Bonneville Shoreline Bountiful North Canyon to Mueller

Looking north from the BST as we roll into Mill Creek Canyon. Initial photos and trail review by Bruce on September 12, 2022. Update 2024.

Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Bountiful North Canyon to Mueller Park

This section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) links the North Canyon trail to the Mueller Park trail(both the trail and the park itself). It's exactly 4 miles from North Canyon to the Mueller Park trail, then 1 mile down to the Mill Creek road, and another 0.6 miles on the BST connector singletrack to the paved canyon road just uphill from the Mueller Park trailhead.

This trail is popular as an out-and-back, usually from the Mueller Park trailhead. It's also nice as a loop ride (in either direction) when combined with Mueller Park and the upper 2 miles of North Canyon.
The expected riding season for this trail would be late May through October. Top elevation of the trail is 6500 feet.

View uphill as we head gently uphill from the BST after leaving North Canyon.

The trail leaves maple forest for stunted scrub oak as we hit a west-facing slope with a view over the valley.

On its southern end, this section of the BST can be reached via the North Canyon trail, or via the BST from Wild Rose . From the end of paved road in North Canyon, it's 1.5 miles uphill to the BST.

On the northern end, you can climb 1.3 miles up the Mueller Park trail to intersect the BST as it crosses the Mueller Park trail. (Only the southbound -- uphill -- portion of the BST can be ridden at this time!)

Trailheads and Connections

End of Canyon Creek Road. The singletrack begins on your right 100 feet uphill.

North Canyon

At the uphill end of Canyon Creek Road in Bountiful (reached via Bountiful Blvd), you can find roadside parking and begin pedaling uphill. You'll have the option of gravel service road or a singletrack trail on the right (south) side of the road 100 feet uphill from the gate. It will be 1.5 relatively steep miles to the trail fork, where you'll keep left for the BST. (The southbound BST is 0.2 miles further uphill on the North Canyon trail.)

NOTE: There's a plan for a road and formal trailhead for access to North Canyon, with construction likely starting in 2023. For now, these instructions are accurate.

The entry to the BST on the Mill Creek Canyon road.

via Mueller Park Road to BST Connection

The Mueller Park road is a continuation of 1800 South Street in Bountiful. The Mueller Park trailhead is a very popular trailhead and will be crowded on weekends. Pedal past the trailhead up the Mueller Park road. In 0.1 miles, the Kenny Creek trail forks left. Go past and take the smaller singletrack 50 feet uphill. You're now on the BST Connector. Keep right at the trail fork and descend back to cross the road to begin climbing uphill again.

Cruising through the tall maples of lower Mueller Park.

via Mueller Park trail

Climb the Mueller Park trail itself. Pedal uphill on Mueller Park for 1.3 miles to the spot where the BST crosses the Mueller Park trail. Turn hard right uphill on the BST. Or for a short loop ride, fork left to descend back into Mill Creek Canyon on the BST.

Wild Rose trailhead. The trail starts alongside the toilet.

Via the BST from Wild Rose Trailhead

For now (September 2022) you'll need to climb uphill from the Wild Rose trailhead in Woods Cross. (See the Wild Rose trail page.) Take the Wild Rose Overlook trail up the ravine, then hard right at the 5-way trail intersection and up to the ridgeline. At mile 0.8 the BST crosses. Turn left. (The southbound BST to the right dead-ends at this time.) It will now be 8 miles to the North Canyon trail, where you'll keep straight and descend 0.2 miles, then make a hard right turn onto the BST uphill just after crossing North Canyon Creek.

The Bountiful BST - North Canyon to Mueller Park

Looking uphill from the North Canyon trail. My bike is sitting on the BST, as the North Canyon trail veers to the right across the bridge.

On the southern end, this section of the BST begins on the North Canyon trail. When heading uphill, it will be 1.5 miles from the end of the Canyon Creek Road and 0.5 miles from the National Forest border. Keep straight as the North Canyon trail veers to the right to cross North Canyon Creek.

From the Woods Cross (Wild Rose) section of the BST , this trail fork is 0.2 miles downhill from where the BST merges into the North Canyon trail.

From the North Canyon trail to the Mueller Park trail, it will be 4.0 miles. There will be 175 feet of initial climbing, then 750 feet of descent. The trail is a wide bench-cut with modern design features and a very gentle rate of elevation change.

View on a typical stretch of maple-shaded trail as we climb up from North Canyon.

Looking ahead as the trail traverses a west-facing slope near the ride's highest point.

At the North Canyon trail fork, you're at 6350 feet elevation. You'll climb gently to 6500 feet before beginning a long and continuous descent toward Mueller Park. At the Mueller Park cross-over, you'll be at 5775 feet.

After a short stretch in fir forest, the trail lies in tall maple forest. There will be occasional breakouts into sun-exposed oak scrub, where the air temperature will increase significantly.

Typical trail view: Maples and an occasional fir, with a smattering of oak brush.

Looking north at Bountiful. The big white building is the Bountiful Temple.

There will be views over the valley when the trail reaches west-facing slopes, and an occasional look up North Canyon or Mueller Park's canyon.

There's very little rock on this stretch of the BST. At this time the trail is a ribbon of smooth dirt. The rate of climbing and the trail surface are very suitable for beginning riders. (Beginners should start from Mueller Park, as the climb up lower North Canyon is brutal.)

Trail view on the Mueller Park side.

Looking uphill at Cave Peak from Mill Creek Canyon near Mueller Park.

There are two popular loop ride possibilities using the BST: (1) Start at Mueller Park and ride the BST southbound, descending North Canyon. Return via city streets. (2) Do a lariat loop ride from either trailhead. First climb uphill to Rudy's Flat. Continue across the summit for a couple of descending miles, then turn onto the the BST to return to your original climbing trail. This loop is most popular from the Mueller Park side.

When planning a loop ride, remember that the lower mile North Canyon is steep and not really suitable for beginners. (A beginner with good control could surf the loose doubletrack, but either of the singletracks would be beyond their skill and/or climbing strength.)

A stretch of cool fir forest as we descend toward North Canyon on the southbound ride.

Here's the trail crossover of the BST with Mueller Park, seen from uphill on the Mueller Park trail. To the left and uphill is the BST, straight ahead and downhill goes to the Mueller Park trailhead.

At the Mueller Park end of this trail segment, the BST crosses the Mueller Park trail. Many riders choose to descend Mueller Park here. If so, fork to the left downhill. To continue down the BST, keep straight. (A right turn takes you uphill on Mueller toward Elephant Rock.)

BST from Mueller Park trail to Mill Creek Road

Looking downhill as the BST (on the left) crosses the Mueller Park trail.

The segment of the BST between the Mueller Park trail is 1 mile long with 300 feet of elevation change. It's nice as either a climbing route or a downhill.

The trail hugs a north-facing slope through forest of fir and maple. It's a wide bench-cut with smooth riding surface. The switchback turns have a generous radius considering the slope of the hill.

A rare view up Mill Creek Canyon as the BST descends. 99% of this piece of the BST is shady forest.

Looking uphill at the bottom of the BST from the canyon road.

When the BST hits the Mill Creek Canyon road, the continuing singletrack is directly across. You have the option of descending the road if you don't want to tackle the turns and climbing on the singletrack back to the lower canyon.

(If you're headed uphill and wish to have an easier route, you can climb the canyon road to get to uphill trail along the creek (as shown in the photo). Pedal 0.5 miles from the trailhead and fork to the right across the bridge.)

BST from upper Mill Creek Road to Mueller trailhead

Ready to climb up the BST connector.

The trail section here is optional, as you can skip it by riding the canyon road. Located across the canyon road, this singletrack is 0.6 miles upper-road to lower-road. There's about 50 vertical feet of climbing to get uphill to the traverse that takes you down-canyon.

If you're climbing the BST connector, you'll have a bit over 200 feet of stiff climbing to get uphill.

If you've just descended the BST from the Mueller Park crossing, find the continuing BST across the canyon road. Climb uphill through a couple of turns, then begin a slightly-downhill traverse toward the mouth of the canyon.

Keep straight as the Hornet trail forks uphill to your right. (See the Mueller area northern trails page for details on the trails you'd reach via Hornet.)

The trail runs through forest of maple and oak.

Dropping down through the turns toward the canyon road.

You'll now begin a series of switchbacks to drop back to the canyon road.

(These climbing turns are a bit of a grunt when done in the uphill direction.)

At the bottom, keep left at the connector to Kenny Creek. 100 feet later, bounce onto the paved canyon road and turn to the right downhill. In 1/10th mile, you'll be at the Mueller Park trailhead.

(If you're climbing this trail, you'll find the bottom entry on your left as you head up the Mill Creek Canyon road, just 50 feet uphill from the larger Kenny Creek trail entrance.)

The singletrack leaves the paved road for the trip uphill. The marking is meager.

A typical stretch of buff BST.

Bottom Line!
Excellent trail that opens a world of new ride possibilities above Bountiful. Yes it will make Mueller Park even more crowded, but I expect it will take some pressure off the two-way traffic on the upper mountain by putting more riders onto a clockwise loop path rather than up-and-back. Well constructed and easy to ride; suitable for beginning riders from the Mueller Park side.

Getting there:
North Canyon: On I-15, take the 2600 south Bountiful/Woods Cross exit. Go east towards the mountains. The road will turn north and be renamed Orchard Drive. While heading north, turn right (east) on 1800 south. Just as you reach the bottom of a steep hill, turn right at the intersection. (This is about 0.6 miles before the Mueller Park trailhead. If you arrive there, backtrack.) After 1.7 miles, turn left on Canyon Creek and go uphill 0.7 miles to the end of the pavement. Start your ride by heading east (uphill) on the dirt road.

Mueller Park: On I-15, take the 2600 south Bountiful/Woods Cross exit. Go east towards the mountains. The road will turn north and be renamed Orchard Drive. While heading north, turn right (east) on 1800 south. This street takes you to the trailhead about 2 miles later, where you'll see parking places on the right side of the road. Go across the stream on the bridge to begin the ride.