Holly's Trail in The Canyons area of Park City

View on the downhill as Holly's contours along the hillside. Original trail review 2010, updated by Bruce on July 1, 2016 with new photos, new track and additional connections.

Holly's Trail

Holly's Trail goes from the base of The Canyons resort at Park City to the Mid Mountain Trail . It's 4.1 miles long, rising from 6900 to 8200 feet in elevation. Some up-and-down riding brings the total climbing from base to Mid Mountain to 1500 vertical feet. It's suitable for experienced beginners if they're strong and conditioned.

The trail serves as a climbing route to the Mid Mountain trail, or as access to the Red Canyon Lodge and the Alpine Lake trails of the upper The Canyons resort. You'll find it used as a hiking route uphill and down. It's also a good descending route for mixed-ability groups or for locals with dogs.

The lower trail makes a few passes on the ski slope above the lifts to gain altitude. The trail beneath the gondola is Ricochet, a downhill-only route.

As we leave the ski runs, this sign welcomes us to cool shady forest. Alpine Lake is a trail in the upper The Canyons' Bike Park, reached from the top of Holly's via Mid Mountain.

The trail is generally smooth and generous in width, suitable for experienced beginners with good legs. There are no technical features or steep pitches. But it's a taxing climb if you hammer uphill without a break.

Almost all of the ride clings to the north-facing slope of the canyon, so it tends to stay cool longer on summer mornings.

There will be an occasional view up the canyon, or of the valley when descending.

The trail breaks out onto low scrub, offering a view to the west uphill.

This is fairly typical of much of Holly's: mixed aspen and fir.

The trail is 90% deep shaded forest. It's a mix of aspen and fir. There will be occasional areas of maple and oak where the hillside turns to catch more sun.

Navigation has two spots that may confuse you. One is simply finding the trail through the mass of buildings at The Canyons' base. If you found the parking lot, just head north through the upper commercial area, pass the gondola, and drop downhill then left on doubletrack. Follow this golf-cart track uphill until you see the singletrack forking left uphill in about 0.2 mile.

Looking east downhill. The south wind has blown in some smoke from distant forest fires.

Elderberry, willow, and choke cherry fill a space between tall aspens.

The second confusing spot is at the mid-way lodge. When, mile 2.5 will drop you onto a gravel road with an immediate fork in the road. When you reach the fork in the road DON'T GO UPHILL. Turn hard to the left and drop downhill on the doubletrack. Now veer right and climb above the building. Keep straight here and continue until it looks like singletrack again, going downhill towards the creek. THREE one-way trails will join on your right.

When you reach the creek, keep straight as Ricochet (one-way downhill) forks away on your left. Begin climbing again.

In the downhill direction, here's your navigation: from the creek, keep straight and aim for the uphill side of the lodge. Drop downward on doubletrack, keeping straight as it goes uphill again. When you reach the DT fork, turn right downhill, then immediately veer left on the singletrack.

We're above the confusing trail junctions and climbing for real. In the little clearing on the right, you can see a piece of Ricochet, which comes close to Holly's at several spots.

Wow. If you're headed downhill, you now have your choice of four routes. They become more techy right to left.

The section after the creek crossing has the most sustained pitches of the climb, gaining 550 vertical feet in 1.2 miles. Here Holly's takes you from the bottom of the DH trails to their top. At mile 3.8, you reach the entry to Double Down, Insurgent, and Ricochet .

If your object was to reach one of these trails, you're there. You can use Holly's as your "shuttle" to do laps on all three of the DH trails. But fair warning: it will kill your climbing legs. It's 1700 vertical just to hit each trail one time. When you're done, Ricochet will take you back to the resort base.

Holly's continues on uphill on an old bench-cut. The pitch is gentle and the trail is straight. But now you'll be encountering the gravity crowd descending toward the DH trails. (Let the 20-somethings with their body armor and full-face helmets sneer at your lycra and weenie XC bike. If you climbed to this point, you're the tougher rider!) The trail ends on gravel road at the ridgeline. Go right (away from the lodge and lift). Pass Drop Kick to your left. Now you're at Mid Mountain Left (south) on Mid Mountain takes you to Red Pine and Alpine Lake.

Riding the last bit of Holly's up to Mid Mountain.

Colorado columbine, a frequent wildflower along the trail.

Turning north (right) on Mid Mountain gives you some nice loop or lariat ride options:
Redcoat and Ricochet -- Drop off Mid Mountain at Redcoat, joining Insurgent. When Insurgent ends on Holly's, head to the creek then turn left downhill on Ricochet
Ambush lariat -- Take Mid Mountain to Robs, then turn onto Ambush. When Ambush rejoins Holly's, continue down to the base.
Robs and Rosebuds -- A favorite of mine, featured below. From Mid Mountain, descend Robs (almost to the trailhead) then fork onto Rosebud's Heaven. Rosebud will take you around the south side of the mountain back to The Canyons' base.

Bottom Line!
Holly's is a great trail for climbing or descending. It's a good uphill route to Mid Mountain , offering some nice loop rides. It's also a non-technical downhill route for those who wish to stay out of the way of lift-served adrenaline-soaked DH riders.

Looking east near the top.

Riding notes, Holly's - Rob's - Rosebud's Loop:
0.0   North from gondola, down and left
        N40 41.182 W111 33.413
0.2   L uphill on Holly's
        N40 41.222 W111 33.579
0.9   Cross DT to ST N40 41.183 W111 33.902
1.6   Cross DT to ST N40 41.280 W111 34.541
1.7   Keep L (R = to Rosebud's Heaven)
        N40 41.327 W111 34.498
2.0   Hard L uphill (R = Ambush)
        N40 41.481 W111 34.574
2.5   Join DT uphill N40 41.259 W111 34.822
        Rapid L toward lodge
        Climb uphill of lodge N40 41.226 W111 34.762
        Straight and downhill
        (Insurgent, DDown, Ricochet join on R)
2.6   Cross creek, keep L (R = Ricochet DH)
        N40 41.203 W111 34.693
3.8   Keep straight past DH-trails entry
        N40 41.022 W111 34.989

4.1   Ridge, R on DT N40 40.957 W111 34.690
        Pass Drop Kick N40 40.953 W111 34.726
4.2   R (north) on Mid Mountain
        N40 40.950 W111 34.752
5.2   Keep L on MM (R = Redcoat)
        N40 41.177 W111 35.692
6.0   Keep R on MM (L = Crest Connector)
        N40 41.503 W111 35.152
7.1   R downhill on Robs (L = Hunter)
        N40 41.733 W111 35.343
7.5   Keep L on Robs (R = Ambush)
        N40 41.854 W111 35.045
8.8   R on Rosebud's Heaven
        N40 41.814 W111 33.717
10.0 Keep L (R = Ambush uphill)
        N40 41.354 W111 33.853
10.2 L downhill on DT
        N40 41.323 W111 33.896
10.5 Straight (R = Holly's)
10.7 Back at base

Getting there:
Exit I-80 on 224 southbound toward Park City. Pass Bear Hollow drive, then turn R into The Canyons at mile 2.8 from the freeway. Follow the main resort drive uphill. Go straight at the roundabout. As the road splits in front of the big hotel, veer left (south). Now turn R uphill just past the big buildings. Look for a gravel parking area on your right, just before the road turns north again. Park here. Exit the far end of the parking lot to a paved path that goes north between commercial buildings. Keep going until you pass the gondola. Ignore the smaller trails crossing the lawn (those are downhill routes). Drop slightly to the left onto a broad path in the canyon bottom and begin going uphill to reach Holly's and Rosebud's Heaven.