Running more mountain trails was an item on my Updated Bucket List, and Amy and I chose to run the Highline Trail in Logan during my YEAR 77. We met at 8 am on Friday morning and drove to First Dam where the trail begins. I could not find the length of this trail in any of the guide books, so as a small adventure, we decided to run to the end to find the answer. There is a grassy park near First Dam and this trail, as well as several others, begins near this park. Crossing under the highway through a tunnel, then climbing a short way up the mountain is the trail-head of several trails. The Highline Trail extends east up the Canyon, stays high on the north side of the highway along the old water line, and provides a unique perspective of Logan and Cache Valley to the west.
We ran to the end of the trail, and although my ability to estimate distance by running is not as good as it used to be, I now have an App on my cell phone (Strava) that tells me an exact distance - the trail is 2 miles one-way. We ventured off the end of the trail, walked a ways up the highway, and spotted a steep, narrow, trail back up the mountain to the level we had been on when running the Highline Trail. We climbed the steep trail and walked a ways eastward on the new trail we found. It was so overgrown that we decided not to go very far and went back down to the highway. We found a bridge, crossed the highway, and found the River Trail, which goes back to First Dam on the south side of the highway, so we ran back down that trail.
The air was a little chilly when we first began, but was very comfortable the rest of the morning. Amy is always enthusiastic and has a great personality -- and with the superb scenery in the canyon, and the fun conversation, it was a very enjoyable morning run. We ran and walked about 5 miles; not an exhausting workout, but a lot of fun. Below are a few of the photos taken during our run.
From the left-1st row: The beginning of the Highline Trail (after climbing a steep trail from the First Dam level); the next two photos are at the end of the Highline Trail.
2nd row: The "new trail" we found east of the Highline Trail - not sure where it goes and didn't follow it very far; a fisherman took our photo as we began following the River Trail back to First Dam; Amy showing her "7-pin."
3rd row: Map of the River Trail on the South side of the Highway.
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A Little History: Logan Canyon has always had a large number of hiking trails, but in recent years Logan City has developed an expanded system of trails that can be used for walking, running or cycling as you wish and have added some good signage. There are several trails that begin near the First Dam area. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a 2-mile trail that runs from the north along the foothills between Green Canyon and Logan Canyon, with the trail-head near First Dam. There are two trails leaving the First Dam area and going into Logan Canyon. They begin by going through a tunnel under the highway and turning to the east. The River Trail stays low along the highway and follows Logan River 3.7 miles up to Third Dam. There are several entry/exit points along the trail, including Second Dam, Bridger Campground and Spring Hollow Campground. The Highline Trail, like it's name implies, has a steep accent up to a point where it then stays quite level as it winds up the canyon, way above the highway. The Canyon Road Trail goes west from the dam against the cliff along Canyon Road, then turns behind the homes and follows the canal to a dead end on about 5th East. You can then follow a sidewalk which eventually ends in Merlin Olsen Park (the old Central Park where I went ice skating as a kid). From within Merlin Olsen Park a trail continues west into Logan City's business district, or another goes east and arrives at the Denzil Stewart Nature Park. Also, you can drive to the River Golf Course west of town and walk a beautiful 1-mile trail that winds along Logan River under a shady canopy of trees.
While Bonnie and I were in Logan during November of 2016 I walked part of the Highline Trail with Amy, Barbara, and Quent. We didn't go to the end of the trail, which is why I wanted to try it again to see how far it went into the canyon. Below are a few photos taken while we were walking the Trail last November. Unfortunately, some people who have no respect for property or the beautiful outdoors have left their graffiti behind.
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