Porter Fork Road in Millcreek Canyon is the perfect beginner trail for winter sports like cross-country skiing and extreme sledding. It is actually a paved road that heads up through cabins, but they are nestled in the trees, so it is still scenic. It has a gentle incline and you can go up however far you wish and then turn around and head down.
Getting There
The drive up Millcreek Canyon is beautiful! Millcreek Canyon has a $6 fee/vehicle. The winter gate is about halfway up, but they keep the lower half plowed regularly.
Porter Fork Trailhead
The Porter Fork Trailhead is about 12 minutes from the base of the canyon. There is a very small parking right near the gate and then much more on the sides of the road immediately above the Porter Fork Road. To the left side of the small parking area is the creek.
The Porter Fork Road is blocked off to most traffic, but do keep an eye out for cabin owners who do have access.
This is a great trail since it’s groomed nicely and has a nice gentle slope. This makes it popular, especially with beginners who want a nice safe place to be outside. As with all winter hiking, make sure you have good traction, with micro-spikes or snowshoes if you are walking.
It looks so beautiful flocked in snow!
There are cabins here, but see how they are somewhat obscured, so you don’t feel like you are walking through a neighborhood.
Because of the gradual incline and groomed trail this is popular for cross-country skiing.
These qualities also make it a perfect beginner trail for extreme sledding.
This gives you a taste of what it’s like to sled down.
The paved road ends at about 1.5 miles up, so 3 miles round trip. The trail does continue, but that part is narrower and steeper.
Other trails nearby are Rattlesnake Gulch, Salt Lake Overlook, Thaynes Canyon/Desolation Loop and Neff’s Canyon.
