The Pipeline Trail is one of my absolute favorite places to trail run! It offers varying degrees of difficulty, as well as lots of options for distances. I will take you through the different trails and give you an idea of what to expect when you go out and try them for yourself.
Depending on what you are in the mood for, starting at Birch Hollow is the best place to begin. From here, you can decide if you want long and flat, or short and hilly. Let’s begin with Pipeline trail heading west.
Start at the Birch Hollow trailhead, just up Mill Creek Canyon. To find it, you will drive up past Church Fork and Log Haven, looking for the sign on the left side of the road. Park anywhere on the side of the road. The creek will be on the right (South) side of the road, and the trail head is on the left (North). Find the sign and head on up! After about 20 feet, the trail levels out and you can run about 4.5 miles out to a look-out point. There are a few small hills, but relative to almost any other trail, this one is very flat. It’s beautiful! You will wind around the ridge of the mountain and see lots of great views. In the hot summer, be very careful to take extra water with you as there are no water fountains or bathrooms. It can get very hot up there and you will need to be prepared. You can see the whole valley. When the air is clear, and the sun is setting, the view is worth the jaunt. During the inversion, you can see just how nasty the air is. It’s like looking at a bowl of milk. This is a great place to run when the air in the valley is bad. You can get above it and really enjoy the clean fresh mountain air.
Elbow Fork is another awesome trail. To get to it, park at the same place as the above route. You will take the trail west until you find a hair-pin turn heading up and East. You will turn here and head up a series of switch backs. After you finish with the switch backs, you will feel like you are running through FernGully! After a while, the trail turns and heads East again and it takes you up to the top of Elbow Fork, and you eventually will run into the the road. Turn around and run back, or run down on the road. It’s so pretty and lots of different hills. It’s shorter than pipeline. It’s only about 6 miles up and back. I like this trail on a hot day because it is a lot less exposed than some of the other trails. This trail is also really fun to run at night with a good head lamp.
Important things to remember:
1. Take extra water and nutrition
2. Bring $3 for use fees upon exiting the canyon
3. Trail shoes are suggested
4. Bring a friend and jump in the creek when you are done with your run! It feels AMAZING!
5. Dogs are allowed all the time, and off leash on odd days! more
You can come run these exact trails with us this Thursday, Aug 22! Meet at the trail head at 7 pm, or meet at the 700 E store at 6:30 pm. All abilities are welcome. Go as far, short, fast, or slow as you want!
If you have any more questions, comment on this post and we will answer them! Enjoy the trails!
Map courtesy: http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/trailguides/pipeline-tg.htm
More info: http://www.mountain-bike-diaries.com/pipeline-trail.html