Spring City (White Hill) Wildlife Management (WMA)

 

(Updated April 13, 2024) When the upper trails are mostly muddy and snowy, it is time to check out the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) near us.  The first is White Hill, also known on some maps as "Spring City" and on other maps as part of the "Black Hill."  It is south of Spring City on Pigeon Hollow Road.  (as always, click on a photo to open larger images.) 

For detailed map of trails refer to https://www.trailforks.com/trails/the-master-loop-mtn-bike-trail/. (some of the map information is not completely correct, but it's a good reference.

UPDATE!  The parking has been expanded and gated off.(locked access for motorized vehicles Dec. 1-April 15.)  Thank you Back Country Horsemen of Central Utah! You can park there year round.  This shows the new parking area as of April 19, 2023.

View from the parking area on May 4, 2023.

Our track on November, 13, 2023, which included the Eagle Trail shown in Yellow. 2.5 miles total coming back on the Jack Rabbit and Pigeon Hollow.

View from South Eagle trail (which has great views of both valleys), April 19, 2024

Bitterbrush trail, April 19, 2024

Our track on April 19, 2023. We stayed on the roads and visited the south quarry--About 3.8 miles.

Photo above shows the "south quarry", April 19, 2023.

Track on November 1, 2023

"Fork" where the Pigeon Hollow trail splits up with the horse trail going to the left (South Loop) and the bike trail to the right.  Taken November 1, 2023.

Pigeon Hollow--Lower South Loop Trail on November 1, 2023--not much traffic on this one

This shows our track on Oct. 31, 2020.  It was about 7.2 miles.  We made some incorrect turns and ended up WAY too far west, which required us to do some bushwhacking and zig zagging down a steep hill to get back down to the road.  I used my phone to toggle back and forth which showed kind of where we should have gone.  Oh, well, it was still a good ride and there is so much left to explore.  It kind of reminds me of Antelope Island without the lake. 😊

The part we rode was mostly dirt, some soft and some hard; many rocky areas, but nothing a barefoot horse in good condition cannot handle.  Some two tracks and some single tracks and some no tracks.  We didn't see anyone else even though it was a Saturday.  We saw bike tracks, OHV tracks and horse tracks. (This track did not involve any of the "MASTER LOOP"--Now called "Quarry Hills")

Some fabulous views of the Horseshoe Mountain area.

All in all an enjoyable ride.  Very dry and no water feature.  Would not recommend in the summer heat.  Definitely a late fall or spring ride.

All "Horse Trails" ride on May 4, 2023.  Starting out counter-clockwise at the top (coded in MAGENTA sprinkles) is what is now called Elk Horn Trail.  It joins what I call the North Quarry Road (coded in SEA FOAM GREEN. ) We rode this road west and curved back east on the South Quarry Road.(coded in TEAL) There was plenty of room to ride in the grass on the side of this road until we intersected the Quarry Hills which is for bikes only.  Photos below of what to watch for.  We were pointed out the horse trail with the tentative name of Sego Lily. (coded in STRAWBERRY RED).  We went UP this kind of steep hill and intersected Keslo Loop Road. (coded in HONEYDEW--LIGHT GREEN). We rode this up a few dozen yards until we spotted some trails leading south.  We wound our way through the trees, staying away from the bike trails and eventually found what I call the Pigeon Hollow Ridge Road  and Jack Rabbit and Pigeon Hollow trails (available for horses and bikes.). That brought us back to the parking area. 5 mile Loop.  Highest point 6,120'.  Ascent=1,014'.  Trail conditions:  70% dirt, 15% gravelly and 15% rocky.  Fine for barefoot horses in good condition.

New sign for the Elk Horn trail

View from the Elk Horn as it heads down the hill on the west side of the north quarry.

Further down from the Elk Horn as it heads down the hill on the west side of the north quarry.

Where the Elk Horn intersects with the North Quarry Road

. At this point turn right for one option.  Turn left for another option and ride up the road for about a half mile.  There, a new trail called the Bitter Brush takes off up the hillside. (that ends up being a "short cut".)  Yet, still ANOTHER option is to ride across the road for the continuation of the Elk Horn.  As of our ride on April 19, 2024, it is marked with yellow/blue ribbons and connects over the hillside to the South Quarry Road.

Our track on April 19, 2024--(the red line--we didn't get a GPS track. This is approximate). A really nice 4.2 mile loop.  Parts of Badger, Elk Horn, Sego lily, Bitterbrush, Eagle, Jack Rabbit & Pigeon Hollow.

 

New sign for the Bitter Brush trail

Heading west on the North Quarry Road.  

Heading west on the North Quarry Road. There is a corral of sorts.  You can ride to the left of it cross country to avoid the road if desired.  But, the road is soft dirt...

Turned back east on the South Quarry Road.

You don't have to ride ON the South Quarry road.  Plenty of room in the valley bottom.

When you see this bike trail, you know you need to look for the horse trail.  Please stay off the bike trail.

Here is the beginning of what is tentatively called Sego Lily Trail.  It is faint and veers off to the left from the well worn bike trail.

Should be looking like this.

...And this.  Trail can also be accessed from the south quarry here.

Sego Lily Trail, May 12, 2023

After riding through the forest for a ways, you'll come across this two track.  Turn right up it. Or..better still...go left and find the Bitter Brush intersection.

 One option-- riding up that somewhat steep hill.

You'll come upon this amazing vista of the Sanpete valley.  Then wind your way south east through the forests. (Another option is to take the Eagle horse trail and eventually come upon the ridge.)

View out of the Giddyup (now Pigeon Hollow) trail, December 9, 2020.

May 12, 2021.  Lots of sheep in the meadow on the Pigeon Hollow. Can avoid by staying on the upper trails. (As of 2023, I don't believe sheep are allowed there anymore.)

April 7, 2022, view of Mt. Nebo. This is the North Quarry Road.

April 7, 2022, the "Ridge Road" which goes up between the North and South quarry roads.

This is our track on April 20, 2022.  Basically, just rode from one road to the other.  Photos below of that ride. We call this route "North Quarry". The top part of the "lollipop" is now called the Badger trail.

On the North Quarry road almost to HWY 89.

Photo taken on April 19, 2023.  Part of the road coming in from HWY 89 to the south quarry.

Nebo Loop~~Jones Ranch

 

This delightful trail we found "by accident."  Actually, I had done research enough to know it was a trail I would like to try.  Our goal on October 12 was to do the "Summit" trail on the highest point of the Nebo Loop. We drove up the steep side from State Road 132.  However, the small parking area was full.  So, we drove on down to the Payson Lakes area looking for an option.  I spotted the Jones Ranch trailhead with plenty of parking, so....we decided to try it.  If it got too bad, we could always turn back.

This was our track for the day.  8 miles total.  We did the entire Jones Ranch trail plus two side trips--one up what we now know is called Done Ridge (for about 100 yards)    The other up to Box Lake.  HOWEVER, do not recommend that one because we got to the edge of a campground which became off limits to horses, so we didn't even see the lake and turned back to the main trail. The elevation was 7,398-8,212' with 1,150' ascent/descent.     The only thing I didn't like was that it is open to motor bikes/cycles and we encountered two that had no awareness of trail etiquette. Other than one other non-motorized cycle, we had the trail to ourselves.  (Update as of June 16, 2021:  The trail is 60% soft dirt, 20% hard dirt and 20% somewhat rocky.)

This is the trail as shown on All Trails.

(As usual, click on any photo to open enlarged images.)

This is the Jones Ranch trailhead.  It is about a mile past the Payson Lakes Campground if you come up that way.  Recommend coming up from Payson and parking at the "Double Falls" trail head.

This is a google maps search for Double Falls Trailhead from our place.     Although coming over the Nebo Loop shows 2 miles shorter, it used about 10 more gallons of gas because of the climb and took closer to 1 hour, 50 mins. The third option is coming up through Nephi.  For us that one is a few miles longer, but "seems" shorter and I think I like it better.

This is a view of the Double Falls trailhead from the end of the Jones Ranch trail. No one was parked there on Oct. 12.   

The trail sign is in the far background on the opposite side of the road. The trail on the right is Done Ridge. (see that post for more information.)

The following photos show some of the trail taken either Oct. 12 or June 16.  It is full of aspen, evergreens, open meadows and a few springs where horses and dogs can get a drink.

This is the turn off to Box Lake. (not recommended)

Looking at the Trailhead parking on June 16.  We were the only rig parked there, but it WAS a week-day morning.

For more information and photos, search these trail names on All Trails.  I'll keep this blog updated as we ride more in that area.