Looking northeast from the trail, Mt Timpanogos towers over the valley.Orem Bench to Great Western, plus Orem Bonneville Shoreline Trail
This trail is low altitude, offering rides just about anytime -- a determined biker can usually find a dry day during the January thaw to ride here. The loop trail is a combination of easy double-track (Orem High Bench Road), gnarly single-track (Great Western Trail), and paved recreation path (Provo River Parkway). Most riders start from the Orem trailhead, because this section of the Great Western can be a challenging uphill. Starting altitude is 4900 feet. Vertical climb is 600 feet, distance (loop) is 10.5 miles. Out-and-back on the dirt portion is 9.2 miles.
West-to-East GWT to Orem Bench: Riding uphill from Canyon Glen, take the first right turn to switch back. Arriving at the pipe, go east 20 feet past it and find the trail that heads uphill to the west. Immediately on top of the ridge, take the left fork in the trail (the right fork dead-ends in the shallow valley on the other side of the ridge). When you reach double-track, turn right, then turn left onto the Bench Road when you reach the second gate.
East-to-West Orem Bench: Riding from Orem, ride the road until you arrive at a steel gate. Turn right downhill, where you'll encounter a second steel gate. Immediately past the gate, the Great Western Trail (singletrack) forks off to the left. Follow it down to the pipeline. Turn right onto the pipeline, then 30 feet later, drop down the singletrack that forks off on the left.
Orem Bonneville Shoreline: From the trailhead (see below) on the Orem Bench, ride north. At the water tank at mile 0.6, ride straight across the broad "turn-around" area to continue. At mile 1.2, the trail dumps onto doubletrack. Keep right, then climb towards the Dry Canyon mouth, where you'll see a line of rocks surrounding a parking area at mile 1.8. (There's a trail up Dry Canyon, but it's foot only -- you'll see the "stairs" heading up the rock face.) From here, you can play on the dirt roads, drop into Lindon, or head back.
Orem Bench Trail Map

Getting there: Orem Bench: Exit I-15 on Orem's 800 North and drive straight towards the mountains. At 800 East, turn left and drive north about 1 mile. Immediately past the cemetery, turn right (east) on Cascade Drive just before the Y in the road and drive 1/2 mile to the dirt road that climbs above (to the left of) the water treatment plant. Start biking up the road.
To ride the Bonneville Shoreline from this trailhead, turn left on pavement just before the treatment plant, go up 2 short switchbacks, and park just above the small brown building in the paved parking area. The trail begins on the north at GPS N 40° 19.514'  W 111° 40.213'.

Canyon Glen: Exit I-15 on Orem's 800 North and drive straight towards the mountains. Keep left to enter Provo Canyon. About 3 miles later, you'll see the parking area for Canyon Glen on your left. Go across the bridge to the Parkway. Turn right, and find the GWT on your left about 100 feet later.
Canyon Mouth: There's a parking area on Orem's 800 North Street just before you enter Provo canyon. It's just east of the gas station. GPS N 40° 18.840'  W 111° 39.472'. To get to the parkway, go east over the river and through the fence. To backtrack to the Orem Bench trailhead, head back west (away from the mountains) to 800 East, then go to the Orem Trailhead as above.

Copyright 2002 Mad Scientist Software Inc
Trail conditions change, and the layout of a trail may change without notice. Use this trail guide at your own risk.