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Dimple Dell Regional Park is a massive park surrounding a little gully in Sandy. The park features over 15 miles of trails. We have explored most of the trails at this point, with just a few left. Today we did one of my go to, 'crap last minute lets just do this trails', the North Rim Trail (AKA Dimple Dell Trail) and I tossed on the Flanders Loop Trail as well. These are easy trails that offer nice views of the mountains above, and the gully below.
Quick Details:
Length: We did about 2.85 miles out and back. But it does keep going.
Trail Type: Out and back, with a bump.
Difficulty: DR3. It’s super easy, with a mild climb.
Elevation Gain: We did about 280 feet.
Restroom: Yes, year round flush toilets at the trailhead.
Dogs? Yes, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.
Other Info:
To Get Here:
We used the Wrangler TH today. Take 106th South to 13th east turn left, Go north for about 1200 feet then turn right*. Go another 300 feet and you will see the Wrangler TH on the right.
*if you pass Smiths on 13th east, you went to far, but go ahead and turn into their parking lot and head south it’ll get there too.
The smog is so bad I can’t even make out the mountains (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).
The Trail:
The trailhead appears to have been improved slightly. Also, for what we did today it is on the east side of the parking lot.
New sign with the rules.
Well at least now I can kind of make out that there are mountains under the low clouds.
They are refreshing the woodchips. For whatever reason they only put a fresh layer as a stipe down the side here. I guess it is the direct path from the picnic area to the trail, so that might be why.
They have refreshed all, or most of the trail signs too.
The trail is next to peoples backyards for some parts, but it doesn’t feel too intrusive. They all have fences haha.
Normally this trail offers a great view of the mountains, but with the fog/smog, not so much.
I can now make out the south end of the mountains.
At about 3/10ths of a mile we reached the west end the the Flanders Point Loop. I randomly decided to do that as well, just for a little variety.
Taking the loop south for a minute.
Low clouds.
The loop is a little interpretive trail with some fun information signs. This one is about sand dunes.
Continuing along.
Bitter brush.
Sand dunes.
One of the theories as to how the city of Sandy got it’s name is due to the sandy soil.
The newer Badger Cove Trailhead on the other side of the gully. Plus a bunch of horses.
Nice little trail.
Gambel oak. AKA scrub oak, as we usually tend to call it.
Looking across the point.
Fragrant sumac.
Sand dunes.
Native American Campsite. They are found throughout the park.
The Badger Cove Trailhead again. I swear, nobody seems to know it exists yet.
Heading towards the point.
The gully below.
Fire Recycles the Landscape. I guess there were fires here in 1995 and 1999. I don't really see any trace of them.
View to the west.
Flanders Point, AKA Dry Creek Overlook.
Riparian and Uplands: What Flows and What Grows.
Dry Creek Overlook.
The view from it.
Closer.
The gully below.
Heading back north, towards the North Rim Trail again.
Native Wildflowers.
One little oak leaf hanging on.
Looking across the point again.
Cryptobiotic crust. Be sure to stay on the designated trails to avoid trampling the fragile organisms.
View up canyon towards the mountains.
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Panoramic.
The gully again.
Looking across the point.
Dry Creek and Lone Peak.
Today, I can’t make out much on the mountains.
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Panoramic.
The peaks on the west side poking out amongst the clouds and smog.
More fragrant sumac.
Pioneer Story. Which includes Archibald Gardner, of Gardner Village.
The gully again.
Sego Lily Overlook. I have tried to see the sego lily bloom here once or twice, but have not caught it yet. Next wet spring I am going to try again.
Fascinating geology.
Which again, we can’t see today.
Grassland Ecology: Native or Invasive Plants?
Great Importance to the Community.
Little trail split at the east end of the loop. Left will complete the loop and take you back to the Wrangler Trailhead. Right will keep on going along the North Rim trail. We still had some energy so we went right to continue along the North Rim.
The gully again.
A bunch of little birds.
Continuing up the North Rim Trail.
The gully.
Split for the Mountain View Trail. We’ve done parts of it, but I don’t think we have done all of it yet.
Random fenced part. I would guess they are restoring the area.
Looking back the other way. It looks like a sunset is trying to happen behind the wall of clouds and smog.
Gate. It leads to a neighborhood connector, and eventually Highland Drive. There has been discussion about continuing Highland across the gully here. I really hope that never happens. I really don’t think it is needed at all! We have 13th east, and Dimple Dell Road to get across the gully.
Anyway, if you want a super short loop option you can use this connector for the Flanders Point Loop, as well as the Primrose Loop. Though the shortest option to do Flanders Point Loop is from a connector at the end of Flanders Road.
Across the gully. I can’t make out the scar where they started going across today, but you can see it from google maps.
Continuing along.
Looking behind us again.
It’s super weird not being able to see the mountains from here.
Behind us again we can make out the tops of the mountains now.
Low clouds.
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Panoramic.
Another neighborhood connector. This one appears to connect to Ashley Ridge Road.
Where they left off with the new woodchips.
Looking behind us again.
South towards the Jordan Narrows. Little bit of a sunset happening.
Sand dunes.
The gully again.
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Another panoramic.
Sego Lily Gate. This connects to Sego Lily Drive.
East.
West, behind us. Starting to get a much better view of the mountains that way, with a faint sunset.
The clouds.
South towards the Jordan Narrows again. I know I have seen it before, but the sunset happening with super low hanging clouds is super weird.
Spooky tree.
The new layer of woodchips picked up again. I guess they are working from both ends and plan to meet in the middle.
Spooky tree again.
More sand dunes.
Well, the fun spooky tree ended up being right about 1.5 miles. So, with the fading light we called it and decided to head back. We probably should have done that at the mile mark today but meh. We made it back without... much of an incident.
Very faint sunset through the smog.
Again.
The Jordan Narrows again.
The low clouds are starting to break up.
The Jordan Narrows and a hint of the thin waxing crescent moon.
Little closer shot of the moon through the clouds.
Fading sunset, and the valley starting to light up. I think that bright line is 106th South.
Zoomed out a bit.
Again. it’s getting a little too dark to get much else.
The valley lights.
The moon again.
The gully.
Valley lights.
Back to the Flanders Point Loop. But we are going to stay on the North Rim Trail and complete the north side of it.
The moon again.
There are a few more interpretive signs on this part.
Bunches are Better.
The Flanders Road neighborhood connector.
Weeds are wicked.
Ancient Homelands: Thousands of Years of Living.
Across the Flanders Point.
The west end of the Flanders Point Loop.
Valley lights again, little blurry though.
Almost back to the parking lot. And just in freaking time. We heard what Landis described as a ‘Banshee’ scream. I am 99.99% certain that was a bobcat screech. o.0
I would have loved to see it, but at the same time was absolutely scared out of my mind. I am super happy it happened here near the trailhead (with lots of light) and not like, a mile away from it. That would have been a very butt-puckered hike back! I mean, bobcats are pretty small, but they are absolute killing machines. We saw one at Hogle Zoo last year.
Here is a fun video to hear a bobcat screech. Not my video, but this is exactly what we heard. I almost dismissed it as teenagers being teenagers.
Last ones in the lot, by like, a minute, but still haha.
I don’t like getting caught in the dark, but it does tend to happen to us this time of year. This is not the worst trail to have that happen though. But then again, after hearing a bobcat maybe not so much! This is a great go to trail this time of year to get a little nature in. Plus, it isn’t very busy. 8 out of 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, it is a very mild climb, and a wide, woodchip lined path. DR3.
Dogs are allowed, but must remain leashed.
