Bicycle Ride along Jordan River Parkway
showing the southern parts of the trail
2009-2010 - 54 photos
showing the southern parts of the trail
2009-2010 - 54 photos
(Last updated November 2011)
After my first ride along the norther part of the Jordan River Parkway, I decided to find and ride the southern part of the Parkway. The last ride down there was from 10th North in SLC, finishing up about 94th South in Sandy. That ride was 46 miles round trip. This ride was from the same point in Sandy, about 95th South, down to Utah Lake and was 40 miles total. The Jordan River Parkway is not continuous yet, and has a number of breaks along the way, though most are not very long. Each year more is finished and it will be about 50 miles one way when finished, from North Salt Lake to Utah Lake at Saratoga Springs.
There is talk of joining this trail with Legacy Parkway at the north end, adding 15 more miles for walking or riding. Part of that is done now, the first mile from the Legacy side is now paved. One can also ride from the north end of Legacy over to the Denver Rio Grande Rail Trail up to the City of Roy.
I usually start this bike ride at 106th South in South Jordan at Mullagan's Golf Course, the easiest place from the Freeway to reach the Pathway for this section. (I found later that there is a trail head at 100th South). First I ride north two miles ending up across the river from River Oaks Golf course, about 300 feet from where I had to stop when riding the north section of the Jordan River. I could see the same area across a fence and diversion canal. I would imagine that the fence will come down when they put in a bridge over that canal. Then I go back and ride south under 106th South. The path used to end at the South Jordan River Front Park, about 114th South. In October of 2009 they were putting a road and bridge across at that point to extend 114th down from the east. They have now installed a seperate pedestrian bridge across there that connects the trail on each side of the river, and it's all paved. This adds about 6 more miles to the south, ending up in Bluffdale, on 146th South. There is a loop trail there going back and joining with the Jordan Trail, called Springview Farms Trail.
There is talk of joining this trail with Legacy Parkway at the north end, adding 15 more miles for walking or riding. Part of that is done now, the first mile from the Legacy side is now paved. One can also ride from the north end of Legacy over to the Denver Rio Grande Rail Trail up to the City of Roy.
I usually start this bike ride at 106th South in South Jordan at Mullagan's Golf Course, the easiest place from the Freeway to reach the Pathway for this section. (I found later that there is a trail head at 100th South). First I ride north two miles ending up across the river from River Oaks Golf course, about 300 feet from where I had to stop when riding the north section of the Jordan River. I could see the same area across a fence and diversion canal. I would imagine that the fence will come down when they put in a bridge over that canal. Then I go back and ride south under 106th South. The path used to end at the South Jordan River Front Park, about 114th South. In October of 2009 they were putting a road and bridge across at that point to extend 114th down from the east. They have now installed a seperate pedestrian bridge across there that connects the trail on each side of the river, and it's all paved. This adds about 6 more miles to the south, ending up in Bluffdale, on 146th South. There is a loop trail there going back and joining with the Jordan Trail, called Springview Farms Trail.
At this point there is no more trail going to the south and I spent about an hour riding the back streets looking for a way through. Couldn't find one, then talked to another bike rider that said you can get through riding around on Redwood Road west of there, for about 4.5 miles. The trail can be picked up again on the east side of Camp Williams along Redwood road, (Marked Camp Williams Road for this section). Taking the Jordan River Narrows Road on the north side of Camp Williams, watching for where the trail begins again along the left side, a Trailhead with parking lot. The trail heads towards the big windmills with a steep ride down to the river here, then a bridge across and you ride along the river through Thanksgiving Point Golf Course. 9 miles farther on it was blocked where they were building a new road across the river, called Pioneer Crossing, which will run from I-15 to Saratoga Springs. In looking at the map I was about a mile from Utah Lake. A sign said that the trail under this road should be open in the fall of 2009. (it wasn't). My ride was 40.2 miles total, part of that was riding around looking for ways through.
I went down again in April of 2010 to check the progress of Pioneer Crossing, where it blocks the trail. It was far from finished, probably late summer of 2010 now. At this time I found there is another road and bridge going in about 2100 north in Lehi, They called it Mountain View Corridor, a divided highway that will run from Redwood Road to I-15. The trail is blocked there as well. This one is scheduled to be finished in October of 2012, but was actually opened in the fall of 2011. I went back down in October of 2010 to check this path again, and you can now ride under Pioneer Crossing, but the trail is still blocked at Mountain View Corridor, and will be for quite awhile. You can ride around on the streets to the east.
Another time I went back down to the southern part of the Jordan River trail to see if I could find a way through the Jordan Narrows to the paved trail at Thanksgiving Point. In looking at Google Earth, I found a way through some back streets and along a canal road, that went right were I wanted to go. I started riding at the end of the paved path in Bluffdale, and rode west to redwood street, then south through the back streets until I found the canal road. It was marked 'No Trespassing, Private Property' and gated. Being a Sunday I figured there wouldn't be anybody to catch me, so went on it. A couple of miles along there a guy I met told me that everyone walks, bikes, and rides horses along the canal road. He said no one cared, as long as you stayed away from the diversion dam in the Narrows. He told me to get on the railroad maintenance road to go the rest of the way. Again, being Sunday there was no one around. He said during the week we could never do it. I was able to ride along the dirt road over to Thanksgiving Point and get on the paved trail by crossing over the tracks, about 4 miles from Bluffdale. The paved trail runs south from there, but I rode the trail back to the north and west, up the really steep hill below the windmills, up to the Jordan Narrows Trail Head. Then I went up to Redwood Road and got on it to go back north to the car. It started raining and I rode 4.5 miles in a cloud burst. Found out that my windbreaker wasn't water proof. When I got to the car I was soaked, and it stopped raining... of course. Then I drove the car down to Saratoga Springs and rode that last little bit at Utah Lake, back to 'Pioneer Crossing', less than a mile. (Pioneer Crossing is finished now), but not Mountain View Corridor, now named 2100 North.
I found in November of 2011 that part of the trail under 2100 (North Mountain View Corridor) is paved, but not all of it. The trail is still closed through there. Also they have started a new trail going north from the Jordan River Narrows Trailhead that is paved about a mile to the north. The trail starts a little way down the Narrows Trail where the trail makes a 180° turn. CLICK for map of Jordan Narrows Trail
I have been down riding the Jordan River Trail many times now, riding the trail between South Salt Lake City and Bluffdale, also taking the Springview Farms Trail in Bluffdale, and in the same area the Madison River Trail, a short trail up hill to the east, then south. Last time down there we also found and rode a new trail to the west, that ends up at a new trailhead. I can make the claim that I have ridden all of the Jordan River parkway from where Legacy ends in North Salt Lake, all the way to Utah Lake, including the unfinished part through the Jordan Narrows. But not all in one ride however.
I went down again in April of 2010 to check the progress of Pioneer Crossing, where it blocks the trail. It was far from finished, probably late summer of 2010 now. At this time I found there is another road and bridge going in about 2100 north in Lehi, They called it Mountain View Corridor, a divided highway that will run from Redwood Road to I-15. The trail is blocked there as well. This one is scheduled to be finished in October of 2012, but was actually opened in the fall of 2011. I went back down in October of 2010 to check this path again, and you can now ride under Pioneer Crossing, but the trail is still blocked at Mountain View Corridor, and will be for quite awhile. You can ride around on the streets to the east.
Another time I went back down to the southern part of the Jordan River trail to see if I could find a way through the Jordan Narrows to the paved trail at Thanksgiving Point. In looking at Google Earth, I found a way through some back streets and along a canal road, that went right were I wanted to go. I started riding at the end of the paved path in Bluffdale, and rode west to redwood street, then south through the back streets until I found the canal road. It was marked 'No Trespassing, Private Property' and gated. Being a Sunday I figured there wouldn't be anybody to catch me, so went on it. A couple of miles along there a guy I met told me that everyone walks, bikes, and rides horses along the canal road. He said no one cared, as long as you stayed away from the diversion dam in the Narrows. He told me to get on the railroad maintenance road to go the rest of the way. Again, being Sunday there was no one around. He said during the week we could never do it. I was able to ride along the dirt road over to Thanksgiving Point and get on the paved trail by crossing over the tracks, about 4 miles from Bluffdale. The paved trail runs south from there, but I rode the trail back to the north and west, up the really steep hill below the windmills, up to the Jordan Narrows Trail Head. Then I went up to Redwood Road and got on it to go back north to the car. It started raining and I rode 4.5 miles in a cloud burst. Found out that my windbreaker wasn't water proof. When I got to the car I was soaked, and it stopped raining... of course. Then I drove the car down to Saratoga Springs and rode that last little bit at Utah Lake, back to 'Pioneer Crossing', less than a mile. (Pioneer Crossing is finished now), but not Mountain View Corridor, now named 2100 North.
I found in November of 2011 that part of the trail under 2100 (North Mountain View Corridor) is paved, but not all of it. The trail is still closed through there. Also they have started a new trail going north from the Jordan River Narrows Trailhead that is paved about a mile to the north. The trail starts a little way down the Narrows Trail where the trail makes a 180° turn. CLICK for map of Jordan Narrows Trail
I have been down riding the Jordan River Trail many times now, riding the trail between South Salt Lake City and Bluffdale, also taking the Springview Farms Trail in Bluffdale, and in the same area the Madison River Trail, a short trail up hill to the east, then south. Last time down there we also found and rode a new trail to the west, that ends up at a new trailhead. I can make the claim that I have ridden all of the Jordan River parkway from where Legacy ends in North Salt Lake, all the way to Utah Lake, including the unfinished part through the Jordan Narrows. But not all in one ride however.
- 54 photos -
to look at these photos
click 'View Photos' button
to look at these photos
click 'View Photos' button
I used a Canon Powershot SD700 IS Digital Elph, 6 megapixel, with 4x optical and 4x digital zoom. These photos are set to lower resolution and compressed 10:1 for faster loading. You are welcome to look at or download any of the photos. If you use them on any other webpage, please give credit and refer back to me.