At Burrville, named for the Burr family, the trail turns
sharply to the east to cross a low pinyon and juniper covered
ridge, which is the southern end of Mormon Mountain. At the east
edge of the ridge the trail crosses Utah Highway 24 where
caution is necessary because of fast traffic.
On the east side of Highway 24 the trail crosses the dam of
Koosharem Reservoir. This reservoir provides irrigation water
for Grass Valley to the south and good trout fishing for those
wishing to take time out from the trail. Fishing from the dam is
prohibited, but most people favor the western shores anyway.
After crossing the Koosharem Reservoir dam, the trail turns
northward along the east side of Plateau Valley. At the southern
end of the valley the trail is along dirt roads that serve a
series of summer homes and hunting cabins. Throughout this
stretch vandals have proved their worth by shooting out the red
figure in the trail signs.
The east side of Plateau Valley is marked by the straight
slopes of Boobe Hole Mountain. Here pinyon-juniper woodlands on
the lower slopes give way to aspen in the mid elevations that in
turn lead to spruce fir forests near the top. The trail through
the northern end of the valley is indistinct in places. About
halfway through the valley the graded road turns west to Highway
24 while the trail continues north along fence lines, primitive
wheel tracks, and horse trails to Forest Road 053. Despite the
trail's indistinct marking, it is hard to get lost because the
country is open sagebrush and grassland where you can see your
destination for many miles. The first portion of Road 053 is
smoothly graveled allowing for rapid travel.
Near the entrance to the Fishlake National Forest a split in
the trail has caused some confusion for travelers. The first
edition of the Paiute ATV Trail Map shows the trail following
Forest Road 052 down Little Lost Creek to Forest Road 047 across
Scorups Meadow and over to Soldier Canyon. Trail markings on the
ground, and subsequent editions of the map, show the trail
following Forest Road 053 to Rex Reservoir and then Forest Road
050 to Soldier Canyon.
The route shown on the first edition of the map goes down
Little Lost Creek, a lovely little canyon with steep sandstone
walls. On a hot day the streamside vegetation of cottonwood and
willow provide cool relief. The quiet murmur of the creek adds
to the tranquillity of the canyon. There are several good
camping spots; using the ones on the side of the road away from
the stream helps protect the streamside environment. At Scorups
Meadow there are views of the White Rim and Musina Peak on the
north side of Salina Canyon.
The main route crosses Coonah Bench on the way to Rex
Reservoir Along this route, sagebrush openings soon give way to
patches of pinyon and juniper which alternate with patches of
scrub oak. The section of road between the Forest boundary and
Soldier Canyon can be deeply rutted because of the soils here
and the penchant of inconsiderate travelers to see who can be
the first out in the spring when the roads are muddy. From south
to north there are good views of the Tushar Mountains, the
Pahvant Range, and the Valley Mountains.
Rex Reservoir, located about in the middle of this branch, is
a favorite fishing spot. There are several good camping spots
around the north, west, and south sides of the reservoir.
However, the land east of the road is privately owned and should
be avoided.
North of Rex Reservoir the trail crosses the divide between
the Lost Creek drainage and the Salina Creek drainage. At the
divide there are views of the Gooseberry Valley to the east,
Salina Canyon to the north, and the White Rim and Musina Peak
farther north. This portion of the trail can be rutty until it
reaches Soldier Canyon.
The trail down Soldier Canyon follows a generally good road,
which can be rutty in places. The sandstone cliffs rising on the
sides of the canyon are remnants of sand beaches around a saline
lake, much like today's Great Salt Lake, that existed here fifty
million years ago. The deep arroyo of Soldier Creek is reported
to have started around the turn of the century. Measurements at
Scorups Meadow show that it is still headcutting. There are
several rock check dams along this stream. They were built by
the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depression to halt
erosion and restore the canyon to its presettlement condition.
They have held up well over the years and remain monuments to
that era of conservation work.
At the mouth of Soldier Canyon the trail crosses Salina Creek
and passes beneath Interstate 70 in a tunnel. From the north
side of the interstate the trail follows a paved road into
Salina. Because ATV's handle more poorly on paved roads than on
dirt, extreme caution must be exercised. From the mouth of the
canyon, riders get a panoramic view across the Sevier River
Valley to the Pahvant Range; Beehive Peak is the prominent red
pyramid standing above the general ridgeline.
After the trail exits the mouth of Salina Canyon it enters
the valley of the Sevier River The town of Salina is
strategically located here because both the Sevier Valley and
Salina Canyon have been important transportation routes. In
addition to Interstate 70, a railway line once passed through
the town on its way to Richfield and Marysvale. A spur line also
extended up Salina Canyon to serve the coal mines there. The
Paiute Trail passes beside irrigated fields and then the
outskirts of Salina. This is one of four towns that are directly
on the trail.
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