ATV Adventures: My Farmington Canyon ride – the rest of the story
-
- A view from the saddle below the towers.
-
- A view of the valley from a lower switchback on the Farmington Canyon Road.
-
- Coming up from the flats after negotiating a trail on the Parrish Lakes Loops system.
-
- A view of the Farmington Ponds from the road above.
Last week I related the story of visiting the middle of three Smith’s Creek Lakes north of the Francis Peak radar towers. This is the site where the September 18, 2026, tornado did the most damage. There is more to the story, and this is it.
Four machines left Cherry Lane in Layton, planning to ride the Parrish Lake Loops Trail southwest of Farmington Canyon. One of 15 trails listed in the Young Powersports/mylocalutah.com 2026 Ride Utah Challenge booklet available at all Young Powersports Dealerships and the offices of My Local Utah at 80 W. Antelope Drive. The Challenge is to ride five of the 15 trails within the calendar year to receive swag bags from both sponsors.
I had ridden four of these trails. The Parrish Lake Loops Trail would finish the Challenge for me. We climbed the Farmington Canyon Road and turned right at the junction at the top of the canyon, then right again at the next junction.
This road takes you around on the west side of the mountain to the Parrish Lake Loops and the Bountiful B staging area. A couple of viewpoints along this road let you enjoy the beautiful views of Antelope Island and the valley. The views are worth it.
This road also passes the Farmington Ponds. These peaceful ponds provide a pleasant place to enjoy a quiet moment or a stop for lunch. I noticed that buck and pole fences have been installed to prevent ATV access down to the edge of the ponds.
Leaving the ponds, the road turns and climbs, bringing you to another remarkable view. It is one of the ponds below, the radar towers on Francis Peak, and ranks of mountains to the north. It is a view I like to stop for a minute to enjoy.
The larger of two other viewpoints on this road is a place my wife and I found sego lilies blooming. We never know when we’ll come across a patch of these interesting flowers. I also noticed buck and pole fences blocking both ends of a trail that begins across the road from this pullout. Riders have used it illegally to get around a snowdrift that blocks the road here in the spring.
We proceeded south to the sign marking the north entrance to the Parrish Lakes Loops Trail. The trail drops down onto a flat on the side of the mountain. The sign says loops, but I have only ridden one.
The trail descends through a tree-lined section to the flat. Someone had set up camp there. I was surprised, but it was a secluded place to camp. From there, the trail loops through a tight section, crosses a stream, and makes a challenging climb back to the top.
Having accomplished the purpose of our ride, we started thinking about lunch. We turned back toward Farmington Canyon looking for a good place to enjoy a break. Coming to the junction, we turned right toward Farmington Flats. We found exactly what we were looking for – a picnic table.
While we ate, we talked about the lack of snow. That is when we decided to see if conditions on the trail were good enough to reach the second Smith Creek Lake and view the tornado damage. We packed up and headed for the junction at the top of Farmington Canyon.
We turned right at the junction and headed for the towers. As we reached the saddle below the towers, we noticed the gate blocking access to the radar towers was open. We weren’t going to miss that opportunity, so we took the road to the top.
Years before the road was gated, I had enjoyed this view from the radar facility many times. I was excited to see it again. The view is better than the one from the saddle below.
I showed my friends a steep trail on the peak’s northeast side. I told them that in my younger days, I had ridden a 1993 Suzuki King Quad 300 down that trail and back to the top. It was so steep coming up that I had to lean over the handlebars with my nose almost on the bumper. Nobody thought that it was a smart thing to do.
The rest of the ride was about viewing the tornado damage at Smith Lakes. We rode down the mountain, finishing a 66-mile ride. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and discover this mountain retreat for yourself.
Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.
