Fat Biking in the Wasatch Back – Wasatch Mountain State Park

FAT BIKING IN THE WASATCH BACK

Heber Valley boasts some of the best winter fat biking trails. In case this is new to you, fat biking is a mountain bike that is built with 4” wide tires. This allows the bike to be ridden over a snow packed or a groomed trail
in the middle of the winter. Fat bike riding is similar

to mountain biking but has some subtle differences. Generally, speeds are slower in the winter as fat tires and snow packed trails are slower.

Wasatch Mountain State Park has a dedicated group of volunteers that groom the mountain bike and cross-country trails with snowmobiles and special grooming drags. Immediately following a snowstorm, they groom 12-16 miles of trail in the Dutch Hollow trail complex. Grooming with a snowmobile is the first component to a groomed trail. Fat bike traffic and snowshoe traffic helps compact the snow and make a solid trail. Snow conditions vary with daily temperatures but typically the best riding conditions are in the morning to early afternoon. The sun may soften the snow in the afternoon to the point where the tires sink and start to damage the trail. So, the rule of thumb, if you are sinking more than an inch by walking or riding on a groomed trail, you should turn back.

Try something new next time you are in Heber Valley. The visitor center at Wasatch Mountain State Park along with Heber’s local bike shop, Slim and Knobbies rents fat bikes.

Be aware of other users and be kind.

Enjoy Wasatch Mountain State Park year-round. In winter months, fat biking is available on miles of groomed trails through oak, maple and sagebrush terrain. Stop by the visitor center to ask about rentals.

Latest trail conditions are posted on instragram @dutchhollow_grooming.

435-654-1791
1281 Warm Springs Road, Midway