Mueller Park Trail

Mueller Park is perhaps the single most popular ribbon of singletrack in all of Davis County. Meandering upward from midway up Mueller Canyon, Mueller Park (hardly anyone says “Mueller Park Trail”) introduces legions of Bountiful, UT residents to the wonders of the foothills. Mueller Park gives hikers the most accessible version of an “island in the sky” experience in all the Wasatch, transitioning rapidly as you gain altitude from the sagebrush ocean of the valley’s high desert to alpine vegetation featuring evergreens and fir trees as one approaches the top of the trail. Hikeable year-round with the city of Bountiful less than half a mile distant from the trailhead, hikers will find in Mueller an absolutely delightful way to spend an hour, or an easy escape route to access the high foothills and secluded and accessible campsites.

While most people hike Mueller Park for the gentleness of its grade and the variety of ecotones that lie along the trail, others hike Mueller because it is perhaps the least-exposed of any of the foothill trails in the northern Wasatch Mountains. The trail doesn’t rise sharply until after Elephant Rock, which many hikers, runners, and bikers use as a convenient turnaround point. Trees shelter the trail along its whole length. Perennial streams run along and cut through the trail. Hikers can find shade and cool air nearly all summer and shelter from snow and hail under the canopy in the winter. The sun doesn’t beat down on the trail as it does many other lower-elevation hikes in Utah. Mueller Park also stands nearly unrivaled among similar hikes as a prime place to see megafauana of all kinds since it advances upward to elevations and ecosystems frequented by bears, elk, and moose. Deer are nearly a given, no matter the time of day.

All of these factors add up to Mueller’s only downfall: crowding. On weekends or on afternoons during the week, people pack the trail in numbers rarely seen outside of Utah’s national parks. The trail began life as a dirt bike trail and has since become popular with mountain bikers. In addition to fauna ranging from mule deer to moose, hikers should expect everyone from infant hikers to octogenarian motorcycle riders. Bring your kindness and your courtesy. They will both be needed, particularly as you search for a parking spot. But the very gentleness of the trail, the fantastic view from Elephant Rock of the valley and the lake, and the feeling of having utterly escaped at Rudys Flat will make the effort worthwhile.

This route shows the trail in its entirety, from the trailhead to Rudys Flat, where it meets the North Canyon Trail. Most hikers will want to stop at the midpoint, which, conveniently, falls on the incredibly scenic Elephant Rock landmark, a massive spire of white jutting from the slope about 3.2 miles up the trail, and where considerate land managers have installed benches just above the rock. Rudys Flat sits on a saddle between short peaks along the ridgeline above Bountiful. Many people will use Rudys Flat as the turnaround for a day hike or as their final destination if they want to camp at its several established sites overnight. Either way, crowds or no, it's hard not to fall in love with the trail.

This guide describes the full Mueller Park Trail ending at Rudys Flat. Most hikers will turn around at Elephant Rock, nearly exactly midway up the trail, making for a 6-mileish round trip. The full 12-and-change mile trail is just long enough to qualify as a day hike but shouldn’t take experienced hikers more than a few hours to complete. The climb is, for lack of a better word, graceful, and the trail is well-shaded for its whole length. There are generally few challenging areas and the only true obstacles you will encounter will be other people. A lot of them. Luckily, Mueller Park accommodates even crowds; it is fun at night, in the winter, in the rain, in the summer, or in the earliest of early mornings so you should be able to find a time to go when it will be less congested. This humble author recommends against visiting on the weekend.

Which brings us to the first, and only real obstacle: parking. The trail begins at a parking lot which can accommodate about a dozen cars. If you park further up Mueller Canyon Rd., you will have an easier time finding a spot. Cross the wood bridge over Kenney Creek and you’re on the trail. If you pass the gates, you’ve entered a fee area and you’ll have to pay to park. Beware of Kenney Creek, as well. It runs cold and fast pretty much all year long so keep the little ones and dogs near. But be sure to bring them: Mueller is a great trail for both kids and pups.

The first mile switches back up to a gentle traverse. Low oaks overhang the trail, along with some mighty older trees. While wildflowers are few here, the trail is hardpack and the light mottled, which make for a pleasant experience on their own. The switchbacks are fairly gentle. About a mile in, deposits of mica sprinkle the trail with iridescent, paper-thin, golden shards of the mineral up to the size of a quarter. Very neat, but difficult to pack out. Be aware down here for bikers, as this area in particular runs fast with short sight-lines, though you have the right of way.

The trail levels to a traverse after a large switchback a little over a mile up, bordered by felled logs under a canopy of birch trees. The trail follows the contours of the ridgeline, offering peeks of Elephant Rock jutting brilliantly white above you. Once the trail levels, the mule deer start to come out. They are there at all times of day and all year. While everything from moose to rattlesnakes live in Mueller Park proper, the deer seem to flaunt their presence here. This is also where the wood bridges begin. As a rule the trail is hardpack enough that it isn’t affected by rain but the wood bridges are an important exception. They are well-constructed but begin to appear at every drainage and along unstable passages in the slope. While they are sturdy, they are narrow and become slick with moisture. Be aware when approaching them of other trail users.

By the time you reach Elephant Rock, the trail has flattened out as much as it ever will. If you’re turning around here, it’s worthwhile to stop at the benches and take in the view of Davis County toward the lake. If you’re feeling mountain goat-like, feel free to very carefully take a selfie on the rock. If you’re headed up, this is where life gets interesting.

The trail after Elephant Rock pitches upward quickly and starts to evince a more alpine attitude. Because fewer people keep going after Elephant Rock, this is where you’ll start to see moose and even elk. The trail becomes sandy and littered with jagged sandstone fins. This lasts for about a mile because the trail changes yet again after a sandpit of a switchback that leads to a staircase of roots. The trail becomes loamy, pine needle-carpeted, and narrows down. Some fireweed or bluebells appear in the gaps in the canopy. The trail follows the drainages and rolls somewhat steeply upward before flattening out in the last third of a mile to Rudys Flat.

At Rudys Flat, you’ll find old campsites clustered in grassy clearings, bushy juniper and tall fir trees, and, generally, at least one bee hive. From here, you can see along the ridgeline to the west as it rises toward North Salt Lake and the point of the mountain. You can take a load off and rest, converse with the mountain bikers or motos who are continuing on to North Canyon, or set up camp. Dispersed camping is free along the ridge and Rudys is a great place to take advantage. Or just bask in the quiet before you head back down.