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Bobsled Loop

Mountain Biking Trail

Hard
6.02 mi
1,132 ft
Arguably Salt Lake City's most famous mountain bike trail.

Bobsled is arguably Salt Lake City's most famous close-to-town mountain bike trail. The route mapped here is one of the most popular short loop options that will take you to the top of the downhill in as little time as possible. Since the access to the top is via a section of the long-distance Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST), you can, of course, create rides of longer distances and difficulties. But this loop is a great spot to get started.

After departing the park and trailhead, you'll connect over to a narrow gulley in the foothills, known as Dry Gulch. Here you'll take a left onto the BST, and the climbing begins in earnest! After a short grunt up Dry Gulch, you'll break out onto a bench cut that traverses up and along the foothills, providing stunning views of the downtown Salt Lake skyline. There are still a few tough pitches, but you'll soon arrive at the top of the Bobsled Trail. Be sure to reference this map to find your turn-off if it's your first time out here. You'll pass a couple of trails that head downhill, although Bobsled is visibly more well-traveled. However, trail markings are poor or nonexistent in this zone.

Now it's time to rip! Bobsled is a fast, shreddy descent down a gulley with banked turns that feel like a bobsled track. Peppered throughout, you'll find fantastic jumps and drops of various sizes to challenge yourself on.

While it might seem that the line down the gulley should be clear-cut and obvious, there are actually several sections with dramatically different alternate lines. Usually, one line is of upper-intermediate difficulty, while the alternate line could easily approach expert-level if it leads to a substantial drop or gap jump. If you're riding by yourself the first time through, be sure to scout the features before committing. But if you can follow a local down, that's even better!

Highlights of the descent include the car jumps over ancient rusted-out automobiles, the massive banked turns, and the surprising places that the trail builders have worked in features. This is a true gem of a trail that will undoubtedly have you coming back again and again!

Note that the final steep drop back to the park mapped here might be even more difficult than most of the Bobsled Trail, as it descends a steep, loose, eroded, fall-line social trail. You can divert around it on the pavement if you so choose. Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

Segments

NameDistanceElev. Diff.Avg. Grade
Park2Dirt0.56 mi210 ft7.1%
Proper Popper Non-Stopper5.99 mi-1,037 ft-0.1%
Gateway to Dry Creek0.38 mi180 ft8.9%
Popper Bobber (start of sidewalk to the road)5.55 mi-1,010 ft-0.2%
Up the bike path!0.15 mi85 ft10.2%
Up Dry Gulch Down Bobsled Entry 24.84 mi-942 ft-0.5%
Dry Creek to 2nd Lookout2.36 mi679 ft5.4%
Up Dry Creek1.55 mi561 ft6.6%
Dry Creek Up1.32 mi525 ft7.5%
Dry Creek to Switchback1.00 mi443 ft8.2%
BST Dry Creek down Bobsled 4.74 mi-843 ft-0.2%
NEW DRY CREEK SEGMENT1.50 mi561 ft7.0%
Dry Creek to Bobsled 3.22 mi833 ft4.6%
Dry Creek to Wait...0.93 mi410 ft8.3%
Dry Creek Climb1.22 mi495 ft7.7%
That one effing switchback...0.19 mi115 ft11.0%
Can you make it0.33 mi144 ft8.2%
Dry Creek Kick0.31 mi131 ft7.8%
Final Sprint to lookout0.18 mi26 ft1.4%
And then you go up some more1.92 mi292 ft2.1%
Lunch Time1.09 mi256 ft4.4%
im gonna make you puke0.32 mi46 ft1.2%
Upper Tomahawk Climb0.91 mi276 ft5.6%
Grassy Knoll0.13 mi102 ft14.0%
Darth Fader0.38 mi177 ft8.8%
Grassy Hill Climb0.51 mi174 ft6.3%
Topout to 4-way1.16 mi-597 ft-9.7%
Entry 2 to top of bike park0.82 mi-551 ft-12.5%
The Real Full Bobsled1.60 mi-902 ft-10.7%
Upper-Middle Bobsled0.91 mi-548 ft-11.3%
Full Bobsled to Tree1.41 mi-840 ft-11.3%
Upper Bobsled Entry 20.21 mi-243 ft-21.5%
Upper Bobsled1.66 mi-837 ft-9.5%
Full Bobsled DH1.88 mi-899 ft-9.0%
Full Sled w/ climb out1.46 mi-846 ft-10.6%
Bobsled main trail to tree1.17 mi-627 ft-10.2%
Mid-Bob0.50 mi-269 ft-9.9%
Lower Bobsled0.58 mi-299 ft-9.6%
1minute of bob0.36 mi-174 ft-8.9%
Can't Stop, Won't Stop!0.04 mi39 ft16.6%
Peter's Drops0.09 mi-125 ft-24.5%