Near Granola Bowl
A cliffside section of La Espina Ledge.
Near Granola Bowl
A view from the top of La Espina Hill east towards the Franklin Mountains. The Suicide Drop is to the left, La Espina is to the right. Mayberry, Broke Back, Little Moab West and even Transmountain Summit are all visible in the distance. It's hard to capture the variety of the foothills here.
Near Granola Bowl
Lost Dog's center, at the junction of Mayberry, Baby Head, and La Espina Ledge. The Franklin Mountains are in the background.
Near Granola Bowl
Jumps for cyclists, or really fast runners, brave enough to descend the La Espina Suicide Drop.
Near Granola Bowl
A short bridge for cyclists on Mayberry. The slats are far apart, so it's better to take the trail around instead.

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Hike Trail

Granola Bowl

3.5 (2 Ratings)
A short, fun loop on the side of La Espina Hill climbs flat rock to a sweeping westside view.
0.7
mi
Distance
166
ft
Gain
strenuous
Difficulty
ViewsWildflowers
Access Issues
Like North Clyde's Trail to the south, the nearest parking access to Granola Bowl and Del Sol Ridge requires crossing through cleared land that will eventually be developed into housing. Access to the trail may change from the description here, but thankfully, the terrain and park boundary limits further expansion into the trail system. Please respect property owners when parking. Be a good trail user.

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
0.66mi
Distance
166ft
Elevation Gain
166ft
Elevation Loss
20%
Max Grade
4,582ft
High Point
4,392ft
Low Point
Path Type
Loop
Description
Granola Bowl is scenic loop along the west face of La Espina Hill, traversing slab rock and singletrack at it climbs to the hill's summit and circles back down to the base. The hill is more challenging when taking on the ascent in a clockwise direction, which is described here. From the western trail access point, which can be seen in the far northeast corner of the cleared area, the Granola Bowl beats a path directly up the hill. The ascent here, on uncharacteristically smooth rock scattered with desert flora, is steep. The left turnoff to La Espina is two-tenths of a mile up and easy to miss. If the trail flattens out briefly, you went too far. From here the trail dips briefly before finishing the climb to La Espina Hill's summit and the connection with La Espina Ledge and a shortcut down to Mayberry. Sweeping views to both the west and east can be had here. Granola Bowl then turns southwest along the hillside and begins a descent more gradual than the climb up. From here on out, the trail is often rocky, so step carefully. The trail circles west at the bottom and parallels the cleared area back to the start.

Route Conditions

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Contributors
Brendan Ross