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1,368 ft
Distance
165 ft
Climb
00:05:52
Avg time
165 ft
Altitude change
7,639 ft
Altitude min
7,804 ft
Altitude max
7,639 ft
Altitude start
7,805 ft
Altitude end
12.1%
Grade
2.5%
Grade max
54.3%
Grade min
1,368 ft
Distance climb
00:05:52
Avg time
Lower Big Water Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Adaptive Bike
- Horse
- Hike
- Trail Running
- Snowshoe
- Backcountry Ski
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Riding AreaUpper Mill Creek Canyon
Millcreek, Utah -
Ref Number#042
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Difficulty Rating
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Local Popularity20 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 25 in Trail Running
- 30 in Hiking
- 5 in Horseback
- 5 in Snowshoeing
- 5 in Backcountry Skiing
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Global Ranking
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Hiking SAC ScaleT1 Hiking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike Type
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DirectionBoth Directions[+]Popular In Reverse
- Both Directions for Adaptive Biking
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Climb DifficultyBlue
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Physical RatingHard
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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Land Owneruinta-wasatch-cache national forest
This is a shorter and much steeper trail up to the main Big Water trail. Around 13% average grade with a super tight, steep switchback. It gets much less traffic because of how steep it is. Lower Big Water is an easier climb and probably worth dropping down to the lower parking unless you don’t mind the steep climb of this trail. This trail starts at the Upper Big Water parking lot. Upper parking lot is better than the lower one for horse trailers, but there is no designated horse trailer parking.
Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Black Rating: Advanced obstacles exist, some trail obstructions.
very tight switchback that radius is too tight for all AMTB
Trail Supporters
USFSLand Manager
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 1 rides
- 15 miles avg distance
All
- 309 rides
- Last: Jun 7, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Lower Big Water Trail Reports
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Trail Conditions
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- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
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Directions to lower-big-water-12072 trailhead
(40.684390, -111.646920)
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Nearby Trails
- Parking Connect 1,076 ft
- Upper Pipeline (gwt) 1,076 ft
- Big Water 1,076 ft
- Gwt Connect 2,385 ft
- Upper Pipeline (gwt) 3,868 ft
Upper Mill Creek Canyon
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #12072 - 4,087 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lower Big Water
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Where is Lower Big Water located?
Lower Big Water is located in Upper Mill Creek Canyon, Millcreek, Utah, United States. It is part of the Upper Mill Creek Canyon trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 40.68439, -111.64692.
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How hard is Lower Big Water?
Lower Big Water is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 12.1%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
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What is the elevation gain for Lower Big Water?
Lower Big Water has 165 ft of elevation gain. The elevation ranges from 7,639 ft to 7,804 ft.
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Is Lower Big Water a point to point trail?
Lower Big Water is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
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