BST East City Creek - Partial

 The BST (Bonneville Shoreline Trail) East City Creek section is a thin trail that rises rather abruptly above lower City Creek Canyon. The trail features wildflowers, and some pretty nice views of the canyon and downtown. Unfortunately, my fear of heights kicked in, and I was unable to complete the trail today. But, here is the bit I was able to do.

Quick Details:

Length: It is about 1.5 miles one way (3 out and back). We did .68 out and back.
Trail Type: Out and back, connector. Loop option (on bike).
Difficulty: DR3. It was a climb, but not too crazy.
Elevation Gain: 525 feet. We did about 270 feet.
Restroom: There is a port-o-potty at the trailhead.
Dogs? Yes, leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take South Temple east, after State Street it will turn into 2nd Avenue. Take 2nd Avenue to B St and turn left. Take B Street all the way up, after the stop sign at 11th avenue, continue forward on what is now the one way Bonneville Boulevard. Go another 2/10ths of a mile and there will be a small parking lot on the left. If it is full there are also a few dirt pullouts.

Downtown (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

The Astra Tower (PSP). Salt Lake Cities new tallest building.

Heading up into the Avenues (PSP).

Bonneville Boulevard (PSP). It is a one way loop around lower City Creek Canyon.

The hill we will be climbing from the parking lot.

The Trail:

Trailhead map.

Neat little bike rack art piece.

“Xander Brickey, Eric Fairclough, Valerie Jar, Bill Louis, Caro Nilsson, and Brooklyn Ottens

Foothills Trailheads: Bike Rack Murals 2025
Steel and paint.

The Foothills Trailheads: Bike Rack Murals public art project features 10 unique bike rack murals painted by local artists, celebrating the ecological importance and rich cultural diversity of Salt Lake City’s Foothills. The murals incorporate imaginative art elements, offering visitors a visually rewarding experience at the trailheads.

The project spans two locations: the Bonneville Boulevard Trailhead and Popperton Park Trailhead at 1401 Popperton Park Way. These trailheads serve as major confluences and urban interfaces for the Foothills trails, connecting several Salt Lake City landmarks, including the Avenues neighborhood, the Utah State Capitol, and the University of Utah. We encourage you to explore both trailheads to see all 10 bike rack murals.

Each bike rack features a sego lily cutout in the tires, designed by local artist Derek Ballard.

Bonneville Boulevard Artists”
1. Xander Brickey
2. Eric Fairclough
3. Valerie Jar
4. Bill Louis
5. Caro Nilsson
6. Brooklyn Ottens

This project was made possible through the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, with support from Salt Lake Art Design Board, Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Lands, community stakeholders, and the artists.”

Well, now we need to find the last 4 at Popperton Park lol.

Crossing Bonneville Boulevard.

This bottom section is lovely, with a small forest.

Myrtle Spurge. This is a particularly nasty noxious invasive weed that should be avoided. It can cause burns and rashes. So best to keep your distance.

Lovely forest.

Well, this is a first. A sign asking you to scan the QR code to “check in”. I get they are wanting to see which trails get more use, but why the hell would I check in? Just put in a trail counter like every other trail does! What the hell SLC? … and while I am at it, get off my lawn!

So far, this is just lovely.

Something budding on cut back sticks.

Well, see, there you go SLC! This is all you need to determine usage.

Pretty much almost every trail we do now has one of these. But most of them are smaller units. Either way, I get it. Gather the data, and maintain and improve our trails!

FYI, as the sign says, these are not cameras. They just count how many people pass by.

More myrtle spurge.

More lovely forest.

Tree arch.

Starting the climb.

The trailhead below. The structure to the right is listed on google as The Salt Dome. I'm not sure what it is specifically. My initial thought was a place to store ice melt for the roads but again I don't know.

The Utah State Capitol.

Continuing up.

Seeing some balsamroot coming up.

Trail above. Oh boy. But, I thought that might be the top, so I pushed on.

Holy myrtle spurge, Batman! Holy crap.

Continuing up.

It took a little bit of courage to push myself up this part. I really struggle with my fear of heights on thinner trails on steep, open slopes.

City Creek Canyon below.

The trail above. It just looks like it keeps following the steep mountainside. I was already struggling, going higher would just be more of a struggle, so I called it.

Looking back at the map, it looks like if I had maybe pushed through a little longer it would have mellowed out a bit in maybe 2/10ths of a mile or so? Plus the slope isn’t THAT steep. So.. maybe we should try again from the top down. Sometimes it is easier trying from the other direction.

Milk vetch.

Pretty sure this is arrow-leaf balsamroot.

Lots of myrtle spurge.

Itty bitty gulch.

Continuing down.

Turkey vulture.

A pair of them.

Lots more myrtle spurge.

View across the canyon.

Ensign Peak and other peaks.

Little wet section. There must be a spring or something over there.

Downtown.

Across the canyon again.

The trailhead and the Capitol.

Back to the lovely forest.

Some of these trees have gnarly tops.

Last little bit.

Random cement slabs.

Myrtle spurge.

Crossing Bonneville Boulevard again.

The fun bike rack art again.

Again.

From the other side.

Bonus: Native plant garden

Landis noticed this sign, so we thought we would check it out.

It is tiny. And there is not much of anything happening yet.

Lower City Creek Canyon, which can be explored along The Freedom Trail.

The itty bitty garden again.

Well, I guess we will find somewhere else to adventure today.

The “Gravity Hill” part (PSP). I seem to remember it being on the other side, but with urban legends, its all hearsay. But this is about what is marked on google maps. I guess I trust it more than my teenage friends stories passed down back in the 90's haha.

A gravity hill is an optical illusion in which due to the way the road (or trail) cuts across the landscape and obscures the horizon it can appear that you are going uphill when you are actually going downhill. 

This one, as I recall, you put your car in neutral and it appears your car will roll uphill. I also remember an urban legend that came with it about kids being killed here in a bus accident where the bus rolled off the hill killing all on board. So it is the kids ghosts that are pushing you uphill (and thus, out of the supposed danger). You could also reportedly cover the back of your car with baby powder and child sized hand prints will appear after you do it. Although, I heard that part of the legend at least twice, yet nobody ever proved it to me.

As I always say, I love me a good spooky story, but also like to try to make sense of them when I can. From what I have found, since the great floods of 1983, they were forced to make Bonneville Boulevard one way, so you can no longer experience it in a car (since it is the wrong way now). That final detail sure killed the illusion for me. I would have been a toddler when you could do it in a car. Anyway, you can still do it on bike. I definitely want to come back and check it out on foot. 

I might have to walk the road sometime to confirm this is where it is (PSP).

Upper City Creek Canyon (PSP).

There is some construction happening along the west side of Bonneville Boulevard (PSP). It’s a little tight, but not so bad.

The Capitol.

Downtown and a little glimpse of the sphere for the art show ‘A Symphony of Disappearing Sounds for the Great Salt Lake’ by artist Olafur Eliasson (PSP). I was hoping to time things right to see the show tonight, but, it just did not happen. Well, We have a week, so hopefully we can make it work sometime.

The Utah State Capitol (PSP).

Well, I wussed out, but I did enjoy the beginning of it. I think maybe if we try from the top maybe I can make it? I donno. The lizard brain is an asshole haha. But, we don’t know until we try so not a waste today. As Landis says: It’s an adventure! Plus, there are are quite a few nearby alternate options, and we did find a good one. Like I said, I liked the beginning, but I'm going with 6 squirrels due to it kind of sucking for me.

As for difficulty, it was a pretty easy climb, DR3.

Dogs are allowed, leashed.