Looking northeast on the Moon Ridge trail. Original review on May 7, 2002. This update by Bruce is September 9, 2023.
Looking northeast on the Moon Ridge trail. Original review on May 7, 2002. This update by Bruce is September 9, 2023.
Yellow Fork Alternate (tech) Trails
The Yellow Fork riding area lies in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake valley in the Oquirrh foothills. The trails are part of the Southwest Canyons Trail Network of Salt Lake County. This page covers the alternate tech singletracks in the system. See other pages for the beginner and intermediate rides, and for the Yellow Butter Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST).
The singletracks described on this page include Gunslinger, Horsin Around, Breccia, Moon Ridge, Water Fork, and Wind Caves. These trails will only be of interest to strong skilled riders.

For general information on this riding area, see the main Yellow Fork page.

This is breccia. Chunks of rock cemented together.
This is breccia. Chunks of rock cemented together.
Riding on the Horsin Around trail.
Riding on the Horsin Around trail.
For those who want tough classic singletrack, there's a 9.5 mile suffer-fest of Big Rock, Breccia, Horsin Around, Upper Moon Ridge/DT/Wind Caves, and Yellow Fork down. This ride will have over 2200 feet of climbing, some of it coming at a rate of around 700 vertical per mile. It reaches a peak elevation of 7400 feet. (Skipping the Wind Caves loop, and taking Yellow Butter to Rio Escandido, would be my preferred option.)
  Trailhead and Connections
Paved parking lot. The gate on the right is the doubletrack beginner trail (Yellow Fork Road).
Paved parking lot. The gate on the right is the doubletrack beginner trail (Yellow Fork Road).
Yellow Fork Trailhead
The Yellow Fork Trailhead is at the end of the Rose Canyon Road in southwest Salt Lake County. From the Bangerter Highway, go west on either 12600 or 13400 South and turn left (south) when you reach Rose Canyon Road (6400 West). The Rose Canyon Road will turn right just before 13900 South. Now follow the road around 5 miles southwest to the trailhead. 

This bridge is your access to the Yellow Fork singletrack trail.
This bridge is your access to the Yellow Fork singletrack trail.
Singletrack entry
The doubletrack is to the right of the paved parking area; the singletrack is at the bridge to the left. Yellow Fork can take you to Big Rock (which climbs to the bottom of Horsin Around then continues uphill to the Breccia Connector) or to the bottoms of Gunslinger or Rio Escondido.
The Yellow Butter trail, formerly known as Butterfield Peaks Road, runs south from the parking entry.
The Yellow Butter trail, formerly known as Butterfield Peaks Road, runs south from the parking entry.
Yellow Butter Doubletrack
The Yellow Butter Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) is the dirt road to the left of parking. There's a gate with a ride-around for bikes. Many riders use this as their climbing route for a quick loop down Big Rock (intermediate) or Water Fork (expert). Yellow Butter crosses or offers connection to all of the trails discussed here.
  Yellow Fork Singletrack
Looking west as we head out on Yellow Fork.
Looking west as we head out on Yellow Fork.

The Yellow Fork extends from the trailhead 1.9 miles to the bottom of Gunslinger, then continues to mile 2.9 uphill where it connects to the northern end of Yellow Butter and the bottom of Wind Caves.

See the Yellow Fork page for more details.

  Big Rock Trail
Trail view in the deep maples of Big Rock.
Trail view in the deep maples of Big Rock.

Big Rock is a 1.6-mile intermediate-level trail that connects lower Yellow Fork (mile 0.6 uphill from the trailhead) to Yellow Butter. It has a connector to Yellow Butter and Horsin Around in the draw at mile 1 from Yellow Fork. At the top of Big Rock, you can cross Yellow Butter to the Breccia Connector (worse than it looks) to continue a singletrack ride.

See the main Yellow Fork page for more details and suggested rides on Big Rock.

  Yellow Butter BST
Looking east on the Yellow Butter BST from the end of Yellow Fork.
Looking east on the Yellow Butter BST from the end of Yellow Fork.

Yellow Butter is a 6-mile doubletrack trail that begins at the top of Yellow Fork and loops around to return to the trailhead on the south. It will connect to, or cross over, most of the trails discussed here.

See the Yellow Butter BST page for details and mileage on this trail.

  Breccia Trail and Breccia Connector
Breccia runs steeply down the hillside. Looking back uphill.
Breccia runs steeply down the hillside. Looking back uphill.

Breccia has two parts: the connector from the top of the Big Rock singletrack to the main trail, and the singletrack from the Butterfield Peaks Road down to Yellow Butter. Both are insanely steep, narrow, and highly technical expert routes.

You can arrive at the top of Breccia (skipping the Breccia connector) by climbing Yellow Butter to the ridge, turning right on Water Fork and connecting to the Butterfield Peaks Road westbound.

The Breccia Connector is 0.4 miles long, with around 500 vertical feet of climbing between the top of Big Rock and Breccia. In addition to the insane pitch, there are embedded rocks, erosion trenches, and roots in a very narrow track. Expect to push your bike.
Heading uphill on the Breccia Connector. Much more brutal than it looks.
Heading uphill on the Breccia Connector. Much more brutal than it looks.
There are roots, boulders, and erosion trenches to dodge.
There are roots, boulders, and erosion trenches to dodge.
On the uphill end Breccia starts on Butterfield Peaks Road at 6900 feet elevation. At mile 0.2 the Breccia Connector joins on the right. Breccia continues to drop east downhill. At mile 0.8 it hits Yellow Butter after 700 vertical feet of descending.
Across Yellow Butter is a connector to Horsin Around to continue a singletrack loop. Your other options are: fork left on Yellow Butter for the clockwise loop, or fork right to head to Big Rock and a nice downhill back to the trailhead.
Here Breccia drops off the slope onto the Yellow Butter trail.
Here Breccia drops off the slope onto the Yellow Butter trail.
  Horsin' Around Trail
On the left is the doubletrack Yellow Butter. Horsin Around is the faint trail on the right. Once you're into the trees, it can often be a trench.
On the left is the doubletrack Yellow Butter. Horsin Around is the faint trail on the right. Once you're into the trees, it can often be a trench.

Horsin Around is the classic expert climbing route for a clockwise singletrack loop in Yellow Fork. The trail is 1.8 miles in length, starting from Yellow Butter (or the connector from Big Rock) and ending on the highest point of Yellow Butter. There's 900 feet of elevation change, with a high of 7000 feet.

At the bottom, Horsin Around runs parallel to Yellow Butter as it climbs a draw. There will be occasional connectors to Yellow Butter, including one at the bottom of Breccia at mile 0.3 from Big Rock. This section isn't particularly steep, and your main challenge will be erosion trenches. In 0.7 miles, keep left at a trail fork. (The right-hand trail goes straight up to Moon Ridge.)
View on Horsin Around.
View on Horsin Around.
A very narrow bit of trail as Horsin Around climbs up the shallow ravine.
A very narrow bit of trail as Horsin Around climbs up the shallow ravine.

The pitch now increases to around 700 feet per mile. At mile 1.2, Horsin Around crosses Yellow Butter as it continues the steady climb uphill.

As it nears the top, Horsin Around breaks out of the forest and enters a sage area with occasional bitterbrush and oak.

At mile 1.8, Horsin around crosses upper Moon Ridge, then in 100 yards ends at the highest point of the Yellow Butter BST. (Some riders will turn onto Moon Ridge before the BST, and ride a singletrack route using Moon Ridge, a portion of the Butterfield Peaks Road, and Wind Caves. Wind Caves ends at the bottom of Yellow Butter, where you can fork onto Yellow Fork.)
Horsin Around (on the right) reaches Yellow Butter at 7000 feet.
Horsin Around (on the right) reaches Yellow Butter at 7000 feet.
  Gunslinger Trail
The bottom of Gunslinger looks a lot like a continuation of the mellow riding on Yellow Fork.
The bottom of Gunslinger looks a lot like a continuation of the mellow riding on Yellow Fork.
Gunslinger is 0.7 miles long, extending from the upper Moon Ridge trail to Yellow Fork at mile 1.9 uphill from the trailhead. Over this distance, it will descend 650 vertical feet. But much of this comes in the uphill end, with 200 feet of elevation change in the upper 0.2 miles. This is a non-rideable stretch both uphill and down.

The bottom of Gunslinger -- where as you climb Yellow Fork to mile 1.9, Gunslinger continues straight as Yellow Fork turns right through a picnic area -- is smooth and mellow. So it suckers many a rider to continue on uphill there.

But at the top, it's not just push-a-bike steep. It's take a step, haul your bike up and steady it, then take another step.

Getting steeper, but you ain't seen nothing yet.
Getting steeper, but you ain't seen nothing yet.
  Moon Ridge Trail
From high on the mountain, this is the view from Moon Ridge in 2002.
From high on the mountain, this is the view from Moon Ridge in 2002.
Moon Ridge extends from the Butterfield Peaks Road down to Yellow Fork at the bottom of the Big Rock trail. Overall it's 2.3 miles long with 1500 vertical feet of descent. While some of the trail is mellow two-way riding, the full Moon Ridge downhill is an expert-level ride, with a very steep drop of 400 feet in the last 0.4 miles.
From the Butterfield Peaks Road, Moon Ridge will drop 0.4 miles before crossing the Horsin Around singletrack, then quickly cross the Yellow Butter trail. At mile 0.5, Gunslinger is on the left. Moon Ridge then joins Yellow Butter at mile 0.7, and at mile 0.8 veers to the left to follow the ridgeline east.
Looking down the Moon Ridge trail northwest. We're heading for the two little humps after crossing the saddle at mid-photo.
Looking down the Moon Ridge trail northwest. We're heading for the two little humps after crossing the saddle at mid-photo.
A short viewpoint spur off Moon Ridge gives a good view of the tailings.
A short viewpoint spur off Moon Ridge gives a good view of the tailings.
After another 0.6 miles, keep left at a trail fork. (The right fork should be considered an out-and-back viewpoint. After 0.2 miles, it drops straight down to Horsin Around.) The trail will then climb up and over two small rises in the ridgeline. Then it plunges steeply down to the Big Rock/Yellow Fork intersection area.
Some riders combine upper Moon Ridge with other trails as a tough singletrack alternative to descending clockwise on Yellow Butter. From upper Horsin Around, pedal uphill on Moon Ridge 0.4 miles to Butterfield Peaks. Turn right. Go 0.5 miles on the dirt road, then turn right on Rose Ridge. Rose Ridge descends very steeply (around 300 feet) over 0.3 miles, where you'll fork to the right onto the Wind Caves trail. In 0.4 miles, you'll arrive at the Yellow Butter/Yellow Fork trail intersection.
Upper Moon Ridge where it crosses Yellow Butter, looking west.
Upper Moon Ridge where it crosses Yellow Butter, looking west.
  Rio Escondido Trail
Narrow singletrack in dense maple forest.
Narrow singletrack in dense maple forest.
Rio Escondido is an expert-level singletrack that parallels the northern 0.3 miles of Yellow Butter. It's 0.4 miles long, with 300 feet of elevation change. Riders may use this singletrack to bypass a particularly ugly section of Yellow Butter, both uphill and down.
On the uphill end (when doing Yellow Butter clockwise) Rio Escondido begins on the right as the doubletrack turns in a small drainage. It rolls downhill to join the Yellow Fork trail. The bottom of Rio Escondido is 1/10th mile from the top of Yellow Fork at the end of Yellow Butter.
Entry to the top of Rio Escondido from the Yellow Butter trail.
Entry to the top of Rio Escondido from the Yellow Butter trail.
Trenched section of Rio Escandido.
Trenched section of Rio Escandido.
Rio Escandido can be climbed by forking away from Yellow Fork 1/10th mile from its top (mile 2.8 from the trailhead). Some sections of the trail were a narrow trench in 2023, making pedal strikes hard to avoid.
  Water Fork Trail
This is the BOTTOM of Water Fork, just as it joins Yellow Fork at the bridge.
This is the BOTTOM of Water Fork, just as it joins Yellow Fork at the bridge.
Water Fork is an alternate downhill route, used mostly by hikers. It begins where Yellow Butter crosses the ridgeline on the eastern side of the loop, and ends by joining Yellow Fork right at its origin at the trailhead bridge. 
According to the trail signs, Water Fork also includes a section of doubletrack on the south side of Yellow Butter at the top of the ridgeline. This doubletrack joins the Butterfield Peaks Road after 0.2 miles, and seems to be used by many riders who've climbed up Butterfield Peaks from the trailhead. Looking uphill as upper Water Fork rolls onto the Yellow Butter t
Looking uphill as upper Water Fork rolls onto the Yellow Butter trail. Most riders are making the turn here; not descending the singletrack on the ridge.
Looking uphill as upper Water Fork rolls onto the Yellow Butter trail. Most riders are making the turn here; not descending the singletrack on the ridge.
Crossing a bump on the ridge before descending.
Crossing a bump on the ridge before descending.
Water Fork is 1.6 miles long. Like the Moon Ridge route, Water Fork begins with a mellow cruise, then ends with a plunge. Overall you'll drop 800 vertical, but 350 vertical feet come in the last 0.4 miles.
  Wind Caves Loop
Trail view on lower Wind Caves.
Trail view on lower Wind Caves.
Wind Caves is a singletrack trail that connects the ridgeline to the north end of Yellow Butter. It's 0.4 miles long, but has over 400 feet of elevation change. It's almost always done downhill as part of a loop from the top of Yellow Butter, going clockwise around to the northern end of Yellow Butter.
From Horsin Around just before it ends on Yellow Butter, get onto westbound (uphill) Moon Ridge. Climb 0.4 miles uphill to the Butterfield Peaks dirt road and turn right.

Go 0.5 miles on the dirt road.

Butterfield Peaks Road.
Butterfield Peaks Road.
Almost back to Yellow Butter.
Almost back to Yellow Butter.
Turn right on Rose Ridge. Rose Ridge descends very steeply (around 300 feet) over 0.3 miles, where you'll fork to the right onto the Wind Caves trail. In 0.4 miles, you'll arrive at the Yellow Butter/Yellow Fork trail intersection. Your descent will be 900 feet in just 0.8 miles!
Getting there:
The Yellow Fork Trailhead is at the end of the Rose Canyon Road in southwest Salt Lake County. From the Bangerter Highway, go west on either 12600 or 13400 South and turn left (south) when you reach Rose Canyon Road (6400 West). The Rose Canyon Road will turn right just before 13900 South. Now follow the road around 5 miles southwest to the trailhead. The doubletrack beginner trail is to the right of the paved parking area. The singletrack is left of the entry to paved parking, across the foot bridge. The Yellow Butter BST is the gated gravel road on the far left.