On the South end of the Big Hole mountains just above the Snake River is a grueling yet diverse section of single-track on Forest Service Trail 287 called Old Ranger. Because of the southern exposure and relatively low elevation, the Old Ranger mountain bike trail is a great ride for early in the season or just as winter is setting in when many of the other trails are getting snow or are still covered in snow, ice, and mud.

Old Ranger is not easy. Much of it is pretty moderate with plenty of flowy sections but there's also a lot of pretty chunky spots and plenty of tough climbs where you'll be hiking quite a bit. Even if you're in amazing shape, there are two very steep climbs going West or one insanely steep climb going East that you'll be pushing or carrying that bike. You can start from the West and and make this a bigger longer finish to your Wolverine Creek trail, ending up at Burns Creek. The preferred direction is actually uphill overall, starting at Burns Creek and ending at Wolverine Creek (FS Trail 082) for a great finish down to the river.

Mountain Ranch Bike Park takes great advantage of that otherwise unusable strip of land underneath large power lines. There is tons of single track thoughout the area but the bike park offers some great features. At the base, there's a skills park for all ages to practice jumps, drops, ladders, and berms.

The first skills section you'll see is the ladder park. With over 400 feet of ladders and rock features, you'll be able to practice everything from basic balance to balancing on berms and climbs to riding technical rock features and executing drops. There's even just some plain boards for practicing some skinnies.

The next park is a very small little bike park for the kiddies. It's complete with jumps and berms but nothing is over 2 feet high. 

The most popular section of the skills park is the jump track which features 5 sets of table tops, each with 3 sizes of jumps. The first set has a jump to the side so you can gap over to the actual table top and the last of the larger jumps has a very small gap. 

There are 3 official trails in the park. Each uses the same bike path and access road to get to the top and each of them ends back at the ladder park.

• 110 is rated Beginner and is flowy with ladders. There are a few jumps under 2 feet and a few optional ladder features.
• 220 is rated Intermediate and is actually fairly technical compared to Juniper, which is marked as Advanced. There are several optional ladders and several more technical areas of rock to climb and descend. Navigating the intermediate trail can be tricky as well as there are many optional routes that do not all lead back into the main trail. For the most part, there isn't a ton of slope up or down.
• Juniper is rated Advanced likely due to the slope and speed. You'll find plenty of flow, jumps, and speed. There are a couple of table tops and a couple of small kickers. At the beginning of the trail, there's a pretty serious drop with a rocky landing that leads immediately into a berm. After that, it's pretty mellow. There's not a lot of optional features but there are no gap jumps and nothing that couldn't be rolled over if it looked like it was too much.

Local Information

• Restrooms are located at Nolan Park (one block west and 1/2 block north) and at the gas station at the Pony Express, Ranches Parkway intersection.
• Parking Please do not park in front of private residences. If there is no parking on golden eagle please park by Nolan Park (one block West) Eagle Mountain and The Ranches are bike friendly communities with lots of trailways. Please consider riding your bike next time.
• Food and services are available at the corner of Ranches Parkway and Pony Express Parkway. The trail across the road to the north can take you there
• Please stay off of private property and electrical towers
• Trash cans are located in the skills area and at the trailhead. Please use them for all of your garbage needs.
• Get involved If you can volunteer some time for maintenance of this park, or you have any suggestions contact us at waftautah.com

Rules

• Ride at your own risk. Jumps and technical trail features in this park may be dangerous. Accidents and injuries can occur. Ride within your limits.
• This park is not supervised. You are responsible for your own safety.
• Protective helmets. Gloves knee pads, and elbow pads are strongly recommended.
• Park hours are dawn to dusk unless the area is posted closed for construction or repairs
• Bicycles only. No motorized vehicles are allowed.
• Ride responsibly. Stay in control of your bike at all times. Only ride features that match your ability.
• Use caution and know your limits. Start small and develop your skill level before advancing. Inspect all features and jumps before riding.
• Be considerate of neighbors and other park users, especially children.
• Ride only on designated areas and trails. If the soil is muddy please do not ride in this area.
• Rain and wind increase the risk of technical features and jumps. Please use extra caution in these conditions.
• Unauthorized features and jumps are prohibited. Please do not make alterations to the trail or park features. All changes must be approved and reviewed by Eagle Mountain City Parks Department.
• Ride don't slide. Skidding damages jumps and trails. Please ride responsibly.
• The City of Eagle Mountain is not responsible for injuries to park users or for damage or theft of personal property.

Sidewinder's claim to fame is that it's on a South facing hill just above the Snake River. That means that when all the other trails in the Kelly Canyon Trail network are covered with snow and mud, Sidewinder is getting plenty of sun, keeping it dry earlier and later in the year. It's closed from December through April to accommodate wintering mule deer but is often rideable up until it's closed and as soon as its open.

The singletrack trail meanders through sagebrush for the first 1/4 mile before it gets into the switchbacks of which there are several. From there, the incline is pretty gradual and consistant until you get closer to the top. There are plenty of areas where it flattens out a bit for a little relief and several dips and even a little downhill. The downhill sections on the way up almost always precede a steeper uphill. It's a great way to get up a little speed to make the steep parts a little easier.

There's a little bench at the top of the trail where you can sit and enjoy the view before continuing to the ATV junction. Continuing upward on the ATV junction will connect you into the rest of Kelly Canyon's trail system. If it's wet, you'll find slimy clay mud. There are also sections of the trail that are covered with shale.

Going down makes it all worth it. Sidewinder is a great flow track with corners much tighter than you realized on the way up. There aren't a lot of well bermed corners so you'll see plenty of people go off the trail. Luckily, going off a corner usually just results in a ride through some sagebrush. You won't find any serious jumps but there's plenty of dips and turns to make for a great time.

Like any of the Kelly Canyon Trails, Sidewinder can get pretty dusty in the summer. It's best if you can ride it relatively soon after a light rain so it's just barely damp. The trail can get pretty crowded during peak times which can interrupt your climb momentum and your flow downhill. Please do your best to respect other riders.