Looking south toward Utah Lake from the BST. Trail review by Bruce on October 16, 2022. Latest update May 28, 2023.
Bonneville Shoreline Trail
South Traverse Mountain Section
(includes Raptor and Canyon Hills trails)
South Traverse Mountain Section
(includes Raptor and Canyon Hills trails)
This segment of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) runs from the South Maple Hollow trail in Draper to the Sensei trail in Traverse Mountain -- with a 0.5 mile section of subdivision streets on the way. (According to the Lehi master trails plan, the pavement link will be replaced by a traversing singletrack trail in the future. A continuous BST waits for resolution of land-owner issues.)
The route described on this page consists of several trails. A portion is official BST and
the rest is "sorta-BST." From east to west, these are: South Maple Hollow,
the official BST
(Draper and Lehi sections), the Canyon Hills connector trail -- then a
bit of subdivision street
-- the Raptor trail, then Sensei. A doubletrack along the powerline provides
an alternate to
Canyon Hills and Raptor.
Looking toward Lone Peak on the eastbound BST.
The Brookside subdivision and the mountain bike trailhead (far left, on the hillside above the last of the homes).
The trails are smooth bench-cut, suitable for beginning riders. Because the oak brush is short
on this hillside, there will be almost constant views in every direction.
At an elevation of around 5400 feet, the expected riding season would be mid-April through November.
At an elevation of around 5400 feet, the expected riding season would be mid-April through November.
Getting to the trails
Brookside Trailhead in South Maple Hollow.
From Brookside/Maple Hollow
Most riders will use the Brookside Trailhead in Maple Hollow on the southern side of Traverse Mountain. This trailhead has lots of parking, but is busy enough that it fills up by mid-morning. There's running water, a bathroom, and shaded picnic area. At the top of the trailhead, turn left onto Maple Hollow , then in 0.2 miles, fork left downhill on the BST.
Most riders will use the Brookside Trailhead in Maple Hollow on the southern side of Traverse Mountain. This trailhead has lots of parking, but is busy enough that it fills up by mid-morning. There's running water, a bathroom, and shaded picnic area. At the top of the trailhead, turn left onto Maple Hollow , then in 0.2 miles, fork left downhill on the BST.
400 West trailhead in Canyon Hills. The trail is at the end of the pavement.
Canyon Hills Trailhead (400 West trailhead)
The BST from Maple Hollow hits pavement at 400 West 4330 North in Lehi. There's room for 4 or 5 cars here, but it's not a fully developed trailhead and there's some surrounding construction. Find the singletrack at the eastern side of the paved area and climb uphill on the eastbound BST.
The BST from Maple Hollow hits pavement at 400 West 4330 North in Lehi. There's room for 4 or 5 cars here, but it's not a fully developed trailhead and there's some surrounding construction. Find the singletrack at the eastern side of the paved area and climb uphill on the eastbound BST.
This is what you're looking for. The trail will climb up to Sensei.
Autumn Hills Blvd Raptor Trail entry
Use this trail entry spot to climb uphill to Sensei. (Because there's no official BST in this area of Traverse Mountain, Raptor is a "BST equivalent.") There's trail access from the sidewalk along Autumn Hills Blvd, but no formal trailhead or parking. Use the 400 West trailhead then backtrack down 400 West, turning right on Mountain View Blvd. Take the next right on Autumn Hills Blvd and follow it as it turns left and westbound again. Watch for the small lane between homes on your right. It will be 0.5 miles between the 400 West trailhead and the entry to the trail.
Use this trail entry spot to climb uphill to Sensei. (Because there's no official BST in this area of Traverse Mountain, Raptor is a "BST equivalent.") There's trail access from the sidewalk along Autumn Hills Blvd, but no formal trailhead or parking. Use the 400 West trailhead then backtrack down 400 West, turning right on Mountain View Blvd. Take the next right on Autumn Hills Blvd and follow it as it turns left and westbound again. Watch for the small lane between homes on your right. It will be 0.5 miles between the 400 West trailhead and the entry to the trail.
The Raptor trail forks away from Sensei at the first switchback turn.
From the Sensei Trail
At the Sensei (Traverse Mountain) trailhead at the water tank above Reggio Circle in Traverse Mountain, pedal 1/10th mile uphill and keep straight at the first switchback. The southbound trail is the Raptor Trail, which will give you a dirt route toward the BST.
At the Sensei (Traverse Mountain) trailhead at the water tank above Reggio Circle in Traverse Mountain, pedal 1/10th mile uphill and keep straight at the first switchback. The southbound trail is the Raptor Trail, which will give you a dirt route toward the BST.
BST - from Brookside Trailhead to Powerline DT and Autumn Hills
Connector
The singletrack from Brookside trailhead to Lehi's 400 West is 3.1 miles. Of this, 0.2 miles
is South Maple Hollow, 2.1 is the BST, and 0.8 miles is the BST alternate
down to 400 West
in Lehi. This section will cover the official BST, from the South Maple
Hollow trail to the
Autumn Hills trail.
This is the entry to South Maple Hollow. The trail on the other side of the log fence is Zooropa.
Rolling through maple forest as we climb away from Maple Hollow.
From its origin on the South Maple Hollow trail (0.2 miles from the trailhead), the BST descends
north into Maple Hollow. It will drop around 75 vertical feet over 0.2
miles. After it crosses
the cindered Maple Hollow doubletrack, it will dip through the ravine
and turn back to the
south to begin climbing again. The BST will climb gently but steadily
as it goes southwest
away from Maple Hollow, in an area of thick oak and maple forest. You'll
gain about 75 feet
over the next 0.9 miles.
After traversing around a couple of drainages, the BST crosses from Draper into Lehi. At this
point the BST will drop through some turns, quickly losing 100 feet of
elevation.
Looking at a banked turn as the BST drops elevation. Ahead is Utah Lake.
Heading east, with White Baldy (center) and Box Elder Peak (mid-right) still holding snow at the end of May.
The trail rides beautifully in either direction. The turns are constructed so the flow nicely
uphill, yet can be taken with some speed in the downhill direction. You'll
roll through 6 of
these hairpin turns before the trail resumes its straight course.
The views from the trail are impressive. You'll be able to see almost all of Utah County to
the south and west and the Wasatch Front mountains to the east.
View south over Lehi, American Fork, and Utah Lake.
Heading into Dry Hollow on the westbound ride. The dirt road can be snaking up the canyon, while the trail turns to the left and traverses the hillside.
The trail will now begin a slow descent as it heads southwest. You'll cross the Dry Hollow
dirt road in a canyon. (Some riders will turn right onto Dry Hollow to
climb Maack Hill. There
are connections to other primitive trails and doubletracks at the top
of the hill. The road
gets very steep near the top, so this option should be considered an adventure
ride. FYI, the
master trail plan calls for a bikes-only trail that will run the length
of Dry Hollow in the
future.)
As the BST reaches the Powerline Doubletrack, the continuing singletrack can be considered either the BST, or the Autumn Hills Connector trail, depending on what you think will happen to the "official BST" as new trails are constructed.
As the BST reaches the Powerline Doubletrack, the continuing singletrack can be considered either the BST, or the Autumn Hills Connector trail, depending on what you think will happen to the "official BST" as new trails are constructed.
Canyon Hills - BST alternate to 400 West trailhead
When riding east to west, the Powerline doubletrack can be thought of as the division between
the official Bonneville Shoreline and the temporary alternates. At this
point, the singletrack
-- while it can still be called the BST -- is the Canyon Hills connector
trail as it descends
to 400 West and the diversion onto city streets. This section of the ride
is 0.8 miles long.
(The Powerline DT is the second "alternate BST.")
Looking toward Lone Peak as we ride east on the Lehi segment of the BST.
The western side of the BST becomes increasingly dry and open. Here we're looking east toward Timpanogos near the western end of the trail.
At the western end, the BST turns abruptly downhill and rolls 100 yards to 4330 North. Resist
the temptation to follow the dirt road westbound here. It peters out in
a forest of No Trespassing
signs. Instead, get onto pavement and head for the continuing singletrack
trail 1/2 mile to
the west.
Turn left downhill on 400 West, then right on Mountain View Blvd. Take the next right on Autumn Hills Blvd and follow it as it turns left and westbound again. Watch for the small trail corridor between homes on your right at 0.5 miles from the 400 West trailhead. Now climb 1.5 miles to the Sensei trail, keeping to the right at two trail forks.
Turn left downhill on 400 West, then right on Mountain View Blvd. Take the next right on Autumn Hills Blvd and follow it as it turns left and westbound again. Watch for the small trail corridor between homes on your right at 0.5 miles from the 400 West trailhead. Now climb 1.5 miles to the Sensei trail, keeping to the right at two trail forks.
Raptor Trail
(BST alternate from Sensei to Autumn Hills Blvd)
View while descending south on the BST.
The Raptor Trail forks away from
Sensei
at the first switchback above the trailhead. Keep straight as Sensei turns sharply to the left.
The bottom of this trail lies on Autumn Hills Blvd on the uphill side of the road. Watch for the corridor between homes. It's 0.5 miles on pavement from the 400 West trailhead to the trail entry on Autumn Hills Blvd.
The bottom of this trail lies on Autumn Hills Blvd on the uphill side of the road. Watch for the corridor between homes. It's 0.5 miles on pavement from the 400 West trailhead to the trail entry on Autumn Hills Blvd.
This section of trail is 1.5 miles long. From Sensei, it will descend a bit over 400 feet in
elevation. There will be multiple hairpin turns, but they're well-built
and easy to ride.
The pitch of the trail is fairly gentle and consistent. The riding is suitable for beginners.
The pitch of the trail is fairly gentle and consistent. The riding is suitable for beginners.
Looking toward the Bingham Canyon mine as the trail winds around.
Looking east toward Box Elder and Timpanogos as the trail winds back and forth.
There are two neighborhood connectors as you descend, each on your right. Keep left for the
main trail. The uppermost connector goes to a residential circle under
construction. The lower
connector goes to Seasons View Court.
The trail will cross the cindered water tank road and climb
again. There's a short trail on your left to a view area. Around the hill
is a picnic table.
The Raptor trail now makes a final descent to Autumn Hills Blvd. Turn left on the street and follow it as it turns right downhill. Turn left on Mountain View Blvd, then left uphill on 400 West. At 4330 North, turn east and find the trail at the end of the pavement.
The Lehi master trails plan shows a future trail just above the subdivision that will connect the two current trails so that no pavement riding will be required.
Coasting down through sparse grass on dry hillside.
Powerline Road alternate
Climbing along the powerline corridor.
You may note the powerline doubletrack on your navigation app. It looks like a great shortcut
that will eliminate some climbing. But it has some up-and-down riding
that make it a bit of
work. Personally I think the powerline is harder on my legs than the longer
singletrack route
downhill and back up.
The Powerline DT is 1.3 miles long. There's a total of 400 feet of climbing from east to west -- compared to 500 total feet of climbing if you descend to the city streets and climb all the way back uphill on the BST.
The Powerline DT is 1.3 miles long. There's a total of 400 feet of climbing from east to west -- compared to 500 total feet of climbing if you descend to the city streets and climb all the way back uphill on the BST.
When westbound, the powerline road is on your right at 0.3 miles after the trail crosses the
Dry Hollow road. There are actually two entries. If in doubt, look for
the wires overhead.
At the western end the road turns to the right just above
Sensei
Keep straight and a singletrack will take you to the second switchback of Sensei.
If you're coming back from the western end of the BST at 400 West in Lehi, the powerline DT is at mile 0.8 (there will first be a couple of other dirt roads crossing the BST that are NOT the one you want).
If you're coming back from the western end of the BST at 400 West in Lehi, the powerline DT is at mile 0.8 (there will first be a couple of other dirt roads crossing the BST that are NOT the one you want).
One of the spots where the powerline road takes a dip downhill.
View toward Lone Peak on the BST.
Bottom Line!
Very easy riding, lots of views over Utah Valley. Great for a quick ride if you're local. For a "real" ride, combine it with Sensei, Traverse Traverse, Ann's, and Maple Hollow as a loop ride of worthy miles and major climbing!
Very easy riding, lots of views over Utah Valley. Great for a quick ride if you're local. For a "real" ride, combine it with Sensei, Traverse Traverse, Ann's, and Maple Hollow as a loop ride of worthy miles and major climbing!
Sample ride: Loop around Sensei and Ann's
0.0 Brookside TH, South Maple Hollow trail
0.2 L on BST
2.3 R on powerline DT (0.3 after Dry Hollow)
3.6 R on Sensei
7.4 R onto Mo-mentum
8.0 L on Traverse Traverse
0.0 Brookside TH, South Maple Hollow trail
0.2 L on BST
2.3 R on powerline DT (0.3 after Dry Hollow)
3.6 R on Sensei
7.4 R onto Mo-mentum
8.0 L on Traverse Traverse
11.4 R on Ann's
12.3 R on Ann's Connector
13.4 Maple Hollow (upper) trailhead
R downhill on South Maple Hollow
15.0 Back at Brookside
Map of BST route
Getting there:
Brookside Drive Trailhead (South Maple Hollow): Brookside Drive turns to the west off Suncrest Drive, just uphill from the Maple Hollow subdivision. This is about a mile uphill from Utah Valley. Drive past the homes and uphill to the end of the road. The South Maple Hollow trail is on the west side of the road at the top of the parking strip. It will take you to the BST after 0.2 miles. (The higher trail on the right side of the wooden fence is the downhill-only Zooropa. Don't enter.)
400 West Lehi: Turn off the Timpanogos Highway at 500 West. Go left on Canyon Hills Drive, then at 4050 North turn right. Turn left on 400 West. Drive uphill to 4330 North and find a spot to park. (There's only room for a couple of cars at this time.) The eastbound trail is on the east end. The trail going north and uphill is 0.5 miles west on Autumn Hills Blvd.
Bathroom, water, and tools at Brookside trailhead.
Multi-track area GPS file: Download
Traverse Mountain Water Tank trailhead. From the Timpanogos Highway
at 1200 West in Lehi, turn north onto Morning Vista Road. At the roundabout,
continue north ( the direction
you were going) on Toscana Hills Drive, then left when you reach Vialetto
Way. Just as Vialetto Way is coming to its highest elevation and is
curving hard left, turn right onto Annuvolato Way. In around 100 yards,
turn left uphill on Reggio Circle and follow this paved road uphill as far as you can. At
the circle at pavement's end, turn left and climb cindered road to the
gravel parking area at the water tank.
