"Machinery" Trail

Wolf Creek Canyon Trailhead

Welcome to the trail!

This is one of those repeat favorite trails for our family - we’ve hiked it many times in many seasons. It is dry well before the rest of the higher Powder Mountain trails in the spring, has plenty of shade for a mid-summer tromp, and offers some lovely foliage in the fall. (I would imagine it would be a pretty good snowshoe spot, too, but we haven’t ventured on it in winter yet.) We call it the Machinery Trail for obvious reasons; the old conveyor belt at the end is a perfect tyke hike destination! (Does anyone have any idea why or how the equipment got there? My googling has resulted in zero answers, so if you have a clue, please let me know!) Thanks to our good friends for introducing us to this one! It’s a fave, for sure. Let’s hike the “Machinery” Trail!

How to get there

Drive 3.8 miles past Valley Market in Eden North towards Powder Mountain on Highway 158. Park here, on the left just past the gate that closes the Powder Mountain Road in extreme conditions. It’s really just a pull out on the side of the road, so there are no restroom facilities and only space for a handful of cars.

Trail at a glance

Total distance: 0.65 miles one way (1.3 miles round trip out and back)

Elevation gain (loss): ~200 feet (it starts slightly uphill for 0.1 miles then is downhill all the way to the end, so you’re climbing gradually upwards for most of the return trip)

Destination: an old conveyor belt near the creek with views of the valley, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain

Tyke perks: giant dirt hill and machinery to climb on, creek, acorn hunting, long log “benches”

Notable flora: maple, scrub oak, choke cherry, sage brush, burdock (these are those big brown burrs that get stuck in your socks!), snake grass, red twig dogwood, dyer’s woad (you can pick it here, too!), wild flowers (wild geranium, arrowleaf balsamroot, mules ear, mountain dandelion (and regular dandelions, too))

Fascinating fauna: butterflies, birds, moose, deer

Watch out for: moose (I’ve never seen one, but there are always prints on the trail, so I know they’re around)

While you’re hiking

From your car you have two choices for starting your hike: you can follow the upper (toward Powder Mountain) service road past the metal gate or you can begin near the trailhead sign a few feet down (toward Eden) near the creek. Either option will get you to the same place, so pick one and start hiking. (Note: you can turn this hike into a tiny loop by returning to your car via the opposite trail you started on!)

In 0.1 mile, you’ll arrive at convergence of trails/roads. Take the wide path that leads to the left/downward. You’ll be walking through a canopy of oak and maple trees here. It’s an easy, shady (in the morning and evening) decline and wide enough for everyone to walk side-by-side if you wish. (Note: another reason I love this trail is that we rarely see anyone else on it, especially bikers! It’s peaceful and fairly secluded for being so near a highway.)

After about 0.4 miles, there will be a big clearing in the trees. There are two long logs off to your right that make a nice resting spot, and a huge dirt hill straight ahead that is irresistible to little climbers and sliders. (Note: The first time we hiked here, we weren’t aware of the machinery beyond and were happy to make this our destination. Maybe you and your tykes will want to do the same.)

To continue on to the conveyor belt, turn left at the clearing and stay on your downward walk through the trees and sage brush for another 0.2 miles. Turn right as you come out of the “tree tunnel” and cross the creek (there is a large pipe that funnels the water under the trail so no wet feet necessary!) to the conveyor belt. You have arrived! My kids always climb up on the equipment to eat their snack. (Note: it does leave their hands black from the old rubber belt - no worries, it’s easily washed off!) The return route to your car is back up the way you came.

If you have hiked on any of the trails I’ve shared, send me your photos (just hit reply to this email) and I’ll feature them in the next newsletter! And I’d love to hear if you have any feedback on these guides so I can make them as useful as possible. Happy trails!