Climbing Lonely Mountain, with Cascade Mountain and Timpanogos to the west. Review by Bruce on June 3, 2022.
Climbing Lonely Mountain, with Cascade Mountain and Timpanogos to the west. Review by Bruce on June 3, 2022.
Lonely Mountain and Smaug Loop

Lonely Mountain is a popular trail on the front (western) side of the Coyote system. On the northern end, it climbs from Upper Riverview. On the south end, it ends on Chop'd Coyote. In the center, Lonely Mountain is joined by An Unexpected Journey. There are several excellent loop ride possibilities.

Lonely Mountain is 2.5 miles long, with an elevation gain of 650 feet when done from north to south. The top elevation is just under 6900 feet, for an expected riding season of early May through October.

Lonely Mountain is also your route to the Smaug Loop (discussed on this page), and is your connection to the top of the expert-level downhill Mordor and the double-black DH Skidder 1.

Two air opportunities on Mordor. Hit one or both. There's a big rock drop on the right and a launching lip on the left a bit further downhill.
Two air opportunities on Mordor. Hit one or both. There's a big rock drop on the right and a launching lip on the left a bit further downhill.
Recommended Trailheads
Bruce heads uphill from the UVU trailhead.
Bruce heads uphill from the UVU trailhead.

UVU Trailhead
Most riders get to the Riverview area west-side trails from the UVU Wasatch Campus trailhead. This is found on the far north end of Heber on Highway 40, one mile south of the Highway 32 junction. At the UVU campus entry, turn east (toward the mountain). Go to the uppermost level of parking behind the UVU buildings. Look for the duck-under and kiosk.

Looking down the Riverview Connector toward the trailhead.
Looking down the Riverview Connector toward the trailhead.
Riverview Trailhead
On US-40 north of Heber, turn east on Highway 32 and climb 1.1 miles. When you see the second entry into Riverview on your left, note the gravel parking area on your right. That's your spot. Take the 0.3-mile connector to Upper Riverview.
The Coyote trailhead. Take the singletrack east for connections to Coyote, Lower Riverview, Sheep Pen, and Upper Riverview.
The Coyote trailhead. Take the singletrack east for connections to Coyote, Lower Riverview, Sheep Pen, and Upper Riverview.
South Coyote Trailhead (Construction closure!)
You can get to Lonely Mountain from the Coyote Trailhead in the south. Connect to Middle Earth for the northbound trip. Take Upper Potatoes up to Riverview and go right 1/4 mile to the bottom of Lonely Mountain. Or, get onto Chop'd Coyote to climb to the top of Lonely Mountain.
Getting to Lonely Mountain
Arriving at Upper Riverview on the UVU Connector trail. Left turn here.
Arriving at Upper Riverview on the UVU Connector trail. Left turn here.
UVU Connector and Riverview to Middle Mordor, Lonely Mountain, or Upper Potatoes

Climb 1.6 miles on the UVU/Riverview Connector trail. When you reach Upper Riverview, fork left to head north. After 1.1 miles, Mordor crosses to start the Middle Mordor trail section.

After another 1/3 mile, you'll reach the bottom of Lonely Mountain. Fork right to head uphill to Mordor, or keep left and pedal another quarter mile to reach the top of Upper Potatoes for a descent. The top of Upper Potatoes is 1.7 miles north from the junction of the UVU Connector with Riverview.
View northwest as we traverse the hillside.
View northwest as we traverse the hillside.
Looking back downhill to the Highway 32 trailhead.
Looking back downhill to the Highway 32 trailhead.
Upper Riverview Trailhead to Lonely Mountain

From the Riverview trailhead on Highway 32, pedal uphill on the Riverview trail until you reach the Coyote Loop at mile 0.3 then turn to the right.

At mile 0.4, Sheep Bones forks to the right downhill. If you're headed for the easier trails, descend Sheep Bones for one mile, then continue south on the doubletrack until Lower Potatoes crosses.

At mile 1.6 on Riverview, Upper Potatoes forks to your right on a ridge as the Riverview trail makes a left turn.

Lonely Mountain will be on your left at mile 1.9 from the trailhead. If you're headed for Middle Mordor, it's 1/2 mile further south on the trail at mile 2.4 from the Highway 32 trailhead.

Westbound on Riverview.
Westbound on Riverview.
Lonely Mountain
Arriving at the bottom of Lonely Mountain (to the left) while southbound on the Riverview trail.
Arriving at the bottom of Lonely Mountain (to the left) while southbound on the Riverview trail.

Lonely Mountain joins Upper Riverview to Chop'd Coyote. It is also the access route to ride Mordor, Smaug, or Skidder 1. The trail is two-way.

The bottom of Lonely Mountain begins on the Upper Riverview trail. It's 1.9 miles from the Upper Riverview (Highway 32) trailhead southbound, or 1.4 miles north from the junction of the UVU Connector with Upper Riverview.

The top of Lonely Mountain forks away from Chop'd Coyote at 2.2 miles from Upper Riverview if you're using Chop'd Coyote as your uphill. When descending Chop'd Coyote from the Coyote Loop at the top of the mountain, it's 2.7 miles from Coyote to the Lonely Mountain fork.

Climbing north past outcrops of granite.
Climbing north past outcrops of granite.
There will be frequent views, as very little of the trail is shaded. Here we're looking west at Timpanogos. The climbing is fairly steady but gentle, until you hit a turn. The turns feel very much as though they're intended for DH.
There will be frequent views, as very little of the trail is shaded. Here we're looking west at Timpanogos. The climbing is fairly steady but gentle, until you hit a turn. The turns feel very much as though they're intended for DH.
The Lonely Mountain trail is 2.5 miles long with 650 feet of elevation change. The top at Chop'd Coyote is around 6900 feet elevation, which means the trail should be ready to ride around mid-May in most years.
The trail is suitable for strong intermediates. As mentioned, the trail seems to be cut as a downhill flow trail. Most experienced riders will be able to power up and around the turns without much difficulty, but beginners and less-strong intermediates won't find this ride fun.
Typical turn on Lonely Mountain, as seen in the downhill direction. Everything about this trail screams "downhill."
Typical turn on Lonely Mountain, as seen in the downhill direction. Everything about this trail screams "downhill."
Looking across Heber Valley toward Provo Canyon from Lonely Mountain.
Looking across Heber Valley toward Provo Canyon from Lonely Mountain.
At mile 1.2 from the bottom of Lonely Mountain -- or 1.3 miles from the upper end on Chop'd Coyote, Mordor has two entries on your right. The choices -- a steep series of spooky drops on the right versus one monster hip-high drop for the left path -- should tell you that intermediates have no business on Mordor.
The Smaug Loop forks away from Lonely Mountain at 1.4 miles from the uphill end, 1.1 miles from the bottom. Smaug is a very easy ride. It's worth a quick trip around the loop, with Smaug rejoining Lonely Mountain just 100 feet from where you entered.
There's a series of turns above the Mordor trail fork, and a long traverse over to Chop'd Coyote. We're looking south as the trail heads to Chop'd Coyote.
There's a series of turns above the Mordor trail fork, and a long traverse over to Chop'd Coyote. We're looking south as the trail heads to Chop'd Coyote.
A rare spot of shade among taller trees as we approach Chop'd Coyote.
A rare spot of shade among taller trees as we approach Chop'd Coyote.
The Lonely Mountain trail opens up several loop ride opportunities, both short and long. For intermediate riders, I'd suggest you get to Upper Riverview then climb Chop'd Coyote half-way, then descend Lonely Mountain and Upper/Lower Potatoes.
Smaug
The trail forks to the Smaug Loop are on a flat ridge area around the middle of the Lonely Mountain trail, just downhill from the fork to Mordor.
The trail forks to the Smaug Loop are on a flat ridge area around the middle of the Lonely Mountain trail, just downhill from the fork to Mordor.
Smaug is a short loop ride located around the middle of the upper Lonely Mountain trail, just downhill from the top of Mordor. The beginning and end of the loop are only about 100 feet apart. The trail is very easy and quick to ride.

At the far end of the loop, the high-expert Skidder 1 trail forks away.

Smaug is 0.4 miles in length. It can be done either direction and is gently uphill as you ride away from Lonely Mountain. A counterclockwise ride puts the banked turns of the southern side of the loop on the downhill.

The trail is a dirt bench-cut in an area of sage and oak brush. There's only about 50 feet of elevation gain as you pedal away from Lonely Mountain.

Handlebar view on the Smaug loop.
Handlebar view on the Smaug loop.

A climb up Lonely Mountain to Smaug!

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Map of Lonely Mountain area
Map of Lonely Mountain area
Getting there!

UVU Wasatch Campus trailhead:  One mile south of the junction of Highway 40 and 32, turn east (toward the mountain) at the UVU campus. Northbound from Utah County, the UVU campus is a couple of miles north of Heber's business area. Go to the uppermost level of parking behind the UVU buildings and look for the step-over and kiosk. The singletrack UVU Connector trail climbs to Lower Riverview at mile 0.2 and Middle Earth at mile 0.7, then continues to the Riverview Trail at mile 1.6.

Coyote Lane trailhead: On US-40 just north of Heber, turn east on Coyote Lane. Just after the road crosses a canal, turn left into the parking lot. The singletrack starts at the northeast corner at the step-over, where you'll also find a repair stand and a kiosk with a trail map. The Coyote singletrack takes you uphill, where you can connect to Riverview after climbing 2.1 miles. You can also connect northbound via the Riverview Doubletrack and Lower Riverview trail or the Sheep Pen and Middle Earth trails. (NOTE:  There is subdivision construction in the Coyote Lane area in 2022, which may affect your access plans. The trails below the Riverview Doubletrack are closed at this time.)

Upper Riverview Trailhead:
From Salt Lake, take I-80 eastbound to Silver Creek Junction (just past Park City). Go south on US-40, past the Jordanelle reservoir and descend past the dam. At the traffic light at mile 14.2 from I-80, turn left on 32 and climb 1.1 miles. When you see the second entry into the Riverview subdivision on your left, note the gravel parking area on your right. That's your spot.
From Utah County, drive up Provo Canyon to Heber. At the traffic light on US-189/US-40, turn left and drive north through Heber. 4.7 miles from the intersection, turn right on Highway 32 and climb 1.1 miles to the parking area as above.

Canal DT trailhead:
Just uphill from the light on highway 32, watch for the canal crossing. Park along the road. Start riding south on the doubletrack just uphill from the canal.

Cutthroat (Highway 32) Trailhead:
Drive up Highway 32 four miles. Look for a gravel road on the right side N40 35.430 W111 23.389. You can park along the road and clamber over the fence near the (locked) gate. Ride uphill on doubletrack and find the singletrack on your left about 100 yards uphill. You'll reach the fork that starts the Coyote Loop 1/2 mile from the highway.

Riding resources:
GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."):
     Multi-track GPX area master file
Lodging, camping, shops:   Links to area resources
Trail pages:
     Coyote Loop
     Riverview Trail page
     Chop'd Coyote page
     Lower Riverview page
       Wile E Canyon page
Bathrooms: No public restrooms nearby.
Water: Gas stations in Heber, campgrounds.
Camping: Hailstone campground at Jordanelle on US-40, about 6 miles away.
Bike services: Slim and Knobby's bike shop, Heber