About Dry Gulch Trail Head
Dry Gulch Trail Head offers a flexible, scenic outdoor experience ideal for active families, mountain bikers, and hikers. It's unique for its accessible trail that leads through a slot canyon with shady sections and provides stunning views, allowing visitors to choose their distance and pace. Its dog-friendly nature and shared multi-use paths promote a respectful outdoor community.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families seeking a flexible duration hike or bike ride.Morning outdoor exercise with children.Dog walks, especially for dogs who enjoy trails.Mountain biking outings for families with experienced riders.A refreshing activity on a summer morning when seeking shade.
Why families love it
- Very flexible trail length, allowing families to go as far or as little as they like, without a set destination.
- Features a beautiful single trail in a slot canyon with shady sections (especially lower down in the gulch), offering a pleasant environment.
- Multi-use trail suitable for biking, hiking, and walking, providing diverse activity options.
- Dog-friendly with poop bags available at the trailhead, making it easy to bring pets along.
- Mountain bikers reported to be very courteous, using bells to alert hikers, ensuring a shared, safe experience.
- Offers a rewarding 'great view from the top' for those who hike further up to areas like Limekiln.
Insider tips
- **Arrive early:** Visit in the morning, especially on nice days or during summer, to avoid crowds and hotter temperatures.
- **Bring water:** Essential for everyone, especially if bringing dogs, as no water is available on the trail.
- **Be prepared for altitude:** If not acclimated to higher elevations, expect the 'slight incline' to be more challenging.
- **Consider a bell for bikes:** If mountain biking, a bell is helpful and appreciated by hikers for safety and courtesy.
- **Plan your distance:** There's no set turnaround point, so decide how far you want to go before starting, especially with kids.
- **Check parking access:** Navigate to the dirt parking area via the Jewish center parking lot.
Good to know before you go
- Evening on nice days if you prefer a less crowded experience.
- If you require easy access to public restrooms.
- If you need stroller access for the entire trail due to 'rocks to climb over' and 'single trail' sections.
- If you or your children are highly sensitive to heat, avoid hiking in the mid-day sun, especially in higher, less shaded sections.
- Can become incredibly crowded in the evening on nice days, which might detract from a family's peaceful experience.
- Crowds
- Incredibly crowded in the evening on nice days.
- Value
- No entrance fee mentioned; assumed free access. Offers excellent value as a natural, outdoor recreational space without a cost, providing varied activity options and scenic beauty.
- Food
- No explicit food policy, but visitors should bring their own snacks and water as there are no facilities on site. The lack of water for dogs implies a BYO approach.
- Accessibility
- Not specifically designed for strollers or wheelchairs due to 'single trail' sections and 'a few rocks to climb over'.
- Safety
- Mountain bikers are described as 'very courteous' and using bells, contributing to a safer shared trail experience.
What parents say
"Very nice trail for biking, hiking, walking etc. Biked here many times, it’s lovely in the morning, but can be incredibly crowded in the evening on nice days. This is a trail entrance and there is no set place to go. You can go as far back as you like from this point."
a week ago
"Rode my MTB on this trail up to BobSled - maybe 3 miles one way. Started in the UofU campus and hit the trails right up behind the hospital. I'm from "sea level" and this little climb smoked me (I hadn't acclimated to the altitude)! It is a beautiful single trail in a slot canyon, windy, slight incline, shady in some spots. A few rocks to climb over (or walk over if you so choose). The ride down was a hoot and my bell came in handy for the hikers."
7 months ago
"Great early morning hike in summer. First part while in gulch is shady lots of scrub oak and tiny stream in parts. Once higher up much hotter less shade. I'm 6 months pregnant and did fine. Lots of side trails but easy to stay on main trail. Started at dry gulch trailhead and hiked a little past limekiln turn-off. 45 min hike (longer for me cuz I'm pregnant.) Only saw mountain bikers and trail runners occasionally (hiked Monday morning.) MTB's very courteous. Was easy to hear them coming and step to side. Dirt parking area at bottom (go thru Jewish center parking lot to reach.) No bathroom. Do"
9 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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