The Rattler Trail opens up some new riding options for the unloved eastern side of Corner Canyon. Rattler has a trail-base that should hold up well in winter. The exposed slopes should pack down or melt off quickly. Rattler is NEVER closed by rain or snow! I foresee this trail becoming a winter-riding favorite.

The combination of lower Corner Canyon , the eastbound Corner Canyon BST , and Rattler forms a set of trails that you can ride any time, regardless of snow or rain conditions. (See the Corner Canyon website for closure information for other trails.)Rattler itself is a little over a mile in length. It runs generally uphill as it heads south into the canyon. The trail-base is broad and smooth. There are only occasional trees to block your view of the valley.

I scoped out a couple of riding options for you. One is a quick loop tour of the trail, crossing the canyon from Coyote Hollow on the BST and returning via Canyon Hollow See the description below. Once you've done this little loop, it will give you ideas about how to fit this trail into your ride plans for Corner Canyon.

The second described ride is specifically for winter months. A combination of the Corner Canyon road, Rattler, and Aqueduct can give you several miles and a good workout when other trails are muddy or buried in snow.

The GPS track files below include a third ride, a 9-mile loop from the Equestrian Center. It uses Corner Canyon , BST , Rattler uphill to Ghost Falls , Canyon Hollow , Rush , and Creekview.

Most of the trail is relatively easy riding with gradual slope and gentle turns. There are frequent views over Corner Canyon below and of the valley to the northwest.

From the BST on the north (downhill) end to Ghost Falls (just uphill from the merging of Rattler with the Ghost Falls trail) is 1.3 miles. From Ghost Falls, you can either head over to the Canyon Hollow trail on the west or continue south uphill on the upper Ghost Falls trail to the trailhead on the Corner Canyon Road.

At one point (just downhill from the trail fork where Rattler splits), the trail clings to the edge of a rock outcrop as it skirts a ravine. It's not tricky, at least not on a dry October day. But the exposed slope will give beginning riders fits. And it will be interesting to see how the shady spot in the ravine rides when covered in snow and ice.

This is a quick loop tour that will introduce you to the trail. It starts from the Coyote Hollow trailhead. Keep northeast and generally downhill in the bottom of the hollow. As you arrive at a confluence of dirt road, find the singletrack heading toward the creek. Cross the bridge and climb the Bonneville Shoreline to Aqueduct, then climb again on the BST. Fork hard right when you reach Rattler. Follow Rattler uphill, then descend to the Ghost Falls trail. (NOTE: for an extra mile, take the fork continuing uphill to Ghost Falls itself. You'll connect to Canyon Hollow further uphill.) Quickly find your way across the creek (left, then right, then right) to descend Canyon Hollow.

This 9-mile loop has 1200 vertical feet of climbing. It starts at the Equestrian parking on Highland and climbs Corner Canyon south to the BST (northbound). It does another 180 onto Rattler and continues to Ghost Falls. Crossing the ravine, it climbs to Canyon Hollow and turns uphill. Fork onto Brocks to the Peak View TH, then descend Rush. Go west uphill on the DT BST to Creekview and descend back to parking.

This ride is on exposed slopes that should melt down or compact well in winter. There are several possible variations that combine Aqueduct, Sadler, Quail, and the BST. The simple route below puts the snowiest spots on the downhill and uses the gravel road for most of the climbing. Start uphill from the parking at the bottom of the Corner Canyon road. Grunt uphill all the way to where Rattler forks away. Descend Rattler to the BST. Fork L downhill. Go L again on Aqueduct. Ride Aqueduct downhill to the CC road. However... If Quail or Sadler looks relatively snow-free and interesting, climb back to the road and head uphill. This time, drop down BST to Rattler and ride a more-difficult loop in the other direction.

In addition to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, two other trails link the Aqueduct Trail to the Corner Canyon road. Both descend to the southwest (going roughly parallel) which makes most riders select one or the other, instead of combining both into one ride. Both trails are sun-exposed and sandy, so there's not much worry about rutting them in the winter.

The Sadler Trail is the first trail you'll encounter when climbing uphill. It's plainly the least-loved of the two trails, as measured by the in-growth of grass. Sadler is 0.2 miles long and forks off the road at 1/2 mile uphill from the parking area.

The Quail Trail (often used as part of the Draper ICup race) drops off the Corner Canyon road at 0.7 miles. It's 0.3 miles in length.Select one trail to ride down and one to go back up. Or not.

Take the Bluffdale exit from I-15 and turn east towards the mountains. Climb the hill as above, but turn right at the light on Traverse Mountain Road. After one mile, turn into Mike Weir Drive on your left. Pass the Mike Weir trailhead 1/2 mile later and continue another half mile until the road veers left downhill. Take the next right turn, turn right again, then left. You should now be on Gray Fox Drive. Take the next right into Coyote Hollow Court. The parking is on the right at the end of the pavement.Drive east on Draper Blvd (123rd South) to 13th East. Turn right down the hill. At the traffic roundabout, to east (90 degrees left) onto Pioneer Road. Go towards the mountains to 20th East, then turn right. After 1/4 mile, turn left into the trailhead parking area and begin riding uphill on the gravel road that was immediately on your right as you entered the parking lot. (GPS N 40° 31.281' W 111° 50.081').Bathrooms: BST trailhead, Equestrian center Water: Equestrian center