Parents want to raise their kids right. As a father of a 5-year-old-boy, I think “raising them right” means teaching them how to mountain bike. However, it can be difficult to find trails easy enough for little legs to pedal a singlespeed bike with no shocks. But there is one such place on the Wasatch Front: Little Valley on Draper’s Traverse Mountain.
Little Valley Trail System
The Little Valley Trail System is part of the larger Draper City trail network, and is an instructional area for beginner riders and young kids. The network has just over a mile of singletrack that provides an easy and safe place to develop skills and increase off-pavement confidence.
Each trail at Little Valley is marked from beginner to intermediate. All trails are accessed by a wide doubletrack called the main beginner trail. This two-way path is not-too-steep or rocky, so you’ll find lots of children cruising it with their balance bikes and families heading up to other trails.
From the top of the Main Beginner Trail, riders have four options: the A Line, B Line, C Line, and D Line.
A Line
A Line is the easiest downhill-only bike trail. It’s a 0.2 mile route that features mellow rollers, a few small rock gardens and a couple of berms. Signs along the route give instructions on how to ride downhill on a mountain bike with pointers like how to stand on your pedals and lean back, or how far ahead to look when descending. A Line is the best bet for kids who are ready to tackle some real mountain biking.
B Line
B Line is an intermediate-level trail similar to the A Line that is also a 0.2 mile, downhill-only route. Here, novice riders can take their skills up a notch with larger humps and tighter corners. B Line connects with A Line about halfway down.
C Line
C Line is another intermediate trail. This is a two-way, 0.4 mile multi-use route that adds a more old-school tech like more rocky sections, tight switchbacks, wood bridges, and even a few climbs. The C-Line can be used as a descent/ascent to and from the trailhead, or as an out-and back.
D Line
D Line is very similar to the C Line, but narrower and therefore more difficult. It too is a two-way, multi-use trail that can be a climb from the trailhead. Or you may drip in from the Little Valley Loop Trail which connects to Ann’s Trail higher up the mountainside.
Take the Whole Family
When you come to Little Valley, you’re greeting by a large parking area that’s also a sort of base-camp for little rippers. Kids and their parents mill about, have snacks, and chat before heading up the main trail for another lap. Benches and shade structures are perfect for taking a break.
The scene is as family-friendly as can be, which fosters an environment for children to learn. So if you’re struggling to find a place to teach your shorty to mountain bike, you won’t do any better than the Little Valley Trail System.
Getting There
Little Valley is located in the Corner Canyon trail network in Draper. To get there, take the Bluffdale exit from I-15 and drive east on Highland Drive. In 0.7 mile you” come to a traffic light. Turn right on Traverse Ridge Road. Stay on Traverse Ridge Road for 1.9 miles, then turn right into the dirt Little Valley trailhead parking area. There is a sign marking this turnoff.