Distance: 3.43 miles RT (to top of campground/end of road)
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Start: Mouth of Mapleton canyon
Difficulty: Family friendly
Elevation Gain: 641 ft (very gradual accent)
Take 400 N. in Mapleton directly to the mouth of Mapleton canyon. There is a gate that blocks the road during winter months. I’m not exactly sure when it closes and/or opens but if the gate is closed, just park in the lot there and it only adds another half mile to your hike. If the gate is open, go to the top of the hill and take the first dirt road to the right where you will find another parking area.
The trail follows the canal which is partially exposed and in plastic tubes for small sections where the canal has been damaged.
Your hike is officially complete when you reach the Whiting Campground, but if you want to continue on, there is a sign that points North across the street where you can continue around the campground area. If you do so, you’ll end up at the end of the street in another parking lot at around 1.6 miles. Another set of trails start here (hopfully I’ll have a chance to write about them soon) and follow the stream for a while.
And if you end of walking on the street after a rainstorm, don’t step on the slugs, yuck!
Fun facts: Limax maximus (otherwise know as Leopard Slugs) have both male and female organs. They court by circling and licking each other for hours. They mate by hanging entwined by their thick mucus from a high object. Both slugs will lay hundreds of eggs.
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