How long is the Strawberry Loop?
The Forest Service signs Trail 5 at 12.5 miles. Ridden from Duck Creek Village Inn with the village approach and return it comes to 22.8 miles, which we plan as three to four hours with stops.
Ride from the inn
Strawberry Loop (Trail 5)
The official 12.5-mile loop, ridden from our door as a 23-mile day
At a glance
- Distance from the inn
- 22.8 miles, loop, from our lot and back
- Time
- 3 to 4 hours at about 10 mph plus stops
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Elevation
- 8,081 to 9,203 ft; about 2,900 ft of climbing
- Surface mix
- 5.7 mi designated OHV trail, 17.1 mi open forest road, highway crossings only
- Trails used
- Trail 5 Strawberry Loop (12.5 mi official), village spurs 52 and 59 for the approach
Route map
Legend
Routes
- Forest Service 4x4 OHV route
- OHV route, 72 inches or less
- OHV only
- Open forest road
- Featured ride from the inn
- Groomed snowmobile trail (winter)
Trail markers
- Easy (green circle)
- Intermediate (blue square)
- Expert (black diamond)
One digit is a loop; two digits is a spur of that loop (52 branches off Loop 5).
Points
- Duck Creek Village Inn
- Fuel
- ATV and UTV rentals
- Destination or trailhead
- Viewpoint
- Campground or camp
The Strawberry Loop (Trail 5) route from the inn, traced from the official 2019 Markagunt OHV System map. Tap a marker for the trail number.
The ride
Trail 5 is the Forest Service's Strawberry Loop, the 12.5-mile signed loop that starts near Aspen Mirror Lake and is the closest of the seven Markagunt loops to the village. Ridden from our lot with the village approach and return, it comes to 22.8 miles, and it strings together most of what people come to Duck Creek for: the Visitor Center, the Ice Cave, pullouts over Deep Creek and toward Zion, Lars Fork, and Strawberry Valley.
We rate it intermediate for the length and the climbing rather than any single hard section; the loop runs from about 8,080 feet up to roughly 9,200 feet along the rim, with about 2,900 feet of total gain as the road rises and falls. Most of the distance is open forest road with designated trail mixed in, and the 57 Zion View Connector, which branches near Lars Fork, is one of the few expert-marked spurs on the whole system. Skip that one unless you know what you are doing.
Give it a morning or a long afternoon, pack lunch for a rim pullout, and add the 5-mile spur 58 to Strawberry Point if you have the daylight; the two rides share the same corridor.
What you'll see
- The Trail 5 start near Aspen Mirror Lake, a mile north of SR-14
- The SR-14 crossing near the east edge of Duck Lake and the run west past the Duck Creek Visitor Center
- The Ice Cave, which holds ice into summer, just south of the highway
- Pullouts with vistas over Deep Creek and toward Zion along the southern rim
- Lars Fork, with the expert-marked 57 Zion View Connector branching nearby
- Strawberry Valley and the return north toward SR-14
How the ride goes
7 legs, 22.8 miles loop. Every ride starts and ends in our parking lot.
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Leave the inn's lot
Pull out of our lot onto Movie Ranch Road and follow the village OHV routes (spurs 52 and 59) west toward Aspen Mirror Lake and the Trail 5 start on Forest Road 057. Village streets are 15 mph and transit only.
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South on Trail 5 and across SR-14
Trail 5 heads south from the lake and crosses SR-14 near the east edge of Duck Lake. If your machine is not street legal you may only cross the highway: stop, yield to traffic, and cross at a right angle. Street-legal side-by-sides may ride SR-14 itself under Utah Code 41-6a-1509, but nothing on this ride needs it.
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West past the Visitor Center to the Ice Cave
The loop runs west past the Duck Creek Visitor Center (open 10 to 3 daily in summer, with the current closure orders posted), then south past the Ice Cave. Expect the cave turn a few miles in; it is a short walk from the road.
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The southern rim: Deep Creek and Zion pullouts
The trail climbs to the loop's high ground and passes pullouts with vistas over Deep Creek and toward Zion. This is lunch. It is also the exposed part, so be off it before afternoon storms build in monsoon season.
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East into Lars Fork
From the rim the loop swings east into Lars Fork. Spur 56 Lars Fork Loop and the expert-marked 57 Zion View Connector branch here; the main loop is the one with the 5 on the marker.
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Strawberry Valley back toward SR-14
Trail 5 runs north through Strawberry Valley back to SR-14. Spur 58 Strawberry Point branches off this corridor if you want to add the overlook; spur 61 Strawberry Ridge leads onward toward the Harris Rim country.
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Recross the highway and ride home
Cross SR-14 with the same stop-and-yield rule and follow the village spur back to our lot. 22.8 miles as ridden from the inn.
Elevation profile
Good to know
Best time: June through October once the spring mud order lifts. Start by nine in monsoon season so the rim pullouts are behind you by early afternoon; late September brings color to Lars Fork and Strawberry Valley.
- Spur 57 Zion View Connector near Lars Fork carries a black-diamond expert marker on the official map. Everything else on this loop is marked easy or intermediate.
- Monsoon season: from July into September, storms build over the plateau by early afternoon. Ride early, watch the western sky, and get off exposed rims when you hear thunder.
- Season: MVUM seasonal roads open May 1 to November 30. Spring mud order 0407-26-03 (signed March 26, 2026, rescinded June 1, 2026) posted Duck Creek OHV Trails 1 and 5 between the Visitor Center and Uinta Flat Road closed when wet, and a mid-season repair closure ran July 13 to 23, 2026 (order 0407-26-11). Last checked September 2026; ask at the front desk or the Visitor Center for the current order.
- Width limit: Forest Service Order 0407-22-15 caps MVUM-designated trails at 72 inches and 2,500 pounds through 2027, and a few trails are narrower. Check your machine against the MVUM before you commit to a spur.
- Fuel only in the village: Loose Wheels / Phillips 66 at 835 E Movie Ranch Road (daily 9 to 6, gas and diesel) is the only pump out here, and there is none on the trail.
- Dust and dry roads: give riders ahead of you room, slow for oncoming machines on blind corners, and expect washboard on the open forest roads.
- Mileage, elevation and the route line were traced from the official 2019 Forest Service map and routed by computer, not ridden with a GPS. Carry the current MVUM; it is the legal document, and it changes.
Rules in full, including permits, helmets and the highway crossing law, are on our rules and safety page. Rentals and packing are on rentals and tips.
Pairs well with
Strawberry Point Overlook
Thirteen miles to the edge of the plateau and the biggest view on the mountain
Cascade Falls & the Virgin River Rim
Ride to the trailhead, walk to a waterfall pouring out of a cliff
Harris Rim & Swains Creek
The remote loop: Pink Cliffs lookouts, Zion on the horizon, and almost nobody else
Strawberry Loop (Trail 5): questions we get
What guests ask at the front desk before they head out.
Is the Strawberry Loop hard?
We call it intermediate for length and climbing, about 2,900 feet of gain, rather than for any single obstacle. The main loop is marked easy and intermediate on the official map; only spur 57 near Lars Fork is marked expert.
Can I add Strawberry Point to the loop?
Yes. Spur 58 Strawberry Point is a 5-mile dead end off the Strawberry Valley side of the loop, so adding the overlook costs about 10 miles and an hour. Our Strawberry Point ride covers it on its own.
Which way should I ride the loop?
Our route runs it counterclockwise from Aspen Mirror Lake: Visitor Center and Ice Cave first, the rim pullouts at midday, then Lars Fork and Strawberry Valley home. Either direction works; the counterclockwise version puts the exposed rim behind you before afternoon weather.
September 2026
Why trust this ride plan
We ride these routes and send guests out on them all season. The route line, mileage and elevation were traced from the official 2019 Forest Service Markagunt OHV System map and routed by computer, not recorded with a GPS, so treat them as a plan, not a survey. Loop and spur names, mileages and closures come from the Forest Service pages below; the highway crossing rule from Utah Code. Closure orders change: carry the current MVUM and ask at the desk.
Stay Where the Ride Starts
Rooms and cabins at Duck Creek Village Inn, trailer parking in our lot, rentals across the street, and the trail a few minutes from the door.