Joining the Trails Offroad Community rewards you with the best off-road trail information there is.
| Status: | Seasonal Closure |
| Typically Open: | 05/15 - 11/01 |
| Difficulty: |
2-3
(EASY)
|
| Length: | 4.5 miles |
| Highest Elevation: | 7711 feet |
| Duration: | About 45 minutes |
| Shape of Trail: | Connector |
| Best Direction to Travel: | N/A |
| Nearest Town: | Highland |
| Nearest Town w/ Services: | Highland |
| Official Road Name: | 085 |
| Management Agency: | Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest |
| District: | Pleasant Grove Ranger District |
Referred to as American Fork Canyon to the local wheelers, this is one of the few awesome places to offroad near Salt Lake City or Provo. Lush green forest and plenty of camping are to be expected throughout the trail. It is fairly well traveled so you will probably not be alone but there are enough trails to explore that you won't on somebody's back all day. You will get a good taste of what the Utah mountains have to offer as far as the greenery and steep inclines. There are a number of fun obstacles to test anybody's limits, but almost all of them have a bypass if you feel that they are too hard. Camping is everywhere up here and this is as close to the city as you can be while being "away from it all".
Dirt road. Rutted, washes, or gulches. Water crossings up to 6" depth. Passable mud. Grades up to 10 degrees. Small rocks or holes. 4WD recommended but 2WD possible under good conditions and with adequate ground clearance and skill. No width problems for any normal vehicle. Vehicle passing spots frequently available if less than two vehicles wide.
Read more about our rating system| Spring: | Trail remains closed until snowmelt is mostly gone and trail is dry. |
| Summer: | Trail is usually busy. This is an extremely popular trail to get away from the heat of the city. |
| Fall: | Trail is usually dry and dusty, however this is the best time of year to run this trail. It will remain popular until its closure, but the autumn colors make it all worth it. |
| Winter: | Trail closes sometime around November when the snow starts sticking. |
The start of the trail is a dirt parking lot with some trailer space for the day, however, people are encouraged to park in the parking lot for Tibble Fork Reservoir just down the road. It is a fully paved lot with plenty of parking as long as you arrive early. By mid-day on the weekends, you are sure to have trouble finding a spot at all.
Among all of the side campsites along the beginning of the trail, there is one larger group site with a pit toilet. There is plenty of room for camp trailers and vehicles as well as many tent sites. From here, no trailers are recommended, however, that doesn't stop some people!
This is a section of road that changes every year. It is a stretch of maybe half of a mile long where there is only room for one vehicle. A couple of years ago there was a washout and only a side by side or atv could get past it comfortably without needing a spotter to maneuver the downhill ditch. The drop-off on the south side is around 150-200 feet.
There is a big dirt lot on trail right just before the turnoff to Forest Lake. This lot could be used for airing down if you haven't already. There is also a campsite here if you walk through the opening at the fence by the lot.
The trailhead for Forest Lake will be on the right, clearly marked with an FS194 sign as well as the adoption sign. You do cross a creek here, but it is **usually** shallow and nothing to worry about. As with all water crossings, please check the depth before proceeding.
This parking lot is also the trailhead for Mary Ellen Gultch. Continue straight to finish Lower Mill Canyon.
Here is a short spur to the left with some camping areas.
There is a short spur to the right, just after the previous spur with some more camping areas.
This marks the end of Lower Mill Canyon Trail. From here, you can continue up Mineral Basin or take Baker Fork Road into Midway, Utah.
Starting Point: Alpine, Utah
| Author: | Official Crew |
| Status: | Open |
| Offroaded on: | 06/25/2017 |
| Rating: |
| Author: | Official Crew |
| Status: | Closed |
| Offroaded on: | 06/24/2017 |
| Author: | Official Crew |
| Status: | Closed |
| Offroaded on: | 07/24/2016 |
