Wolverine Ridge Loop

Looking north over Lily Lake, the lilies are blooming. Photos August 6, 2003 by Bruce.

Wolverine Ridge Loop (Lily Lake)

Wolverine Ridge is an ATV trail system on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains, near the Bear River. The system offers quick and easy loop rides, plus the brutal and long Wolverine Loop. Base altitude is 8400, peak 9500. The Wolverine Loop is 16 miles and requires 2000 vertical feet of climbing, with some advanced-tech sections. For an easy, pretty family ride, try the 2.3-mile dirt road to Lily Lake.

Some of the trail system is broad-track dirt road; most is ATV-width trail. Most of the ATV trails are fairly smooth and suitable for beginning riders. The exception is the Wolverine Trail, which has rough advanced-technical sections and a brutal 500-vertical in 1/2 mile climb.

View down a typical buff trail section, as the track winds through aspen and lodgepole pine.

View from the bridge as we cross the Bear River.

Don't plan on spectacular Uinta Mountain views. Except for the look at Lily Lake, and one brief spot on the Deadman Trail, you're constantly riding in dense forest. This means there are NO landmarks to orient yourself. Getting lost is easy. Take your bike odometer, a map, a compass, and ideally a GPS unit.

The annual Wolverine Ridge XC mountain bike race is held here, so our Race Loop ride description follows the 2003 course. (Care to do TWO laps, anyone?) You may want to experiment with other routes. For example, a nice short loop for intermediate riders is up Sage Draw, then onto the Lily Lake Road, then onto the Deadman Trail and returning via East Fork and back to parking (8 miles, around 600 vertical of climbing).

In this damp section of the Upper Wolverine trail, planking creates a nice cruise through the pines.

About a mile of the trail is in an area recently burned.

The air here is fairly cool, even in mid-summer. But at 9000 feet, biking will seem like a bit of work. Despite the absence of vista-type views, it's a pretty ride. Trees are mostly lodgepole pine and aspen. Wildflowers include lupine, penstemmon, and paintbrush.

Family Ride, Lily Lake Road:
0.0 Lily Lake Road, eastbound from U-150
        N 40° 53.958' W 110° 49.697' alt=8600
0.5   Pass Bearclaw Trail (on L) by log fence
        N 40° 53.701' W 110° 49.309' alt=8700
1.2   Pass Sage Draw (through fence)
        Keep straight
        Wolverine Trail on R
        N 40° 53.250' W 110° 48.956' alt=8800
1.6   Keep straight (L)
        N 40° 52.976' W 110° 48.793' alt=8810
2.1   Fork R towards lake
2.3   Middle shore of lake   N 40° 52.60' W 110° 48.55'

View south over regrowth in burned area, Deadman Trail.

Riding notes, race loop (single lap):
0.0 Left (east from middle of parking area)
0.4 Return trail joins on R
0.5 R downhill, through gate, cross river
       N 40° 54.505' W 110° 49.427' alt=8400
0.8 Keep straight
1.0 Keep straight
1.5 R up Sage Draw (L=return East Fork)
       N 40° 54.020' W 110° 49.090' alt=8570
1.6 Straight (L)
2.0 Straight (L), R=Bearclaw=finish
       N 40° 53.585' W 110° 48.948' alt=8700
2.5 Through fence, straight across road (L=Lily Lake)
       N 40° 53.250' W 110° 48.956' alt=8810
3.5 Over ridgetop, alt=9200
4.5 Fork L
       N 40° 52.096' W 110° 49.600' alt=8550
4.9 Straight (follow telephone poles)
5.4 L on gravel road
       N 40° 51.421' W 110° 49.291' alt=8800
6.3   Pass 1st DT (one-way)
        L on DT just before cattleguard (BR)
        N 40° 50.802' W 110° 48.883' alt=9090
6.7   Straight (R)
        N 40° 51.120' W 110° 48.870' alt=9450
8.6   Straight (down)

8.8   Straight (R) by weather station
        N 40° 51.895' W 110° 47.908' alt=9120
        Straight (L) as 2 DTs in from R
9.9   Straight (R), Lily Lake on L
        N 40° 52.568' W 110° 48.495' alt=9000
10.0 Hard R on smaller DT (Deadman Trail)
        N 40° 52.685' W 110° 48.462'
10.4 Fork L
        N 40° 52.618' W 110° 48.111' alt=9100
10.6 Keep L
11.1 Hard R, 100 ft, then L
        N 40° 53.061' W 110° 48.297' alt=8820
11.6 Trail rejoins on L
12.1 Straight
13.0 Back at Sage Draw fork (m-1.5), go L
        (R returns directly to parking)
13.6 Fork R on Bearclaw (see mile 2.0 above)
        N 40° 53.585' W 110° 48.948' alt=8700
14.1 R at fence (Lily Lake road on L)
        N 40° 53.701' W 110° 49.309'
14.3 Fork R uphill on Wasatch
        N 40° 53.847' W 110° 49.292'
14.6 Fork L, N 40° 53.857' W 110° 49.028'
14.9 R on Ostler, N 40° 54.130' W 110° 49.191'
15.1 L onto original outgoing trail
        N 40° 54.260' W 110° 49.215'
16.0 Back at parking

Wolverine Ridge area

Getting there: Take I-80 over Parley's, then exit southbound on US-40 just past Park City. Exit US-40 eastbound and drive to Kamas. At the stop sign in Kamas, turn left. Drive north about 1/4 mile then turn right onto the Mirror Lake Highway, U-150. Drive over the Bald Mountain Summit. 49 miles from Kamas, cross the Bear River, then turn left into the Bear River Lodge. (Buy a Gatorade.) Backtrack the way you came 0.15 miles to the second gravel road on the left, where the sign says "Scout Camp" and "Self-serve Passes." Just 100 feet up the road, stop and pay your $3 fee, then turn right into the large parking area, N 40° 54.78' W 110° 49.60'. There are 3 routes out of the parking lot, all of which reconnect in about 1/2 mile. Our mileage assumes you parked in the middle of the lot and took the middle trail outbound.

Riding resources for this trail:
Single-page riding guide
GPS track files and waypoints (right-click and "Save as..."):
GPX
High-res topo of race course: View
Evanston Wyoming area info and lodging:
http://www.evanstonwy.org/
Lodging, camping, shops: Links to western Uinta area resources