Forest Lake Loop
This is a scenic 9.1 mile loop with 1400 vertical feet of climbing, located in the North Fork of American Fork Canyon. Because of a tricky technical descent to Forest Lake and Shaffer Fork, this ride rates an advanced technical. There's 4 miles of gravel road, 3 miles of singletrack, and 2 miles of technical doubletrack. The ride begins at Dutchman Flat, 4 miles up the North Fork Road from Tibble Fork. For a longer ride, you can start from the Tibble Fork parking area, for a 17-mile lariat-shaped ride.
After the Mineral Basin fork, the road becomes steeper as you climb to Pole Line Pass. Find Ridge Trail 157 near the west side of the clearing on your right as you reach the summit. (The trail will be straight, level, and slightly downhill. If you immediately start uphill, you're not on the trail.) You'll follow 157 for 2.3 miles to the Forest Lake fork.
The Forest Lake Trail plunges steeply, 500 vertical feet in 0.6 mile (approaching a 20% grade). Get your butt back of the seat, keep the handlebars light. At Forest Lake, keep right onto dirt road, which rapidly becomes an unbelievable undulating rockpile. Whoop-de-do the sidewalls, or surf right down the middle. It's a lot of fun, but it will beat you up. You'll drop another 900 vertical in 2 miles. Fast reactions and confident route-picking will get you through the boulders. After crossing the river, turn right uphill and pedal back to parking.

Forest Lake Loop, From Dutchman Flat
0.0   Begin riding uphill on gravel road
N 40° 31.626 W 111° 36.205
0.7   Fork R uphill as road splits
4.0   Pole Line Pass. Find ST on right.
(If you go immediately uphill: wrong way!)
N 40° 31.901 W 111° 34.243

4.6   Fork R        N 40° 31.404 W 111° 34.249
6.3   Fork R downhill to Forest Lake
N 40° 30.347 W 111° 34.861
6.8   Pass Lake, keep R on DT
8.7   Cross river, go R uphill on road
N 40° 31.364 W 111° 36.506
9.1   Back at parking

Getting there: From I-15, take the Alpine-Highland exit just south of Point-of-the-Mountain. Go east towards the mountains on UT-92 and continue up American Fork Canyon. There's a $6 fee (as of 2009). About 6 miles up the canyon, turn left at the North Fork junction and drive 2 miles to Tibble Fork Reservoir. Drive straight past the outhouse onto the gravel road that goes up along the river. Drive 4 miles uphill to Dutchman Flat. Find the parking area with a wooden fence on your left. Start the ride heading uphill.

Copyright 2006 Mad Scientist Software Inc. Trail conditions change. Use this trail guide at your own risk.