Coyote Canyon is a large mountain biking trail system located just outside of Park City, and it is a great place to escape the crowds. The rolling hills of scrub oak are a typical setting for mountain bikers in this area's lowlands and a great place to soak up the sun on a chilly day. You don't get many large trees for shade, but the wide-open riding is great for sightseeing on mid- and low-level difficulty trails. The trails offer sweeping vistas of Mount Timpanogos and Snake Creek in Midway.
From the Coyote Trailhead, riding east up the hills counterclockwise around the Coyote Loop is a challenge with serious elevation gain up the upper ridge. The 2,000-foot climb in 5 miles is the toughest stretch in the area, but most of the trails are relatively flat. Lower Riverview is a green route that takes you to the Utah Valley University campus and trailhead. Upper Riverview is a blue route that sits up above the lower trail and takes you to the Riverview Trailhead. Traffic is limited on these trails, which is ideal compared to the potentially crowded systems closer to town. The single and doubletrack is not very technical but has some rocky patches and some decent climbs/descents.
This trail system was built by the Wasatch Trail Alliance in 2013 on private property across Highway 40 from Heber City. In addition to Coyote Trailhead, the UVU Campus Trailhead at the far end accesses the Upper Riverview Trailhead and the Cut Trailhead. The 20-mile loop between each end is the main course but has many winding trails between them.
Located just a few minutes from Jordanelle Reservoir, you can combine these two places for a really great weekend day. Ride in the morning and grab the stand-up paddleboard in the afternoon to cool off in the lake. The trail is very exposed for afternoon sun, so the hottest summer days might be a bit warm, but Heber usually offers perfect riding temperatures between May and October. There are no bathrooms at the trailheads.
Dogs are allowed on a leash.
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