Looking for ride advice for Park City

I’m headed to Park City in 2 weeks and wondering if anyone on the forum has routes they love or links to gpx files?
I’ll be there for probably 5 days of riding, only there to ride, will have xc/trail ish bike rental while I’m there. Hoping to have at least 3 or 4 hours of riding each day.
Thanks!

I could probably write a short book in reply, but I will try to be concise.

Park City has over 400 miles of trail now. Most are suitable for XC/Trail bikes. The two most popular climbs up from PC are Armstrong and Jenni’s. Both of these end at Mid Mountain which is a 26+ mile “highway” of a trail. Almost every ride will touch MM at some point. You can go all the way up to the Wasatch Crest either from here. Armstrong-MM-Pinecone or Jenni-MM-Tommy 2 Step-3 Candle-Keystone-Shadow Lake - Blazing saddle - Puke hill will get you to the Crest. Then take that to Ridge Connector-MM-Hollys. Here is a route with the latter.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2551883285/embed/09ce09fe14675d166cbcff4e1f0ad76d582976c2

You can go up the DV side via Pipeline-Deercrest. Robs (between old PC and old Canyons) is another good way up.

You can also use paved bike paths to access Round Valley (via Rail Trail) or head over the Flying Dog (via Millenium Trail). Riding Flying Dog counter-clockwise is very fun.

The other big connector trail is the newish 9K trail which connects Empire Pass to the base of puke hill. Parts of this are pretty fun as well.

Avoid riding up Spiro or CMG. While allowed, it can be dangerous with the downhill biking traffic.

From MM near Deer Valley, you can take Tour de Suds or Team Big Bear up to Ontario Loop and Flagstaff loop out to Bowhunter. This isn’t a frequently used trail, but views are spectacular when the leaves are turning.

Let me know if you have any questions about specific trails or areas.

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Thanks this is awesome info!

Chris knows his trails :slight_smile:

Has DV closed the flow stuff for the season? Sometimes they are OK with folks riding up and then coming down. Other times not so much. If they are open, it’s worth hitting Tidal Wave to Undertow at least once.

I like to ride up, either coming across from PCMR (across MM then up via Suds or Big Bear and then the meadow and jeep road . Guess that’s flagstaff loop or Ruby’s) or starting bottom of DV on Deer Crest.

It’s worth doing the Armstrong + Pinecone full climb, and if OP is comfortable do the Crest and then come down to the Canyons. Get a shuttle if someone will pick you up, return via the MUT on bike (I’d do that) or if ambitious, come back across mid mountain from Canyons to PCMR.

It’s also a nice ride up to Shadow Lake inside PCMR. Will get this wrong, but some combination of Jenni’s, Tommy’s, Keystone, Apex is very mellow overall. I like climbing up Armstrong then over to Powerline then up to the lake. If you want a bit more climbing inside PCMR, Fat Lip is starting to get broken in and is a good climb. Take that up to Charlies 9K. Then go left toward DV and maybe hit Corvair back to Little Chief or right and over to the Shadow Lake area and a number of ways down to PCMR

I lived in SLC for many years and rode DV/PCMR back in the late 80s and 90s. Then moved away but go back for a couple weeks of riding every year. Be aware that altitude might get you and often its not day 1 or 2 but rather 3 or 4. I usually plan a mellow(ish) 2-3 hour ride on day 1, then do something more substantial on day 2 and make day 3 easier. Day 3 is often the worst for me.

PCMR is the ski resort. The parking lot there is where you pick up Jenni’s and also can start over toward Armstrong either roads of to the trailhead or short single track through some aspens.

Have fun.

DV lift served biking is closed for the season. The trails may be available to climbing riders. Just respect any trail signs. If it’s marked ‘closed,’ it’s often because they have trail crews working on them before the snow comes. If there is no sign, send it. As @DarthShivious mentioned, Tidal Wave and Undertow are the two most fun/famous.

Here is the Shadow Lake loop @DarthShivious mentions. It’s confusing to write all the trails, but it makes more sense when riding.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2591623999/embed/ade2477b7696f4ef9fe1801244bf52441549f144

The Jenni-MM-Tommy-3 Candle-Keystone way up is more mellow with some descents/flats to rest. The Armstrong-Pincecone approach is more direct and more of a grind, but still great trails. You can even go up the Jenni way and down Pinecone/Spiro for a loop or vice versa (except no descending very bottom of Jenni - detours to CMG). Pinecone is a great descent, but watch out for those climbers. If you want to cut down the climbing, take Mojave or Silver Queen down from the yurt at the top of Tommy 2 Step. You can always just do a huge out-and-back on Mid Mountain as well. Ride up to it and turn left or right and just go. The section of Mid Mountain just north of Armstrong is pretty rocky and technical, but otherwise it’s just a great ride that never ends and provides several great views along the way. You can detour off of it on Johns 99 or with Tommy 2 Step to Mojave/Silver Queen.

Another fun idea is to do part of PCP2P segment 1. Take rail trail to Skid Row - Lost Prospector - Gambrel Oak - Solamere - Snow Top - Village Trail - Pipeline - Deer Crest - MM… then take the dirt road up from Silver Lake to take Fourpoint and Undertow back down.

With so many trails, you will generally have the option to bail out in the event you are running out of steam. The two exceptions are Wasatch Crest and Mid Mountain north of Armstrong.

I want to go ride now… but have a ramp test today. :slightly_frowning_face:

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As other mentioned you basically have an unlimited about of riding in Park City. One of my favorite loops is from DV Parking lot up deercrest to team big bear then flagstaff and you can hit 9k to crest. Then take mid mountain back.

I also highly recommend spending a bit of time at trailside bike park.

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Thank you all for the ideas and tips, had a long day and just catching up with this thread.
Seems like good to plan to have a rough time with the altitude at some point, I’m coming from Philadelphia and I expect it will feel pretty tough.
I will plan some routes with all of this excellent info and maybe run them by you all.
Thanks!

You’re power won’t be the same as sea level but you can still do everything. Just go ride around and have a blast with so many great trails you really can’t go wrong.

What he said :grinning: Armstrong and Round Valley/Flying Dog or Rusty Shovel. Just about anything at PCMR (old?) Deer V has some fun stuff off the top but disremember names. Deer V good for starting Mid Mountain and coming down at PCMR/Spiro rather than all the way to Canyons Hope not dated info. Been a couple years

I visited in 2019 and by far my favorite trail was Deer Valley. If you want to have a variety of fun there is a MTB park that has everything from beginner to advanced. Even a pump track. You a going to have a great time in Park City riding MTB.

I come from sea level and have beginner MTB skill but still had a great time but had to check my ego at the door. Those switchbacks and rock gardens are harder than they look for a roadie.

So day 1 of riding in park City we decided to be ambitious and did the Armstrong/ pinecone up and the Wasatch crest trail and then back all the way on mid mountain to pick up Spiro for the down. I feel like my Garmin lied to me about elevation or something, that was an extremely hard ride for 30 ish miles and maybe 4500 feet of elevation. And whatever part of mid mountain trail brought us back to Spiro was just a long grind through ups and down rock gardens, really brutal part of that trail and it just kept going!
Just wanted to give a shout of thanks to all who gave some advice and helped me build some routes. I’m excited to try the flying dog loop today for a more manageable “recovery” ride.

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That’s a pretty tough ride. The Armstrong-Pinecone-Crest part is tough enough, then the road or bike path back home makes a nice return. As you said, that mid-mountain section between PC and Canyons is rough in spots.

Flying Dog is much easier especially if you do the 24-7/Preserve approach. The Glenwild/Cobblestone approach is fun, but beware that the switchbacks up that way are steeper.

In PC, the Jenni-MM-Tommy 2step-3 candles-keystone is a slightly easier way up… then just go down however you please.

I did this last weekend. Drive up to MM then loop DV to PC via 9k.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6025395425/embed/11c2bbf87879a3f61e0897cc37ddaaaf7ffaf866

Have fun!

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Nice day #1. Flying Dog is a nice loop. It’s pretty mellow.

Chris will likely know the proper trail names, but toward the bottom in Jeremy Ranch, near one of the water treatment spots, there is a short loop with some berms and jumps. I think the trails are Dropout and 24-7. When we do the Flying Dog, always end up doing a few loops of the berm/jump stuff to finish up.

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Those two are fantastic trails

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Drop-out is the main one… rebuilt 2 years ago. Pretty fun but tough to clear all the doubles. Everything is rollable.

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So we just rode over to round valley and did a quick loop today, I think maybe flying dog another day. Was thinking of starting in deer valley tomorrow.
I can’t believe how much good riding is here!

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You can ride every day for a full season and still not hit everything.

Bowhunter was incredible today…thanks for the recommendation!

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No problem. Not the greatest trail, per se, but those views are incredible this time of year. I basically ride it once or twice a year and always Sept/Oct… just for that view. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Good timing for the trip. You just missed the snow!!