The Numbers
1.8-mile loop
215 total elevation gain
Ascent Grade: 4.5% (Easy)
Water
There is very little running water along the route. There is a bridge crossing just after the mile mark under which the stream may be running. The last mile or so of the hike follows a small stream, but it is usually frozen over.
Advice
Bring spikes, particularly during drier years, as the first half of the hike can be icy.
Route
To begin, keep the large Adam’s Gulch trailhead sign to your left and then stay left at a few junctions within the first 500 feet. In low-snow years, this section of the trail can be icy.
Continue past some small patches of trees and through a few aspen groves and come to the first signed key junction at about .6 miles. Stay right.
The trail continues to wind through similar terrain. Just before .8 miles turn left at the signed junction. For a longer option, stay right to do the entire Sunnyside-Old Adam’s Gulch Road loop.
The trail descends over the next tenth mile until it comes to a junction with Old Adam’s Gulch Road at about .9 miles. Turn left at the junction.
Shortly after the junction, cross over a small bridge. It spans a section of stream that runs except on the coldest days.
After the bridge, the trail often widens. Stay to the right to keep the trail wide enough for two-way traffic. There are a few junctions along the way with Shadyside, Sunnyside, and Heidelberg Hill, but stay on the wide path and arrive back at the parking lot at about 1.9 miles.
Disclaimer: Trail info and routes on HikeSV.com are for reference only. Conditions, closures, and access may vary — plan ahead and hike smart!