Lambert Park in Alpine is a complex network of trails that’s among the best places in Utah County for a quick ride. Most trails are intermediate in difficulty, and the spiderweb of singletrack means there is a dizzying amount of options. Lambert Park is truly a “choose your own adventure.” To avoid confusion, UtahMountainBiking.com teased out some popular loops on their website, one of which is the Lambert Classic.
The Lambert Classic is a great introduction to the area, as it features fun descents along with a moderate amount of climbing. Tight lines in dense scrub oak, bermed corners, small jumps and rock hops, and just enough uphill sections to keep you honest, the Lambert Classic is a smorgasbord of mountain biking.
Start Point: Alpine Rodeo Grounds, 5523 feet
Elevation Gain: 814 feet
Elevation Loss: 814 feet
Trail Distance: 6.14 mile (loop)
Trail Time: 1 hour
Skill Level: Intermediate
Best Season: Fall
Getting There: From Salt Lake City, drive south or from Provo drive north on I-15 to the Alpine/Highland exit and head east on Highway 92. At 5300 West, turn left (north.) At the roundabout, take the second exit onto Main Street and continue to 200 North. Turn right. Take the second left on 200 East. In two miles, you’ll arrive at a “T” in the road. Go right over a stream. You’ll soon come to another fork. Go left, following the signs to the Rodeo Grounds. In 0.25 mile, go right onto a dirt road. Follow this to a large parking area with an outhouse that sits below the rodeo arena. The trailhead starts next to a large sign with a map.
The Ride:
Descend from the trailhead on Rodeo Down. This is one hell of a fun way to start a ride as you bomb down swooping, bobsled-style corners, jumps, and fast straightaways. After 0.45 mile, the descent ends at a paved road. Cross and continue for a short distance to a 4-way stop. Turn right onto River. Continue south on River for 0.85 miles as the trail crosses a bunch of dirt roads. It makes a sudden turn north onto a big patch of exposed dirt where three dirt roads converge. Go north across this intersection and locate the start of Middle Trail.
Almost immediately after getting on Middle, you come to an intersection. Veer right on Ziggy. Then almost immediately after that, go right again on Zag. This is the start of the first real climb. It’s not much of a leg-burner, but it lives up to its name with tons of tight switchbacks as it winds up the hillside. In one mile, Zag ends at the intersection with White Dog, a trail on the right that keeps going up. Instead, go left and bomb down Ziggy, another fast descent.
Ziggy takes you all the way back down to the intersection with Middle Trail near where you started up Zag. Go right on Middle, then almost immediately go right again on Poppy. Poppy is the second hill climb of the ride and is very similar to Zig, but without all the switchbacks. In 0.45 mile, turn left onto Ruin for another descent. This downhill is known for the small rock features that are super fun to jump off.
Just like Ziggy, Ruin also reconnects with Middle Trail at the bottom, so once again, turn right and follow Middle for 0.5 mile to the intersection with Spring Trail, located just north of a creek crossing. As of this writing, Spring is not well marked because the carsonite post is blank. The creek crossing is your reference. Pedal up Spring and feel the thigh-burn because this is the longest climb on the loop. It’s 1.4 miles to the top, where you’ll come to a concrete structure where the stream comes out of the mountain. Keep right and descend down Spring as it continues toward the Rodeo Grounds. In 0.55 mile from the concrete structure, you’ll reach a 4-way intersection just after crossing a dirt road. Here’s you rejoin Rodeo Down and Rodeo Up. Go left and climb Rodeo Up for 0.2 mile to the parking lot and your car.
The Lambert Classic is just one of many ways you can ride the trails in Alpine. However you choose to explore, you’ll be treated to tunnels of Gamble Oak, sweeping views of Lone Peak and Bighorn Peak to the north, and skinny singletrack that will test your bike handling skills. Summer is very hot in this low elevation zone, so spring and fall is the best time of year to visit. Lambert Park is even rideable during some winters on low-snow years, making it a true year-round mountain bike destination.