Utah County does not have a signed gravel network. What it has is Forest Service roads up the mountain canyons, a few dirt roads on the west side of the valley, and a long federal backcountry byway just past the county line. This page sticks to routes that a published source has mapped and described, with that source named, so you know whose numbers you are trusting. Most of the mileage comes from Gravelmap, a rider-built route map, and MTB Project; road rules come from the Forest Service, the BLM and Visit Utah.
It is late October. Several of these roads are gated for winter by now or soon will be; the section on gates explains what that means for a bike.
The routes at a glance
| Route | Length and climbing | Surface | Start (from Provo, OSRM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyhv Peak Road to Hobble Creek | 20.3 mi one way, 3,363 ft up | 100% gravel | Provo Canyon, 19 min |
| Right Fork Hobble Creek loop | 17.3 mi, 3,061 ft | 62% gravel, 25% dirt | Hobble Creek Canyon |
| Red Hollow, Trail 115 and Right Fork Hobble | 23.0 mi, 3,182 ft | Half pavement, rest dirt and gravel | Diamond Fork area, 44 min |
| Diamond Fork's FR 051 and FR 715 | 3.9 mi and 8.4 mi segments | Graded gravel, then rocky dirt | Diamond Fork |
| Lake Mountain Road (North) | 2.8 mi | Gravel and dirt doubletrack | Eagle Mountain |
| Pony Express Trail backway | Long; first ~15 mi paved | Maintained gravel | Fairfield, 50 min |
Lengths and surface splits are from Gravelmap except Lake Mountain (MTB Project) and the Pony Express (Visit Utah, BLM). Drive times are OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) from Center Street and University Avenue, without traffic.
1. The Kyhv Peak Road to Hobble Creek
The classic local gravel ride starts in Provo Canyon. The Kyhv Peak Road, renamed from Squaw Peak Road, leaves US-189 low in the canyon and climbs the mountainside; our Kyhv Peak guide covers the paved lower section, the overlook and the road's seasonal closure. Past the overlook it turns to dirt and gravel and runs south along the range toward Hobble Creek Canyon.
A Gravelmap route from the Kyhv Peak Road to the Hobble Creek Canyon road measures 20.3 miles, with 3,363 feet of climbing, 4,547 feet of descent and a high point around 8,563 feet, all on gravel. Its notes say plainly: "Not for lower clearance vehicles. Some ruts and holes," with rough rocky areas between smoother stretches. In October 2025, a rider who did it north to south wrote that the climbs were fine but the descents were "very very very uncomfortable," and that the roughly ten miles down into Hobble Creek were hard to hang on through without suspension. Gravelmap also lists a shorter out-and-back to the Rock Canyon overlook, about 11 miles.
The bottom of the Kyhv Peak Road is about 19 minutes from downtown Provo. A one-way ride needs a shuttle car at the Hobble Creek end.
2. The Right Fork of Hobble Creek
Springville's canyon has its own gravel. Our Hobble Creek Canyon guide covers the forks, campgrounds and the back road toward Diamond Fork. Gravelmap's Right Fork Hobble route is a 17.3-mile loop with 3,061 feet of climbing, about 62 percent gravel, 25 percent dirt and 14 percent pavement, topping out near 7,884 feet. Gravelmap shows it overlapping two longer rides, a 29-mile "Wallsburg to Strawberry" and a 39-mile "Round the Ridge." For multi-day trips, see bikepacking and overnight rides from Provo.
The Forest Service closes the Right Fork at Balsam Campground in winter; it was on the closed list by mid-November 2025.
3. Red Hollow, Trail 115 and the Right Fork (the adventurous one)
This is the route to try only if you like pushing a bike. Its Gravelmap author, posting as Utah Valley Cyclist in 2020, measured 23 miles with 3,182 feet of climbing: about half pavement, a third dirt and the rest gravel. It starts at the locked Red Hollow gate across the highway from the Monk's Hollow parking lot, climbs a doubletrack to a saddle around mile 5.25, then descends a primitive ridge track where, the author writes, the Forest Service "cratered" the trail to stop motor vehicles and you will walk about an eighth of a mile over mounds and holes. At a wood pole fence near mile 7.5 it meets Forest Trail 115, a maintained four-wheel-drive track, then drops onto the graded Right Fork Hobble Creek Road (058) for a long gravel descent that turns to pavement around mile 15.
The author rode 700x38c tires with very low gearing (a 30-tooth ring and 36-tooth cog) and still recommended "low gearing and knobby tires." The saddle at mile 5.25 is the suggested turnaround if you do not want the rough middle.
Monk's Hollow is about 44 minutes from Provo by OSRM. Our Spanish Fork Canyon and Diamond Fork guide covers the canyon roads and their gates.
4. Diamond Fork's forest roads
Gravelmap lists two short Diamond Fork road segments that can be strung together: FR 051, 3.9 miles described as a "major graded gravel road, pavement to the south," and FR 715 toward Sixth Water, 8.4 miles on a "fairly rocky dirt road" with about 1,800 feet of descent from a high point near 8,415 feet. They are building blocks rather than a ride on their own. The Diamond Fork road at the Three Forks trailhead, the start of the popular Fifth Water hot springs hike, was gated by November 2025.
5. Lake Mountain Road (North), Eagle Mountain
On the dry west side of Utah Lake, MTB Project describes the Lake Mountain Road (North) as "a wide, well-used, heavily trafficked" gravel and dirt road from Clarkstone Drive in Eagle Mountain's Eagle Point subdivision to the Pony Express Parkway near Unity Pass, about 2.8 miles of doubletrack. It is short, and "heavily trafficked" means vehicles, but it is the documented dirt closest to the northwest Utah County suburbs. Our Eagle Mountain guide covers the rest of town.
6. The Pony Express Trail backway (West Desert)
For long, open gravel, the documented route is just past the county line. Visit Utah's West Desert route starts at Fairfield in western Utah County, the site of Camp Floyd and the restored Stagecoach Inn, and follows SR-73 west along the old Overland Stage and Pony Express route. A well-marked paved road on the left is the Pony Express Trail backway, which runs through Faust, over Lookout Summit, to Simpson Springs and Fish Springs and on toward Nevada. Visit Utah says the first 15 miles or so, to Faust, are paved, "followed by well maintained gravel suitable for all vehicles in dry conditions."
The BLM calls it a maintained National Backcountry Byway gravel road with station sites and interpretive displays, and gives directions from I-15 exit 279 at Lehi, west on SR-73 for 25 miles to the byway. Its Simpson Springs campground has 20 sites open year-round at $15 a night. Fairfield is about 50 minutes from Provo by OSRM; our Cedar Fort and Fairfield page covers the town.
Take the BLM's warnings seriously. A byway brochure produced with the BLM says the "sand and gravel road ahead can become unstable when wet," that getting stuck is easy even where the ground looks solid, to watch for flash floods in thunderstorm season and extreme heat and cold, and that desert distances are deceptive. It also warns there is no gas between Vernon and Wendover. On a bike, that means carrying all your water.
Gates, and riding past them
Forest roads in the canyons are gated for winter, and the gate dates move with the snow. In November 2025 the Daily Herald published the Forest Service's list. Already closed then in south Utah County: the Diamond Fork Road at Three Forks, the Right Fork of Hobble Creek at Balsam Campground, the Kyhv Peak Road from Provo Canyon, Long Hollow, Maple Lake, Monks Hollow, Pole Canyon, Santaquin Canyon at Trumbolt, Sheep Creek at Unicorn Ridge and Teat Mountain roads, and two Nebo Loop gates. The Spanish Fork Ranger District said most gates close by November 30, depending on snowfall, with the lower south-end Nebo Loop gates on December 15.
The same article quotes the Utah County Sheriff's Office: people may hike, bike and backpack beyond closed gates, but emergency responders will take longer to reach them, so carry what you need "to bridge that gap until help can arrive." Never park in front of a gate.
Before you ride
- Tell someone your route, and carry a map that works offline. Past a closed gate, the sheriff's office says, help is slower.
- Gear for the surface. The rider-written notes above all ask for wide tires and low gears on the mountain routes.
- Know the fee areas. Riding through costs nothing on these routes; developed campgrounds charge. American Fork Canyon requires a pass at developed sites.
- Need a bike or a tune-up? Our Provo bike shop guide lists the shops, and our mountain biking guide covers the singletrack.
Route figures are from Gravelmap and MTB Project, which are rider-contributed; conditions change, so read recent comments before you go. Gate lists are from the Forest Service as reported in November 2025; the 2026 dates had not been published when we checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best-known gravel ride from Provo?
Can I ride the canyon roads after the gates close?
Which roads close for winter?
Is there flat gravel near Provo?
What tires do I need?
Do I need a pass or permit?
Is the Pony Express byway in Utah County?
What should I carry in the West Desert?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Pony Express Back Country Byway (BCB), Bureau of Land Management. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Pony Express Trail National Back Country Byway brochure, Tooele County / Bureau of Land Management (via NPS History). Checked October 20, 2026.
- Road Trip: West Desert Ramble and the Pony Express, Visit Utah (Utah Office of Tourism). Checked October 20, 2026.
- Squaw Peak Road to Hobble Creek Canyon Road, Gravelmap. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Right Fork Hobble Gravel, Gravelmap. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Red Hollow to Forest Trail 115 to Right Fork Hobble Creek to Diamond Fork Canyon, Gravelmap. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Gravelmap: FR 051, Gravelmap. Checked October 20, 2026.
- FR 715 6th Water, Gravelmap. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Lake Mountain Road (North), MTB Project. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Seasonal canyon roads begin closing in Utah County: What to know, Daily Herald. Checked October 20, 2026.
- OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap data), Project OSRM. Checked October 20, 2026.
