This week on our final edition of "Tuesday's Trails," we have decided to feature the Murdock Canal Trail. The Murdock Canal Trail is one of Utah Valley's best kept secrets, although it becomes less of a secret every day as more and more people discover it. The trail opened in 2013, and runs from near the Orem City cemetary up to the new Adobe building in Lehi. Winding through seven Utah County cities, the Murdock Canal Trail is a great way to get to see our local communities.
The Murdock Canal was originally built in the 1950s, bringing water from Provo Canyon down to farms throughout the valley. Since then, the canal has been enclosed in a pipe and covered, and the Murdock Canal Trail is now built on top of this pipe. The trail is officially 17 miles long, and it's completely paved which makes it a dream for cyclists and rollerbladers.
The trail has seven major trailheads, allowing easy access for all Utah County residents from Orem to Lehi. Most of the trailheads include parking lots, picnic areas, drinking fountains, and bathrooms. The trailheads are as follows:
1. Orem: Lindon View Trailhead—1100 E. 800 N. (no parking at this trailhead, but just a few blocks east is the parking lot for the Provo River Parkway trailhead).
2. Lindon: Wade Spring Trailhead—300 N. 780 E.
3. Pleasant Grove—1100 N. 600 E.
4. Pleasant Grove—N. Canyon Rd (SR 146) and Canyon Heights Drive.
5. Highland—Highland Glen Park, Alpine Highway and Park Road (10130 N)
6. Highland—Mitch Hollow Park, 6450 W. 10400 N.
7. Lehi—Timpanogos Highway and 1200 W.
The Master Plan for the Murdock Canal Trail is to connect it to the Provo River Parkway Trail, and then across I-15 to Jordan River Trail. When all is said and done, the hope is to have a trail system that does a complete loop through Utah, Salt Lake, Summit, and Wasatch Counties.
Make sure to check out the pristine Murdock Canal Trail for yourself! Our CEO here at the Utah Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Joel Racker, bikes to work on this trail 2-3 times a week, and he loves it. Some pictures of him enjoying the trail are included below. Happy Trails!
