Mountain biking Jacob's Ladder

June 29, 11:34 AMSalt Lake City Outdoor Recreation ExaminerJared Hargrave

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Dani Weigand begins the descent of Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder, located in Draper's Corner Canyon, is a good trail option among the network of mountain biking and hiking routes in the area. Corner Canyon itself features short, before work out-and-backs, long loops, steep hill-climbs, technical descents, nice scenery, and links to other trails such as the Bonneville Shoreline.

Although most bikers tend to stick to the Clark's Trail/Ghost Falls loop, Jacob's Ladder is a fun variation that extends the ride further up the canyon. The smooth single track of Clark's Trail is a stark contrast to the exposed rock spines, ledges, and steep descents of Jacob's Ladder, serving up some of the most technical riding in Corner Canyon. Further down trail, switchbacks through scrub oak forests with hairpin turns are the main feature.

There are many ways to get to Jacob's Ladder including driving to Traverse Ridge and riding east to the trail, grinding up Ghost Falls to the Jacob's Ladder Trailhead, or a recommended route of ascending Clark's Trail from the Equestrian Center to the top of Traverse Ridge, then winding through a maze of double track that ends up at Jacob's Ladder. From there, one can continue up Jacob's Ladder until it cliffs out, or descend the spine down to Ghost Falls Trail and back to the Equestrian Center to make one long loop.

This description is a simplification and it's easy to get lost because of all the side trails, spurs and forks-in-the-road. Picking up a Corner Canyon Regional Park trail map at any of the parking lots and trail heads is highly recommended.