Mountain biking the bobsled – say this and riders immediately think of the Bobsled downhill in the foothills of Salt Lake City. But the UOP Bobsled is located at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. No, you don’t ride your bike down the actual bobsled track. But the UOP Bobsled, a relatively new, 6.4-mile trail, resembles a bobsled course because it is literally switchback city.
The ride starts at a large parking lot just beyond the actual bobsled at the Utah Olympic Park. This lot is as far as you can drive unless you are an authorized vehicle with a pass that will get you through the drop arm blocking the road. After parking, ride up the road a short distance until you see a trail coming out of the woods on your right. If you want to ride the UOP Bobsled counter-clockwise, enter here. However, the consensus is that this trail is best when ridden clockwise, so to do that, continue up the road another 0.2 mile until you see another trail on the right. As of this writing, it is marked with a green cone.
The trail starts off climbing up through forests of scrub oak and threadbare aspens. It makes a few switchbacks as it rises above the bobsled, where you can watch people riding down it during summer operations. In what seems like hundreds of switchbacks, many of which are pretty tight, the trail gains a bunch of elevation. Vegetation becomes old-growth evergreens that provide nice shade, and as you near the top, the trees thin out, allowing for spectacular views of the entire Park City area. Overall, the quality of the ascent reminds me a lot of the upper Pine Cone Ridge Trail at Park City Resort as far as the punchy climbs leading up to switchbacks within thick evergreens is concerned.
At the top of the mountain, after climbing around 1,500 vertical feet, the trail loops around to the other side for the descent. Both trails are almost identical – lots of tight switchbacks, which means this descent is not one where you can get a whole lot of speed. There are a few buff, straight sections for going fast, but that speed is quickly scrubbed when you hit the next of many switchbacks.
Overall, the UOP Bobsled is a nice addition to the Park City trail network. The ride doesn’t provide much for the gravity rider (or anyone who appreciates “flow” on their descents). But if you’re looking for a good workout on steep trails with amazing views (and don’t mind tight switchbacks) then the UOP Bobsled is worth your saddle time.
To find the trailhead, get off the Kimball Junction exit from I-80 and drive south to toward Park City. Turn right on Olympic Parkway, the take the 2nd right turn at the roundabout to continue up Olympic Parkway. Follow this road all the way up to the Utah Olympic Park (you will see the ski jumps and bobsled. Drive past the UOP main parking area until you come to a swing-arm blocking the road with an “Authorized Vehicles Only” sign. Park in the large lot here that is next to the bobsled refrigeration building.
Ride your bike up the road until you see the trail on your right.
NOTE: The Utah Olympic Park closes the entrance gate at 8 p.m. so finish your ride before then or your car will be trapped there until they reopen the next morning.
Also, there is talk about making one side of the UOP Bobsled trail uphill only, with the other side bi-directional. Last time I rode it, there were no signs indicating any required directional use, but be aware that this may be the case next time you go to ride this loop.
About a week ago, I noticed a newly cut trail from this trail to Rob’s trail. It intersects Rob’s at the small pass just below where Mid-Mountain turns into Hunter’s. So the Bobsled could be a new access to Mid-Mountain.
I saw that too. It could also be a new way to descend from the Wasatch Crest after taking Crest Connector into Canyons. Lots of options are opening up!