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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