass or day-use fee is required to drive up to the trailhead.

Milk Maid Road climbs out of American Fork Canyon above Silver Lake Flat Reservoir through lodgepole and fir forest, an open meadow, and a rocky shelf road cut into the canyon wall. The road is a dead end with no loop, crossing an old avalanche chute and a couple of shallow stream crossings before ending below the ridge, with Silver Lake Flat Reservoir coming into view near the top.

One climb partway up pushes into harder moderate territory, with loose, off-camber rock closer to 18 inches and low range gearing recommended. Drivers who'd rather skip it can go slow and spot through, since the rest of the road stays within moderate limits. Dispersed camping is available at three spots along the route: a site at the beginning that fits two to three rigs, a shaded, private pocket about a half mile in with six or more separate sites near a stream, and a small hideaway site farther up with a fire ring and benches that fits one rig or a tent. American Fork Canyon is a Forest Service fee area, so a valid recreation pass or day-use fee is required to drive up to the trailhead.