View north. Initial photos and ride review by Bruce on July 9, 2016. Periodically updated for new trails with most recent update June 22, 2022.
Eagle Mountain - Middle Trails
"Prayer Flag" area: Treadstone, Supersonic, Cracker Jack, Backspacer, Space Dust, Given to Fly, Nirvana, Deer Tracks
"Prayer Flag" area: Treadstone, Supersonic, Cracker Jack, Backspacer, Space Dust, Given to Fly, Nirvana, Deer Tracks
The knoll in the Treadstone area sits in the middle of the main Eagle Mountain riding area. Many other trails connect to Treadstone, making it a main access route into the heart of Eagle Mountain. For a quick description of all Eagle Mountain trails, see the Eagle Mountain Overview Page . Other area trails are described in detail on pages for the northern Eagle Mountain trails , southern Eagle Mountain trails , and the Lake Mountain slope trails , the Eagle Mountain Race Loop , and the Mountain Ranch Bike Park .
The Treadstone trail is 2.1 miles long and is a must-ride for Eagle Mountain. Individual section
have their own names, which may be confusing to you. The Lake Mountain
Trails Association struggles
to keep trail signs at intersections in this complex area. So if you're
lost, get out your
cell phone's navigation app and figure out where you really are.
Southbound on the former Behind the Boathouse section of Treadstone. This bit of trail is now a paved bike path behind building lots in a subdivision.
Looking north toward Eagle Mountain itself. That's actually the Bingham Canyon copper mine tailings you can see on the ridgeline.
Treadstone delivers you to many key trails around the Prayer Flags hill. You can connect to
Given to Fly and the south end of Creed as well as Cracker Jack. At the
prayer flags, Nirvana
heads westbound from Treadstone, offering connections to the top of Given
to Fly and Backspacer.
As you descend Treadstone southbound, Deer Tracks connects down to the
Race Loop staging area,
Cow Tracks, and the doubletrack access to Jackrabbit. On the far south,
Treadstone ends at
the north end of Deadwood.
Deer Tracks Trail
- access from the "Rockpile"
parking area
Treadstone can be reached quickly from the Race Loop 's trailhead via Deer Tracks. The Deer Tracks trail starts westbound away from the dirt road just where you enter the parking area. It climbs gently 0.2 miles to intercept Treadstone at mile 0.75 from Deadwood. Like Treadstone, it's narrow singletrack.
Just uphill from the trailhead, we're heading southwest.
Almost to the connection spot, heading west, with miles of Great Basin in view.
Deer Tracks can also be considered a continuation of the Cow Tracks trail when riding into
the area from the north. From Cow Tracks, veer a bit to the right as you
roll downhill toward
the parking zone and hold straight as you cross the branching doubletracks
at the eastern side
of the race parking zone. As you reach the westernmost doubletrack on
the far side of the parking
zone (heading south-southwest) look for the singletrack starting uphill
on your right.
To make the connection in reverse rom Treadstone, descend Deer Tracks then cross the open area veering slightly left toward an ATV track. Just uphill on the ATV track, Cow Tracks is on your left.
To make the connection in reverse rom Treadstone, descend Deer Tracks then cross the open area veering slightly left toward an ATV track. Just uphill on the ATV track, Cow Tracks is on your left.
Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack runs through a grassy area that burned a few years ago. Few live trees remain.
Cracker Jack forks away from the Deer Tracks trail just uphill from the "Rockpile" parking
zone. It extends north to Hidden Canyon. It runs in a north-south direction
along the lower
slope of the "Prayer Flag" hill. The trail is easy to ride both uphill
and down.
Cracker Jack is 0.7 miles in length with 150 vertical feet elevation loss from Deer Tracks
to Hidden Canyon.
Descending Cracker Jack toward Hidden Canyon.
Looking uphill on the 2022 re-route of Cracker Jack as we climb up from Given to Fly. Just ahead is the merger with Supersonic.
Near its northern end, Cracker Jack joins Supersonic for 1/10th mile. Keep left and downhill
at the merger, then fork downhill to the right at the trail split. Cracker
Jack ends on Given
to Fly. To the right is the path toward the trailhead (affected by construction
in 2022), and
to the left is the Given to Fly trail westbound.
Treadstone Trail
In 2016 the Treadstone Trail was added to the Eagle Mountain trails in the Hidden Canyon area.
In 2022 Treadstone is 2.1 miles long with an elevation gain of 350 feet.
Treadstone offers both new loop ride options and an extension or variation of pre-existing loops. The riding season is March through December, weather permitting. The riding is suitable for intermediates, but will be satisfying cranking for hammerheads.
Treadstone offers both new loop ride options and an extension or variation of pre-existing loops. The riding season is March through December, weather permitting. The riding is suitable for intermediates, but will be satisfying cranking for hammerheads.
The famous Prayer Flags of Eagle Mountain are at the Treadstone Trail's highest point. On a Saturday morning, you'll find plenty of local bikers hitting this trail system.
Climbing along the parched south-facing hillside shortly after leaving Deadwood.
The tread is narrow hand-cut singletrack, with constant wiggles, dips, and turns. If you're
looking for a fast emergency route back to town, this is NOT it. This
trail goes all over the
place, back and forth. It climbs around, then over, a small hill west
of the parking area,
then descends north on the backside of the hill as Supersonic.
Note that sections of Treadstone are signed with various names (in addition to the main trail name). These include Billy Idol from Treadstone to Deer Tracks, Cougar Tracks up to the hill top, and Prayer Flags for the route on top of the hill before the trail becomes Supersonic at the dirt road).
Treadstone lies at the northwest corner of Eagle Mountain's Race Loop, but isn't actually part
of the loop. It's not directly connected to the
Mountain Ranch Bike Park
trail system. It connects to Nirvana (which is your route to the top of Given to Fly and Backspacer),
and Deer Tracks.
The trail winds back and forth constantly. Bruce is eastbound on the southern side of the hill.
We've turned around the mountain, looking down at the parking area for the Race Loop. Plenty of parking, but bring your own shade and water. Also, a potty if you'll need one.
Many riders going clockwise on the Race Loop trails will fork onto the southern portion of
Treadstone after they finish Deadwood (instead of turning onto dirt road).
After riding 3/4
mile on Treadstone, fork right onto Deer Tracks and drop to the trailhead.
This singletrack
route is only slightly longer than the 3/4 mile of dirt road on the official
race loop. But
it's a lot more fun and scenic.
For riders who are looking for just a few miles, consider starting at the Race Loop trailhead.
Climb Deer Tracks then take Treadstone and Supersonic to its north end
on the Hidden Canyon
road. To get back, you'll climb Cracker Jack south uphill.
Eagle Mountain is a great spot for winter riding. Here Bruce hits Treadstone just south of Creed on December 29th. This spot is part of the trail also carries the name "Supersonic."
Supersonic
Eagle Mountain is a great spot for winter riding. Here Bruce rolls uphill on Supersonic during a winter ride.
The top of Supersonic is the continuation of Treadstone across a gravel service road near the
top of the Prayer Flags hill. Supersonic runs down to the edge of the
subdivision in Hidden
Canyon, where you can connect to Given to Fly, Creed, Brass Monkey, and
the Hickman hill beginner
loops. It rides well in either direction and is a popular route for longer
loop rides.
Length 1.1 miles with 300 vertical feet of climbing when done from Hidden Canyon. Surface easier-intermediate, modest aerobic effort.
Length 1.1 miles with 300 vertical feet of climbing when done from Hidden Canyon. Surface easier-intermediate, modest aerobic effort.
Near its northern end, Supersonic will merge with Cracker Jack for 1/10th mile. In 2022, these
trail forks are not marked for this recent re-route. If descending Supersonic,
keep left as
the trail makes a hard left turn just above a trail fork. (The trail to
the right is Cracker
Jack.) Keep left uphill 1/10th mile later as Cracker Jack descends away.
If southbound from Given to Fly -- climbing Supersonic -- keep straight at the first intersection as Cracker Jack joins from downhill left. Next fork right uphill as Cracker Jack continues straight.
If southbound from Given to Fly -- climbing Supersonic -- keep straight at the first intersection as Cracker Jack joins from downhill left. Next fork right uphill as Cracker Jack continues straight.
Northbound on Supersonic as Cracker Jack splits away on our right.
Nirvana Trail
Little Rocky rests against the flagpole at the top of Nirvana. (The Treadstone trail is just out of sight 10 feet behind my bike.)
Nirvana starts from the highest point of the Treadstone trail and descends to the Pony Express
Parkway over 2.2 miles. The elevation loss will be 320 feet (starting
from 5300 altitude).
Nirvana is also your route to Given to Fly and Backspacer. Although thought
of as a descent,
Nirvana is also a good climbing route.
The trail starts at the "prayer flag pole." In December 2017, the connection isn't obvious. If you don't see a trail fork, just walk your bike over to the opposite side of the flags and find the trail heading south.
The trail starts at the "prayer flag pole." In December 2017, the connection isn't obvious. If you don't see a trail fork, just walk your bike over to the opposite side of the flags and find the trail heading south.
Once you drop off the top of the hill and cross a jeep road, the trail becomes almost pure
dirt. It rode pretty smooth for a brand-new trail. As it heads west, then
north, the trail
stays in the wild stuff above the dry-farm in the valley. I didn't find
anything scary or tricky.
Nirvana is a swoop and whoop type of trail.
NOTE! Nirvana has been interrupted by a fence in November 2022. The trail re-route is still pending. When descending, you'll want to fork to the right on Given To Fly.
NOTE! Nirvana has been interrupted by a fence in November 2022. The trail re-route is still pending. When descending, you'll want to fork to the right on Given To Fly.
Dirt ribbon descends through old burned trees. The homogenous-looking area in the valley is the dry farm.
Climbing Nirvana. At the trail fork on the ridge, we'll head left toward the prayer flags.
There will be a little bit of climbing when the trail turns into a little valley. You'll turn
to the south and climb about 80 vertical feet to a higher level on the
hill before resuming
the northward journey. As you reach Pony Express Parkway, turn right and
connect to Brass Monkey
to continue your ride.
Given to Fly
Given to Fly is two-directional, but you'll like it more as a downhill. As a climber, it's
mellow and easy at first, then reaches a steep area with a couple of rock
drops that will probably
have you pushing your bike. The trail is 1.4 miles with 350 vertical feet
of altitude change.
The steep spots make Given to Fly an upper-intermediate trail, although
most of the trail is
quite easy.
The bottom half of Given to Fly is very smooth and easy to ride, with minimal grade. If you're riding it uphill, things will get substantially more difficult on the second half.
Climbing Given to Fly, with a few homes of Eagle Mountain visible behind me.
As an uphill: The north (bottom) end of Given to Fly forks away from Supersonic at the edge
of the new subdivision. (This area is changing. Stay tuned.) Keep straight
here as Supersonic
turns left uphill, then cross over the Creed connector heading southwest.
As a downhill: You can reach the top of Given to Fly via Nirvana. As you approach the prayer flags at the
top of Treadstone southbound, veer right (west). After 0.2 miles, keep
left as Nirvana forks
up and over the ridge northbound.
At mile 0.5 from the prayer flags, fork to the right uphill and over the ridge northbound to stay on Given to Fly. (Downhill and left is Backspacer.)
At mile 0.5 from the prayer flags, fork to the right uphill and over the ridge northbound to stay on Given to Fly. (Downhill and left is Backspacer.)
Westbound while riding Given to Fly downhill. In 0.2 miles from the trail's origin on the ridgeline, keep right to cross over to the north side of the mountain.
Backspacer
Dropping into the first turn on the downhill as Backspacer begins. The trail fork is at the left edge of the photo. Right-hand fork over the ridge if Given to Fly. Downhill and left is Backspacer.
Backspacer is primarily done as a downhill. But it rides well in either direction. It extends
from Given to Fly (around 1/4 mile from the trail's origin) down to the
bottom of Deadwood.
It crosses Treadstone on the way downhill and has a fork to Crop Duster
at the wash where Backspacer
turns west.
Backspacer is only 0.7 miles long. The vertical drop is around 200 feet. The trail isn't particularly
technical. This is an easy descent. There is one dip through the wash
that beginning riders
will want to walk. Near the bottom of Backspacer is a trail fork for
Crop
Duster
, a popular option.
Rolling into a turn shortly after crossing Treadstone on the way down.
Handlebar view as I drop through the wash near the end of Backspacer.
At the end of Backspacer, you can head south on Deadwood, north and uphill on Treadstone, or
east on the race doubletrack. As a climbing route, Backspacer has slow
and steady altitude
gain, without any particular challenges. It's a great alternative route
if you're at the north
end of Deadwood and want to take the fastest route up to the prayer flags.
Space Dust
When riding east to west, we're looking up at the first turn since leaving OHV route 1.
Space Dust is a short trail that's a fun ride. But it doesn't connect to the other singletracks
in the area. Instead, both ends are found on doubletrack ATV trail. The
length of the singletrack
is 0.4 miles, or 0.6 if you count the DT and connector down to Crop Duster.
There's about 50
vertical feet of overall climbing and the trail is easy-intermediate in
tech requirement.
The western end of Space Dust is a doubletrack extending uphill from OHV route 1 about 1/4
mile east of the junction of Deadwood with the west end of Treadstone.
After climbing uphill
past the end of Backspacer, keep on the doubletrack to mile 0.2 where
the singletrack branches
to your right.
Looking east while on the traversing section of the ride.
Looking down Space Dust at a nicely banked and reinforced turn on a west-to-east ride.
The trail winds along the hillside a bit before descending through a few swooping banked turns
back to OHV route 1.
Cropduster
Cropduster is mentioned here because the downhill (western) portion of it falls within this riding area. It is discussed in detail on the Eastern Eagle Mountain Area page. The downhill end of Cropduster forks away from Backspacer after southbound Backspacer crosses a dirt road. Veer to the left and turn east along the edge of the ravine. Cropduster will give you a gentle but sustained climb to the top of the ridge on Lake Mountain where you can connect to Gunslinger downhill.
Shortly after forking onto Cropduster from Backspacer, we're heading southeast along the ravine.
Riding notes, Treadstone Loop from Pony
Express:
0.0 Intersection Pony Express Pkwy and Hidden Valley Pkwy
East on paved trail (south side of Pony Express)
100 feet, singletrack uphill on the right
N40 21.344 W111 59.483
0.7 Cross DT N40 21.069 W111 59.065
100 feet, then fork R (to Cow Tracks)
N40 21.049 W111 59.032
50 feet, cross DT N40 21.038 W111 59.036
1.0 Keep R for Cow Tracks (L = Ridgeline ST)
N40 20.943 W111 58.911
1.6 R on DT N40 20.597 W111 58.592
100 ft across to far west side
0.0 Intersection Pony Express Pkwy and Hidden Valley Pkwy
East on paved trail (south side of Pony Express)
100 feet, singletrack uphill on the right
N40 21.344 W111 59.483
0.7 Cross DT N40 21.069 W111 59.065
100 feet, then fork R (to Cow Tracks)
N40 21.049 W111 59.032
50 feet, cross DT N40 21.038 W111 59.036
1.0 Keep R for Cow Tracks (L = Ridgeline ST)
N40 20.943 W111 58.911
1.6 R on DT N40 20.597 W111 58.592
100 ft across to far west side
1.6 continued)
R uphill on ST (Deer Tracks)
N40 20.563 W111 58.613
1.8 R on Treadstone
N40 20.486 W111 58.730
4.0 Trail turns N (future ST fork?)
4.2 ST joins dirt road N40 21.001 W111 59.320
4.3 Keep L and join main dirt road
N40 21.053 W111 59.329
4.5 Straight down pavement
4.7 Back at Pony Express
R uphill on ST (Deer Tracks)
N40 20.563 W111 58.613
1.8 R on Treadstone
N40 20.486 W111 58.730
4.0 Trail turns N (future ST fork?)
4.2 ST joins dirt road N40 21.001 W111 59.320
4.3 Keep L and join main dirt road
N40 21.053 W111 59.329
4.5 Straight down pavement
4.7 Back at Pony Express
Map of middle Eagle Mountain area.
Getting there:
Take the I-15 Lehi Main Street exit and turn west. Continue west on SR-73, crossing Redwood Road (11600 West). Continue westbound uphill. Just after climbing the hill, turn left at the stop light onto The Ranches Parkway. At Pony Express Parkway, turn right. The road will veer a bit south (left), then back west (right) as you get one mile from Ranches Parkway. After you pass a large hill on your left, just before Hidden Hollow Elementary, take the next left. (Note: as of 2020, there is no longer primitive parking near the elementary school and construction may block access. See below. You may need to get creative to find a roadside spot.)
Take the I-15 Lehi Main Street exit and turn west. Continue west on SR-73, crossing Redwood Road (11600 West). Continue westbound uphill. Just after climbing the hill, turn left at the stop light onto The Ranches Parkway. At Pony Express Parkway, turn right. The road will veer a bit south (left), then back west (right) as you get one mile from Ranches Parkway. After you pass a large hill on your left, just before Hidden Hollow Elementary, take the next left. (Note: as of 2020, there is no longer primitive parking near the elementary school and construction may block access. See below. You may need to get creative to find a roadside spot.)
Behind the Boathouse (Treadstone) and Hidden Canyon trails: The paved trail eastbound directly along Pony Express will take you to singletrack. Keep right for Treadstone, left uphill for Hidden Canyon.
Creed: Cross the road and go to the sidewalk along the parkway heading west. In 0.25 miles, spot the trail on the hillside to your left and cross the decorative patch of chunk rock to get there.
Race Loop trailhead: After turning off Pony Express Parkway, go uphill to the end of the pavement and
it will become Hidden Canyon road. Stay southbound on the dirt road. Keep generally left and heading southeast at all road
forks, staying just below the slope of the hill on your left. When you
reach the broad valley and see a bunch of competing road forks at mile 1.3
from Pony Express Parkway, you're
there. (Note 2020: ongoing construction may often
make it impossible to get through to the Race Loop trailhead.)
Mountain Ranch trailhead: You can also pedal to the trail from the Mountain Ranch bike park. Instead of turning onto Pony Express, stay Ranches Parkway as it narrows and begins to wind around. When you come to a T intersection at the end of The Ranches Parkway, turn right on Golden Eagle Road. Drive about 1/3 mile and watch for the trail kiosk on your left. Park by the trail kiosk and begin your ride by climbing up the trail heading south.
Riding resources for this trail:
Single-page riding guide
GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."):
Creed track
Nirvana track
Simple Treadstone Loop
Larger loop from Pony Express
Biggest Loop w Race Course, from town
Multi-track GPX area file
High-res area topo map for printing: View topo
Lodging, camping, shops: Links to Provo area resources
Single-page riding guide
GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."):
Creed track
Nirvana track
Simple Treadstone Loop
Larger loop from Pony Express
Biggest Loop w Race Course, from town
Multi-track GPX area file
High-res area topo map for printing: View topo
Lodging, camping, shops: Links to Provo area resources
Bathrooms: None at Hidden Canyon. Porta-Potty at the Mountain Ranch Bike Park.
Water: None.
Camping: No developed or designated campgrounds. Flat spots can be found in the trailhead race-staging area.
Bike services: UtahMountainBiking store in Lehi.
Latest update June 2022
Water: None.
Camping: No developed or designated campgrounds. Flat spots can be found in the trailhead race-staging area.
Bike services: UtahMountainBiking store in Lehi.
Latest update June 2022
