ATV Adventures: Taking a new track on Shoshone OHV Trail in Northern Utah
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- The viewpoint on the Curtis Creek Trail that opens up to the beautiful mountains and valleys to the east.
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- Riding the Curtis Creek Trail to Randolph.
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- Riding a section of the new trail we took on the Shoshone Trail System.
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- Lynn Blamires
The Curtis Creek Trailhead is one of the access points to the Shoshone OHV Trail System. It is popular because it’s so close to some of Utah’s best mountain ATV trails and it is only a mile east of the Monte Cristo Campground, which is northeast of Huntsville.
Parking is a problem because there is very little space available. First, parking on either side of the Curtis Trail itself was closed and then a space on a curve a half a mile east of the trailhead was closed.
There is a parking strip on the north side of Highway 39 just east of the trailhead, but it will only handle about four trucks with trailers. The south side of the highway is posted with “no parking” signs on either side of the road down to the curve mentioned, with the exception of the legal parking space.
Parking options are much better for street-legal machines. On this ride, we went past the curve and found parking on the south side of the highway where there were no signs restricting parking. That left only a mile of pavement to reach the trailhead. Dry Bread Pond has plenty of parking. It is about halfway between the snowmobile parking lot and the Curtis Creek Trailhead, but you have more asphalt to travel.
Grant money was used to purchase about 18 acres of land at the trailhead about a year ago. This would provide ample parking and would be an advantage for non-street-legal ATVs, but I have not seen any development of the property yet.
My favorite part of this trail is between the trailhead and the junction that goes to Randolph. Well, and lunch at the Crawford Trough, of course. Once the turn is made and you drop off the mountain, the Old Canyon Road into town is basically a canyon with sage brush high on either side for about 10 miles. That stretch is not my favorite.
My interest in improving this ride caused me to pull out a Shoshone ATV Trail map and study the possibilities. By the way, I had to go to Idaho to learn that the “e” in Shoshone is silent, and that was just last week.
The trail to Randolph from Highway 39 is smooth and fun to ride. It goes through the deep, dark woods of tall pine trees with huge trunks and stands of aspen with their quaking leaves.
There is a point on the trail at an elevation of about 9,000 feet with beautiful views across the valley to the east. It is a place I like to stop and enjoy because the mountains stand in majestic ranks in the distance.
We made our turn at the junction and started our descent into the sage brush canyon and headed for lunch at the Crawford Trough. Paunches placated, we were back on the trail ready to find this new route.
We stopped at a saw mill just east of town and studied the operation. I am fascinated by the equipment used to prep wood for construction purposes.
We turned north and went around the reservoir. Finding New Canyon Road, we headed into the mountains.
This trail is smooth and fast. It took us due west for about 10 miles and then turned north on a twisty climb to about 8,200 feet.
We took trail No. 060 through a beautiful stretch of woods to a junction. Had we turned right, it would have taken us to Hardware Ranch. We turn left and found the fork to the Curtis Creek Road, which took us back to Highway 39 and our starting point, finishing a ride of about 75 miles.
I really enjoyed this new route. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and enjoy your own ATV Adventure on this beautiful section of the Shoshone trails.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.