Rose Creek: Mountain View Corridor to Sentinel Ridge Blvd

 The Rose Creek Trail follows well, Rose Creek. This small section in Riverton offers a view of the mountains, but is surrounded by suburbia. I did not particularly love it. But, with the weather we were having today I decided it would be a good option to avoid mud and have a quick escape back to the car in case the skies absolutely let loose. We did not make it as far as I had hoped.

Quick Details:

Length: We did about 3/4 of a mile out and back today.
Trail Type: Out and back/Connector.
Difficulty: Paved and pretty flat. DR2.
Elevation Gain: Eh, about 50 feet.
Restroom: No. There is a nearby Maverik (they generally have clean restrooms). Or other businesses.
Dogs? Yes, Leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

I found a small parking lot at 13599 South Templar Drive. Basically take Bangerter Highway to 13400 South and head west. Go about 8/10ths of a mile and turn left on Sentinel Ridge Road. Turn right on Templar Drive. Follow that west until it curves to the south. there is a small parking lot on the right.

Kennecott Copper Mine (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

The Trail:

I found a small parking lot that was next to the trail just a smidge east of where we left off last time. You can avoid this little grass hill if you head north along Hanley Lane.

Rose Creek. I debated about giving into my weird crackhead brain about going the other way to the point where we left off… and well, weird crackhead brain won. To be fair, it was just a little bit back west.

Where Rose Creek emerges from below Mountain View Corridor.

Riverton Water Tank.

And Mountain View Corridor. You can see the little opening in the sound wall where we left off last time.  But as I said last time, there is no way I am Froggering across this high speed road. However, I think they have left the option of a bridge open for the future. Until then, it doesn’t seem like a big detour to go north to along the Mountain View Corridor Trail to 13400 south, then back down on the other side if you want to connect through here and keep going west. Anyway… back the other way.

Rose Creek.

Again.

Little park with a flood control basin.

It looks like they are building a bridge across the creek here. Probably to put in as many more of these apartments that they can stuff into that tiny parcel of land.

Continuing along.

I can’t really make out the mountains behind that wall of low clouds.

This looks like those aerial target’s we have seen, but smaller in scale. I am sure it is probably related.

The creek again.

Another flood control basin.

Little sign labeling the trail.

I don’t know if it is just the windy day, the construction, or if Riverton people just suck, or whatever combination of the three, but there is a lot of litter accumulating in the tumbleweeds.

Where the creek goes underneath Sentinel Ridge Blvd.

Sentinel Ridge Blvd. It was a littler busier than I would like so I was not going to Frogger across it either. It is not far from 13400 South to take a detour, and I totally would have done that except…

The trail on the other side is currently closed. I am guessing while they build the new development over there. Anyway whenever it opens up again it looks like  there is currently about 3/10ths of a mile more before the pavement ends and you hit the Welby Jacobs Canal. plus about 860 feet out to 13400 South, across Sentinel Ridge Blvd, and back down. For a total of about 9/10ths of a mile out and back.

Beyond the canal is a bit of wild creek with no trail along it, and then Bangerter. I was able to find the creek after Bangerter on the map, but I don’t see much of a trail. But, I’m still going to see what I can do to follow it down to the Jordan River because I am weird like that. Actually, messing around on the map I see a couple spots that I might be able to follow it some more... but they don't look very promising so maybe not. But I might go investigate haha. At least it leaves it open for possible future trails.

Heading back the way we came.

Trash collected in the flood control basin.

And in the weeds.

The creek.

Still can’t see the mountain to the east.

Continuing along.

Mountains to the west.

The Riverton water tank blocking the view of Rose Canyon.

Back to where they appear to be building a bridge... or maybe a culvert.

Lots of trash. I will definitely pick up random litter when I see it out on a walk but this is more than I am willing to do without dedicating an hour or 2 to it.

The random little parking area I found.

Well, it might have been a good thing our little adventure was cut short today as the skies opened up and it was raining more than I like to be out in. So, meh.

Fun storm clouds as we make our way north to our next adventure (PSP). We were hoping maybe the weather would be better to the north, and it was.

Todays route.

Well, I did not particularly care for this segment. It was really deep in suburbia. Plus, the weather today was pretty abysmal and blocked the view of the mountains. That isn’t the trails fault though haha. Meh… 1 squirrel.

As for difficulty, it’s paved and pretty flat. DR2.

Dogs are allowed on city sidewalks, leashed.

Greater Avenues Water Conservation Demonstration Gardens

 The Greater Avenues Water Conservation Demonstration Gardens (phew what a mouthful). Is a tiny community park with some desert gardens. As the title implies, it is located in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City. It features 5 garden types that thrive in our arid climate. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon this, but whatever I was doing I just quickly added it to my mental list of things to maybe check out. So after a day of shorter adventures in the area, I thought we would come do it. So, just going to say, while it is an interesting concept, it wasn’t particularly exciting to me, so I did not love it. But hey, they can’t all be winners.

Quick Details:

Length: About .14 of a mile out and back.
Trail Type: Out and back.
Difficulty: Completely paved option DR2.
Elevation Gain: Eh, 10-15 feet.
Restroom: No.
Dogs? Allowed in Salt Lake City parks unless otherwise specified.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take South Temple to I street, head north tp 11th Avenue, go right. Go a few blocks to Terrace Hills Drive. It will be on the southeast corner. You can park at 11th avenue park, or along the street.

The Trail:

The bottom of the park.

Sadly this sign is way too sun faded to read. It looks like it basically has the same information as the city website does (outside link).

Bottom with some yucca looking plants.

Neat little arbor.

Little faux river channel.

So, if each of the 5 garden types have a specific area within the gardens, it is not signed at all, or particularly clear. So I suspect that maybe they are all just mixed up through out?

Fun giant rock slab bridge.

It looks like this might be a pamphlet box, but it is empty.

Looking uphill.

The little faux stream again.

Random paver path.

Back to the main path.

The top. Well. I guess that is it. Not a whole lot going on here.

The website does state that this replaced a weed filled lot though, so this is absolutely an improvement for the community.

The upper sign is in better condition, and does show that the garden is sectioned into the different zones. Well, alrighty then.

So this top area is montane foothills.

Little bit of downtown peaking through the trees.

Heading back down.

11th Avenue Park across the street.

We took a paver path up into what I think is the montane meadow part.

Pretty flowering bush.

Back on the main path. 

We climbed another set of pavers and found this cemetery next door. At first we thought it was a new cemetery we never heard of, but as we learned later, it is part of the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Continuing down. The map is a a little hard to distinguish the separate garden areas but I think we are entering the dry riparian area.

Juniper, I think.

More of the park. By the shrub steppe area.

Back to the pergola.

The area at the bottom. This is desert community.

The main entrance off of 11th avenue and Terrace Hills Dr.

View across 11th Avenue.

We were parked just to the east here, so we went through this paver path. On the way in I did not think it was appropriate to cut through her, but on the way out, the path starts out paved, plus it is on the map so I feel a lot better cutting through now.

Random cemetery gate we parked next to.

There is not a lot to this, but it was kind of a neat add on to our shorter hikes we did today. I definitely would not come for just this. Normally I enjoy conservation gardens, maybe we came too early and it would be be better later in the season? Meh. But I will reiterate, it is certainly better than a lot full of weeds. Meh, 1 squirrel.

As for difficulty, the main path is paved, DR2.

Dogs are allowed, leashed. Please clean up after your furry friends.