Trail building is expensive. We need your help!
- Materials and labor are covered by grants.
- Working with the city and building this website are not.
Become a member today and help us cover the costs outside of the physical trail building!
The Alpenbock Loop is a short, 1.2-mile hiking trail that provides access to some of Utah’s most famous climbing routes as well as stunning views of Little Cottonwood Canyon and dramatic granite buttresses.
In one of our very first projects, Trails Utah partnered with the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA), and the Salt Lake Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, to help make this long sought-after trail a reality.
While Trails Utah focused on the main west and east segments of the loop trail, SLCA hired crews to concentrate on access trails to the climbs and the construction of belay pads to provide for a safer climbing experience and reduce trampling damage at the climbing route base areas.
Become a member today and help us cover the costs outside of the physical trail building!
Alpenbock Loop was named in honor of the Alpenbock Climbing Club, based in Salt Lake City and active in the late 50s to mid 60s.
Club members were some of the very first to climb and establish many of the classic climbing routes in Little Cottonwood Canyon and included former Salt Lake City Mayor, Ted Wilson (father to current Salt Lake County Mayor, Jenny Wilson), as well as Rick Reese, one of the originators of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail concept.
Their feats sparked a new era for the sport of technical climbing in Little Cottonwood Canyon and in the world of outdoor recreation.
Today, more than 1,600 routes are recognized in the canyon, drawing hundreds of climbers from around the country to test their mettle on the legendary granite crags found there.
On any day during warmer months, you are sure to see climbers dangling from ropes, plying their skills, high above the Alpenbock Loop Trail.
The Grit Mill Connector Trail, which extends up canyon from the eastern tip of the loop. was named after a mid-20th Century poultry grip production facility that was removed in 2014 as part of the remediation of the site.
The granite grit produced at this mill was supplied to turkey farms in the area where it was fed to the birds to help with digestion.
The massive boulders sprinkled below the Grit Mill Trail and Alpenbock Loop comprise one of the most popular bouldering areas for climbers along the Wasatch Front.
Trailhead access is via Little Cottonwood Rd and the LCC Park-N-Ride. Here’s a link with a map.
The hiking and climbing trail network was built and is maintained through a private – public partnership comprised of Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, Trails Utah, US Forest Service, Mountain Accord, Singletrack Trails, Jeep Conservation Team, REI, US Dept of Agriculture, Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Department of Natural Resources, Wasatch Legacy Project, US Dept of Transportation, and Cottonwood Canyons Foundation.
While grants cover some costs, donations and membership dollars are crucial for ongoing planning and environmental reviews. Consider supporting Trails Utah through donations or becoming a sustaining member.
