Wild Rose/Chukkar Loop Trail

The Trail
This trail is a loop trail with several different route options along the way. We decided to start our hike going south on the Wild Rose Loop to the Chukkar Loop. We then followed the Chukkar Loop until it met up with the Wild Rose Loop again. The maps below, and the trail information included, follows this path.  If you do this route, your trail will be an easy to moderate 2 miles long with a 358 foot elevation change.

Topographical Map (Blue = Wild Rose & Chukkar Loop; Red = "View Point" Trail

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Earth (Yellow = Wild Rose & Chukkar Loop; Red = "View Point" Trail

The trail starts from the park. If you are heading south, you will soon come to a "shortcut" trail (marked by the blue flag in the topographical map). This shortcut will cut off the southern-most section of the Wild Rose Loop if you take it. If you continue on, you will come to a three way split in the trail about 0.3 mile into your trip (marked by a green flag in the topographical map). From here, you can turn and head north to continue the Wild Rose Loop (not shown on map), you can head south along the Chukkar Loop, or you can turn northwest to head out to the view point on the ridge (this section of the trail is in red on the maps above).

There is lots of wild rose on the south end of the trail

First part of Chukkar Loop

If you continue along the Chukkar or Wild Rose Trails, your path will loop around. The Wild Rose Trail is popular for mountain bikers, but the Chukkar Trail is closed to bikes. You will cross a number of trails that are marked for use by bikes going downhill. There is a turn off at the red flag for the Woodbriar Game and Eagle Ridge Trails. There is an overlook point a little ways past this just off the main trail.

From the overlook on Wild Rose Loop

Looking down toward the trailhead and Wild Rose Park from the overlook

The trail marked in red on the maps heading to the view point actually continues to Ensign Peak eventually. The view point is at a bench about 0.3 miles up this section of trail. We only went about 1.3 miles up this section of trail; we didn't have time to go to Ensign Peak.

Graph of Elevation for the "View Point" Trail

"View Point" Trail

View from near the bench "view point"

Dogs are permitted on these trails. Just be sure to clean up after your dog! You can go here for a more complete map of these trails.

Directions
This trail is located in Davis County in North Salt Lake. If you are coming from north of North Salt Lake City, take I-15 to exit 314. Turn left onto Center Street and then turn right when you reach 130 East. Turn right again at Orchard Dr. When you reach the traffic circle, take the third exit onto Eagle Ridge Dr. Continue 1.6 miles up this windy road and then turn right onto Eagle Pointe Dr. Last, turn left onto Sky Crest Lane and continue until you reach Wild Rose Trailhead Park at the end of the road.

If you are coming from south of the area, take I-15 to exit 312.  Continue along Hwy 89 to Eagle Ridge Dr. Turn right, and go straight at the traffic circle. Continue from Eagle Ridge Drive to the Wild Rose Trailhead Park, as explained above.

Bucktank Draw to Birthday Arch

The Trail
This easy trail is 5.25 miles round trip with a 502 foot elevation change if you do the entire thing. Most of the trail just follows the wash. Going just to the arch is 2.2 miles (one way).

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation (round trip of entire hike)

Trail in Google Earth

To begin the trail, you first following a path down to a gate and enter a wash. As you walk along this wash, your path will alternate between sand and rock.

Close the gate

As you continue up the wash, you will come to some pour overs. Some of these can be easily climbed, but the larger ones have paths to the right that go up and around them.

You must follow the wash until you see the arch off to your right (west) and then make your way up to it. After leaving the wash, there is no official trail. There is a good place to make your way out of the wash and head toward the arch about 1.8 miles into the hike (marked by a red flag in the topographical map - N37 04.396 W111 43.346).

Arch as seen in distance from the wash

You will have search out a way to get up the rocks right below the arch, but we didn't have any problem finding a doable approach.

Birthday Arch

From the arch, you will be able to see a slot canyon on the opposite side of the wash. If you wish you visit it, you can hike back down to the wash and follow it until it crosses another smaller wash (marked by the blue flag in the topographical map - N37 04.180 W111 43.741) stemming from this slot canyon. It is another .7 mile from the arch to this slot canyon.

The slot canyon is on the left, as seen from the arch

Approaching the slot canyon

The slot canyon is very short and deep. There does not appear to be possibility of continuing up it after you reach the end of this first section, but perhaps if you are an experienced climber you could find a way.

From the slot canyon, you can simply follow the wash back to the trailhead.

Directions
This trail is located in Kane County, Utah at mile 9.75 along Hwy 89. It is about 54 miles from Kanab, and 17.3 miles from the Carl Hayden Visitor's Center near Page, Arizona. Finding the trailhead can be a bit challenging since there is nothing to mark the presence of the trail. You must park on the south side of Hwy 89 at mile 9.75 just on the west of a metal railing there. Since there is no parking lot or sign, it is best to just watch the road mile markers.