Rotary Glen Park Loop - Partial

 Rotary Glen Park has a little trail that loops around it and connects to nearby Donner Trail Park and back again. It is about half paved and half not paved. It’s that time of year where I struggle to find new trails to do so when I found this I was kind of excited, however, I did not care for this trail. I completed about 75% and well, the paved part is not particularly exciting. The un-paved part was a thin trail on a steeper slope, which I struggle with. I went back and forth about posting this but I am trying to show what trails are really like for people like me who struggle with the fear of heights. So, I will share what we did, and you can decide if its something you want to do.

Quick Details:

Length: 1.3 miles loop. We did a 1.74 miles out and back crescent, so about 4/10 short of the full loop.
Trail Type: Loop
Difficulty: DR3.
Elevation Gain: 160 feet.
Restroom: Yes, seasonal.
Dogs? Yes, leashed.
Other Info: The trail passes through an off-leash dog park.

To Get Here:

Take i215 to exit one, Foothill Dr. Head north of Foothill Go about 3 miles, and turn right on Sunnyside Ave. Go about a mile, just past the zoo, and just at the mouth of Emigration Canyon you will see Rotary Glen Park on the right. You cant miss the big statue.

You can park in the main paved area, or head east on the dirt road and park by the off leash dog park.

The Trail:

Old spillway.

The off leash dog park/ It was a bit of a challenge to get a shot without random people and dogs in it.

You will want to head east, towards the canyon.

Emigration Creek below.

On the east end of the dog park, you will see a trail heading into the woods.

Scrub oaks.

Eventually you start going into the canyon, and you can start seeing the thin trail on the steep slope.

More scrub oak.

Looking down canyon.

Up canyon.

Well, this is about where my fear of heights kicked in and ground me to a halt. The trail was just too thin, and the slope to steep, and it just kept climbing. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, sometimes there just is no rationalizing with the lizard brain, and there is no shame if you have to call it quits.

I did however decide to try the other direction and see if I could make it that way.

The canyon below.

Switchbacks.

Scrub oaks.

Emigration Creek.

This part of the trail is along the dirt road, heading back towards the park.

The creek again.

The statue in Rotary Glen Park. Which is apparently the Historic Emigration Canyon Monument.

After you get to the west end of the park you follow the sidewalk up the hill towards Donner Trail Park.

The giant statue at This Is The Place Heritage Park.

Is that a teepee?

Donner Trail Park.

This part of the trail was really meh, so I didn’t take many pictures.

The valley below.

Well, I just wasn’t feeling it anymore and it was bringing us way up there so I was pretty sure I was not going to like the trail once it turned to dirt again, so I just called it. Blah.

Looking towards Emigration Canyon.

The teepee again. We ended up discovering that it was part of an exhibit at This Is The Place Heritage Park.

Back down to Rotary Glen Park and the Historic Emigration Canyon Monument.

As far as recycling bins go, this one is pretty.

Emigration Creek again.

Like I said, I really did not particularly care for this trail. It was neat to explore the mouth of Emigration Canyon a little bit, but otherwise it was just meh. Meh I say. 1 out of 10 squirrels.

As for Difficulty, it is pretty easy, at least the parts we did. DR3.

Dogs are allowed, leashed. With the obvious exception in the off leash dog area.