Rolling trail through oak brush in the Farmington foothills, heading north. Photos and trail review by Bruce on June 1, 2021.
The Farm trail system at Farmington
This small trail system is located on Farmington City land in the foothills at the mouth of
Farmington Canyon. It's designed to be done as clockwise loops, with two
climbing options and
five downhill trails varying from "skilled beginner" to full-expert. These
are fun trails for
a quick ride.
There's actually less than 5 miles of total trail here, including connectors. Each loop around
the trail system will be just under 1.5 miles. But to ride all the downhill
options, you're
going to do 5 laps, putting your miles at around 8 and your vertical feet
of climbing about
1200. That's not counting your "scouting runs" which I highly recommend
for first-timers.
Looking southwest during the last bit of climbing on Rise Up.
View from the lower parking lot connector trail as we reach The Farm.
At the bottom, all the loops go through a single point just above the crosswalk over Farmington
Canyon Road. The roll-over on the uphill side of the road serves as the
main entry to the trail
system. Turn left after climbing over the roll-over to get on Rise Up
for your first lap.
At this time (June 2021) trail markings are temporary, showing only trail difficulty. You'll
need to refer to a map or Trailforks to figure out where you are. See
below for driving directions
and alternate trailheads.
At the top, the two climbing routes join into a single trail before the rollover which marks
the division between climbing and descending trails. (The trail forking
uphill just before
the roll-over goes up to the Firebreak Road. Ignore it unless you parked
along the gravel road
above the trail system and are headed back to your car.)
At the rollover on Rise Up, the first trail to the right is to Rusty Rotor, which loops around
to the middle of Lowe Gear. Just a few feet past the roll-over is the
right turn to the easy
trail Kings Flow. The harder downhill options are reached by keeping to
the left on the intermediate-level
Dirt Coaster trail.
The roll-over at the top. It's all downhill from here!
Looking northeast just after the 2nd turn of Rise Up.
Rise Up climbing trail
Both climbing routes start on Rise Up. It begins with a left turn after the roll-over entry
on Farmington Canyon Road. Rise Up climbs 200 vertical feet over 0.7 miles,
ending at the roll-over
that marks the start of the downhill routes.The steeper climbing route
Lowe Gear forks off Rise Up at the second turn and rejoins at the
top.
Rise Up is an easy trail, suitable for experienced beginners. But I don't recommend this system
for true beginners nor for young children. To do even the easiest loop
in The Farm, beginning
riders should already have enough strength and skill to handle the uphill
turns and the downhill
rollers.
Climbing parallel to the Farmington Canyon Road heading northeast.
Approaching a turn on Rise Up. They take a little bit more leg and are tighter than most beginners would like.
The first trail fork comes at 0.1 miles. Turn hard left (straight ahead takes you onto Lowe
Gear). The next fork also comes in the middle of a turn at mile 0.5. Turn
hard right (straight
ahead takes you to the Firebreak Road parking area).
Just before the roll-over at the top, Lowe Gear rejoins on your right. Ignore the trail forking
uphill here! It goes up to the Firebreak Road, whereas all the trails
you want are located
across that roll-over.
Looking west over Farmington from Rise Up.
The entry to Lowe Gear from Rise Up.
Lowe Gear climbing trail
Lowe Gear is significantly steeper than Rise Up, with more-difficult turns during the climb.
It's for solid intermediates or better. You'll be doing the same 200 vertical
feet of climbing,
but over 0.5 miles rather than 0.7 miles.
Start the climb by pedaling 0.1 miles on Rise Up. As Rise Up turns 180 degrees left, keep straight
to enter Lowe Gear. Grunt up 0.4 miles of Lowe Gear then keep right (straight)
to join Rise
Up just before you cross the roll-over. (Again, don't go up the trail
that forks left uphill.
It goes to the Firebreak Road.)
Lagoon and the Farmington Pond are seen from Lowe Gear as we approach a tight and steepish turn.
A look at Kings Flow from just above it on Dirt Coaster.
Kings Flow and Rusty Rotor
easier downhill trails
Kings Flow is the easiest descending route, running from the roll-over at the top down to the
roll-over at the bottom. It's 0.6 miles with 200 vertical feet of descent.
Rusty Rotor is a
shorter route that starts near the beginning of Kings Flow and runs around the reservoir to
tie back to the middle of the Lowe Gear climbing trail. It's 0.4 miles long with 120 feet of
descent.
Neither trail is a perfect option for true beginners. There are frequent rollers that require
standing on the pedals. If your friend or child isn't able to get off
their bike seat, they
may not enjoy the trip.
Fun gentle rollers. But you can't keep your butt planted on the bike seat and ride them safely.
Typical banked turn on Kings Flow.
Turns have high banks that invite some speed. The downside is that timid riders will drop into
the churn and sand at the bottom of the turn and may fishtail out of control.
The banked turns
and bumps are why I recommend even these easier trails only for "experienced
beginners."
The only trail fork on Kings Flow comes at 0.4 miles downhill. As you approach a tight banked
turn to the right, you'll see a second trail that begins on the edge of
the berm and goes straight.
This is Hay Day, an intermediate-level trail.
Kings Flow joins the Collector trail at the bottom, just before the roll-over at the crosswalk.
Nice views and fun riding. We're about half-way down Kings Flow now.
Entry to Dirt Coaster from Kings Flow.
Dirt Coaster intermediate downhill trail
This route will be 0.8 miles. Dirt Coaster itself is 0.6 miles long. It descends at around
the same rate as the easier Kings Flow, then adds a short return on the
Collector trail. Again
your total descent will be 200 vertical feet.
At the top, Dirt Coaster forks uphill (straight and left) off Kings Flow about 50 feet after
the rollover. Compared to Kings Flow, Dirt Coaster has bigger bumps and
tighter turns. There
are some "plunge-downs" and "rocket-back-ups" that require at least intermediate
skills.
Much of Dirt Coaster is fairly tame, but some individual stunts simply require more experience.
A plunge followed by a flight up onto a table.
Dirt Coaster also has lips at the top of some bumps that invite you to jump. If you want to
keep your wheels on the ground you'll need to keep your speed controlled
to avoid spontaneous
flight.
0.6 miles down Dirt Coaster, it ends on Collector. If you keep straight and right, it will
be 0.2 miles to the entry crosswalk.
Heading back for another go, as we join Collector.
Here's the entry to Hay Day. Just keep left as Kings Flow veers around this banked turn.
Hay Day intermediate downhill trail
Hay Day is a short intermediate trail that runs 0.3 miles between the middle of Kings Flow
and the Collector trail at the bottom.
This descending route is 0.9 miles. To reach Hay Day, roll 0.4 miles down Kings Flow, then
keep left (up and over the berm) as Kings Flow makes a banked turn downhill
to the right. See
the photo above.
As an intermediate route, Hay Day has steeper and tighter turns. Looking south here.
A nice ramp and jump on Hay Day, as seen from Dirt Coaster just below it.
As an intermediate trail, Hay Day has lips on the bumps that invite jumping. Turns are tighter,
and there are some plunges.
After 0.3 miles, Hay Day ends on the Collector trail. Turn right and go 0.2 miles to the crosswalk
entry.
Rolling northeast down toward the Collector trail.
This is the entry to Fly N Low. That's Dirt Coaster continuing straight on the far right.
Fly N Low expert downhill trail
Fly N Low is only 0.2 miles long. It's reached via Dirt Coaster. This descending route is 0.8
miles. There will be 0.4 miles of Dirt Coaster to start, Fly N Low, then
0.2 miles of Collector
to finish up.
Go to the top to Kings Flow then immediately keep left on Dirt Coaster and descend 0.4 miles.
Keep to the left and enter the banked left turn where Dirt Coaster keeps
straight. After the
quick 0.2 miles on Fly N Low, keep right as it touches the Collector trail
and climb 50 yards
to join Collector right at the bottom of Dirt Coaster. Go 0.2 on Collector
back to the entry
crosswalk.
As an expert trail, Fly N Low has even steeper and tighter turns, plus steeper plunges and trickier jumps.
The entry to Powerline from Dirt Coaster. We're looking south.
Powerline high-expert downhill trail
Powerline is 0.5 miles long. The trail is a double-black with some serious plunges and opportunities
for big air. Many of the bumps require a "double" jump if hit with speed,
so it's not a trail
for an oblivious intermediate.
This route is 0.8 miles. Go 0.1 miles on Dirt Coaster, then keep left for the entry to Powerline.
At first, it will seem relatively tame. Rollers, table-tops, the occasional
easy double that
you can just slow down and roll.
On upper Powerline, here's a tabletop jump followed by a quick turn.
Looking down Powerline (left) as it bumps shoulders with Dirt Coaster (right). There are several spots where trails come very close together. Avoid crossing over! This messes things up and confuses other riders.
So are we having fun yet?
If you thought you'd sneak through this trail while riding like an old man, your rude awakening
will come as the trail passes under the powerline and turns to the left
toward a ravine. As
your front tire nears the edge, you'll see nothing but air. Lots of air.
It's 25 feet to the bottom. And the first 10 feet are practically a cliff. A slippery dusty
cliff. There's no hike-around. And the face is way too steep to walk or
crawl or slither down.
So if, like me, you already stopped to take a look over the edge, walk the bike back up the
trail a ways. I needed time and velocity to get my feet situated -- and
my body and brain comfortable
-- as I approached the lip.
There's nothing to do but drop it. The compression at the bottom sure got my attention.
If you made it this far, you'll do fine for the rest of the trail.
Looking back at the plunge after zooming up the other side.
Almost done. Fun stuff here!
After 0.5 miles from Dirt Coaster, Powerline merges with Fly N Low. Roll 1/10th mile on Fly
N Low to join the Collector trail for a return to the crosswalk.
Creek Trailhead parking.
Farmington Creek trailhead (main parking)
I would consider this parking lot as "overflow" for weekends.
As Farmington Canyon Road begins to climb, turn left at the
"parking" sign onto Farmington Pond Road, then in 100 yards
proceed straight into the cindered parking area as the main road veers
left. Find the paved trail east (uphill) of parking, near the parking lot
entry. Quickly do a 180 onto the singletrack and climb 0.2 miles up the
trail. (If you arrive at a bridge over a creek, you took the wrong trail!)
The trail delivers you to the
crosswalk at Farmington Canyon Road. The entry to the trail system is on
the other side.
Canyon entry parking.
Canyon Entry parking
This is the most popular parking area. But you'll be competing with ATV
and motorcycle unloading, so it will fill quickly on weekends. Stay on
Farmington Canyon Road instead of turning left to the Farmington Pond Road. When you see a
crosswalk and "bicycle" signs, you're there. Find a parking spot
on the left side of the road, then descend back to the crosswalk to enter
the trail system on the uphill side of the road.
Firebreak road parking.
Firebreak Road parking
This cindered parking spot is on the valley side of the Farmington
Firebreak dirt road, just off the paved Farmington Canyon road. It's
around 1/3 mile uphill from the roadside parking at the canyon entry. As
you drive up the road, turn right at the first gravel road you see, and
the parking area is just uphill. Toward the downhill side of the parking area, find
the singletrack trail and go 0.1 miles to join Rise Up. Keep straight and
uphill. It will be 0.3 miles on Rise Up to reach the roll-over that marks
the start of the downhill options.
Entry along the canyon road below the main trail complex.
Collector trail parking
As Farmington Canyon Road (100 East) starts to climb, there's a small
gravel area on the right side of the road (mile 0.8 from State Street). This small parking area has
room for 3 or 4 cars. Don't block the gate! There's a rollover on the
up-canyon side of parking. This trail is Collector. Keep left at any trail
forks, and it will climb up to the crosswalk entry (and the uphill trails)
in 0.3 miles.
Map of The Farm.
Getting there:Exit I-15 at the Farmington (Lagoon) exit. This will become 200 West in
Farmington, heading northbound for 0.8 miles from the freeway. At State
Street, turn right. Drive 0.25 miles east toward the mountains. After the
Main Street stop light take the next left turn. This road will become 100
East. Drive 0.9 miles north on 100 East and it will become Farmington
Canyon Road, also known as Skyline Drive. At the fork, either turn left
toward Farmington Pond for the large main parking area, or continue on
Farmington Canyon Road another 0.2 miles and park on the left side of the
road just after you pass the "bicycle" signs and the crosswalk.
See above for more info on alternate trailheads.
There are no bathrooms or water at the trailheads.
