Little Emigration Canyon
(Donner-Reed Trail*)
Little Emigration Canyon trail follows the path originally made by the Donner Party. It is a fun single track with multiple creek crossings (some of which are moderately technical) There are signs along the way telling you the various camp sites of the pioneers. After struggling across the beaver ponds and up the creek bed you will have a greater respect for the pioneers who blazed this trail!
How to get there: Head up I-80 towards Park City. Take exit 143 for Jeremy Ranch. Turn left at the stop sign, then right on Jeremy Ranch Road. You will pass the clubhouse on your right. Go through 2 stop signs and follow the road until the pavement ends. Turn left up East Canyon Road (gravel) for 4 miles. The trailhead is on the left (signed Mormon Flats)
Length: 8.5 miles out and back, or combine this with Big Mountain for a great extended ride!
Click on the thumbnails below for a larger version.
Great
singletrack!
Stream
crossing.
More
great singletrack!
On
top of Big Mountain.
* I know I will probably receive a lot of criticism for not following the local Utah tradition of calling this the "Mormon Trail". But in reality the Mormons did not blaze any of these trails, they simply followed were others had gone before. In this case, the ill fated Donner-Reed party of 1846, it wasn't until 1847 that the Mormons followed this trail, therefore I feel it properly should be named the Donner-Reed Trail. Should a trail be named for it's creator, or for the party with the greatest number of users? I feel the creator deserves the credit.
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