While hiking Cache County's highest point (Naomi Peak) from Tony Grove a few years ago, I noticed a pristine canyon below — almost hidden from Logan. Later, I discovered this was Green Canyon, Logan's version of City Creek Canyon and a good west-side access to the Mount Naomi Wilderness Area.
This little pocket of wilderness is about four miles northeast of the center of Logan.
For mountain bikers, the only drawback is that this is a short ride (4.1 miles to 6,200-feet-above-sea-level mark). A log fence at the top marks the beginning of the wilderness area where only foot traffic is allowed.
Still, this is an uphill ride, and when you get tired, simply turn around and coast back down.
Path rating: **
Scenic rating: ***
Distance: 8.2 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 1,200 feet. The trail has a pretty steady 5 percent climb.
Difficulty: moderate
Direction to the trailhead: Go north of Logan's Main Street to 1800 North and head right (east). After 1.5 miles, the road jogs to the left at 1000 East left and onto 1900 East. The road is paved for 2.6 miles to the national forest boundary line.
Some limited parking is available here.
Trail description: Some gravel and a sometimes washboard road with rocks.
Cautions: Cars and trucks use this dirt road and since it narrows to one lane, beware of other vehicles and bikers.
Highlights: The trail is a good escape from downtown Logan and offers a flavor of what the Mount Naomi Wilderness Area is like.
Season of usage: This is a low elevation path and is generally usable from April to November.
Other information: No water is available along the trail, and it can be a hot place in summer. This is a better spring and fall ride.
Tidbits: Mount Naomi is Cache County's tallest peak at 9,979 feet, and the namesake to the wilderness area.
For more information: Gregg Bromka's "Mountain Biking Utah" (Falcon Books) is a great guide to this and 100 other Utah mountain bike trails. Also, the U.S. Forest Service, Logan office, 435-755-3620, is another good source.