ATV Adventures: A ride to Daniel’s Summit for lunch
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- One of the beautiful rock formations in Willow Creek Canyon on the trail to Daniel’s Summit.
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- Jesse Knight comes out at Bjorkman Hollow.
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- Wild flowers blanketed the meadows on our ride to Daniel’s Summit.
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- Dale Child of Layton comes out at Bjorkman Hollow.
We watched the weather for this ride. The chance of rain was running between 30 and 60 percent, and in my backcountry experience, the chances increase at higher altitudes. I was more concerned about the other riders in our group, because I am protected from the elements in my Polaris Xpedition.
Eight brave souls in five machines met at the Noblett’s Trailhead staging area east of Woodland to begin our ride. The weather turned out to be perfect. This ride is one of 15 in the 2026 Ride Utah Challenge, and this was my third attempt in as many weeks to complete the third of the five rides required to meet the Challenge’s requirements.
I had a thumb drive containing the GPS track for the trail, which I uploaded to my Ride Command and shared with Kirt Merrill, who was also driving an Xpedition. I was leading the ride, and Kirt was going to ride drag to keep the group together. Riding drag is a cattle-drive term cowboys use for riding in the back of the herd.
After gathering for a prayer, we headed out. We had a little over three miles of highway to ride before turning right onto the Mill Hollow Road. Passing the Mill Hollow Guard Station, we stopped to enjoy a view of Mill Hollow Reservoir. This pristine body of water is a perfect mountain retreat.
The altitude at the guard station was 8,000 feet, and the reservoir sits at 8,840 feet, so we were already high in the Uinta National Forest. At 9,760 feet, the road enters the Uintah & Ouray Reservation. We were on the rez for most of our ride.
As we crossed Harvy Meadow, we noted the beauty of the wild flowers. The hillsides and meadows were covered in a colorful blanket of red, blue, lavender, yellow, and white. My favorite mountain wildflower is the columbine, and these white flowers were plentiful on both sides of the trail.
We followed the West Fork of the Duchesne River until we crossed over it. 2.7 miles later, we crossed over the Little West Fork, whose source was just off the trail to our right. Our highest elevation on this ride was right at 10,000 feet, which we stayed at for only a little while before dropping down a few hundred feet to follow the Left Fork of Current Creek.
The trail we were on was fast and smooth. We were seeing a little of a lot of scenery as we followed Pass Creek. That changed when we turned onto a rocky section of the trail, which shifted our attention from the scenery to the rocks and how to avoid them.
After negotiating that section, we entered Willow Creek Canyon, following a creek by the same name. Beavers had been active here. We noted a plethora of willows and many beaver dams that quieted the water and supported the foliage. The trail was narrower, but quite smooth. We turned our attention back to the scenery.
At Bjorkman Hollow, we turned north following the Strawberry River. Turning left, we crossed over the river to the west and passed through an area popular with campers. In addition to the official campground at Mill Hollow Reservoir, we saw numerous places where people had found peace and quiet in the mountains.
Traveling west, we turned south onto a rocky trail that led to a steep descent to Highway 40. If you have ever come over Daniel’s Summit from Strawberry Reservoir, past the lodge, and wondered where that dirt road on the right that climbs straight up goes, it is the one we came down. We rode less than a mile on the highway to the lodge.
As we walked into the Lodge Pole Restaurant, I met Gary Johnson and Mike Pittman, who were also taking the Ride Utah Challenge. We compared notes and discussed the other trails they planned to take to complete the challenge. I enjoyed talking with them.
We were seated and enjoyed some great food at the lodge. I have stayed at this lodge before. They have some nice amenities, and their rustic ambiance is fun. After our lunch, we perused the general store, finding lots of things we wanted, but didn’t need. We took the same trail back, finishing a ride of about 71 miles. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and consider taking the Ride Utah Challenge.
Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.
