If you're in the Utah area, specifically the Salt Lake City area, then you need to travel south into the American Fork Mountains for some beginner trailheads along with some of the most peaceful and mind blowing views. If you're wanting some peace and quiet with a few dead zones but where you don't even realize you've spent almost four hours in the mountain this is the place for you.
Granted I'm not an experienced trailhead traveler by any means but this one will definitely teach you on whether or not you can trust yourself and if you trust your vehicle. You'll go up the mountain feeling confidant but let me tell you, you'll end up coming down the mountain humbled by its vast display of ginormous magnitude and in the fact that you weren't as experienced a driver as you thought! Where the adult/s may learn if you have children its a peaceful and truly fun experience-well depending how you make of it anyway.
I'm already in a sense incorporating homeschooling into my kids daily experiences and my mom is assisting or primarily enforcing them at this point because of my work. My youngest in 2020 is closing in on turning three when I decide to take this adventure. So I purposely ask for the day off and plan the adventure for my mom and two kiddos. We pack up snacks and lunches because along the route of this trailhead there's a beautiful riverbed/creek bed area; so my plan was for us to enjoy the trailhead in the vehicle and then on the turn back we have our picnic lunch by the river for the children to experience the quiet serene that is nature. I load up the vehicle with the necessities for emergencies: my kids extra pair of clothes (as my oldest is already potty trained and my youngest is almost perfect now at potty training), extra shoes to clean off dirt/dust, alcohol wipes, baby wipes, emergency water, water filled canteens, weatherproof warm jackets (because no joke the moment you enter the mouth of the mountains the temperatures drops from where you started), Clorox wipes, picnic cushion blanket, and my traveling toddler potty. My mom and kiddos are loaded up and we are rocking and rolling!
You'll drive towards the Lehi city and exit going towards W Timpanogos Hwy (92) where you'll enter into the Timpanogos Cave National Park and Mountain Ridges. Going through Lehi is beautiful and you won't forget it!
You'll go onto W Alpine Loop Rd to a trailhead entrance thats a dirt road and the journey begins into the American Fork Mountains. You'll be then officially taking the American Fork Canyon Rd and the entrance to the trailhead is after you pass a very cool mountain top lake (since the road takes you up in elevation before entering into the trailhead).
My family and I had already taken the main road through these mountains but definitely not into this hidden gem. My mom was thinking it was going to be smooth sailing and no risk or concern...I pointed out the riverbed we would be stopping at on the way back when we starting our incline up the mountain on some of the narrow and rock edge areas of the trail. Lots of rock, bumpy ride, and the children excited at the views and at the drop off we are driving alongside!
My mom being in the passenger seat is a little more on hedge but continually admits there is something so spell binding when you're up in the mountains (whether Utah, Colorado, New Mexico-just this specific experience is Utah). I think so many people focus on the red rock or red rock mountain areas of the state that they don't expand upon the other beautiful areas and mountain national parks, not just the ski cities like that of Park City. Don't get me wrong! We love the Park City area and the drive but that's not all that Utah has to offer...
Unfortunately we didn't get to go all the way to the end and then turn back, nope! The plan turned challenging and fun and courageous when we had to stop for a potty break.
There was an easy turnaround at the end of the trailhead (which was only a 4.73 something mile long trailhead) but we had to make the turnaround at the halfway point! We had already finished the dangerous part of the incline and it wouldn't been some smooth sailing but my mother mentioned to us that as a way to get back and then enjoy the riverbed. So there I go driving into a turn around to go back down the mountain. Yes, you guessed it I didn't have some souped up SUV but I definitely tested the limits and constraints of a trust worthy manufacturer and their 4x4 all wheel drive. It didn't disappoint, oh and for the records the vehicles in the mountain states ARE different then the typical baseline vehicles I the southern states....
We made our way back down the mountain to the river bed. Now that for me I felt was the more treacherous part because of the breaking and ABS breaks kicking in but damn if I didn't trust my vehicle and my ability in this moment more than ever! My mom wasn't having mini heart attacks anymore being on thee drop off so she enjoyed the view more. Then we had the most fun when we had vehicles on our side, not once on the drive up but again on the drive back down. We parked at the little spot where the riverbed and check points was on the trailhead; I could almost feel my mom sigh in relief and I'm pretty sure she was tempted to kiss the ground at that point!
We got out our stuff to set up, relax to the soothing sounds of nature and the peacefully eerie silence in the mountain...you don't get moments like that unless you're in the moment believe me...not even in some retreat is it the same. God truly made magnificence in areas such as these.
So if you live in Utah and you haven't ventured here, commit and take the drive! If you are looking for a unique experience and somewhere new this is a spot for you. Don't take my word for it though! Try it and let me know how your experience was!
Sincerely,
A Distinct Woman
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