Large brown metal art structure of a paper airplane

The Paper Airplane

/ Blog, Northern Utah / By
  • .9 mile loop; 1 hour
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Child carrier: no
  • None
  • Location: Powder Mountain
  • Unique destination

The hike to the Paper Airplane is perfect for kids! It is short, relatively easy, and brings you to unique destinations like a “treehouse” and a Paper Airplane. 

The Trailhead

Silver car parked in an empty gravel parking lot.

The trailhead contains a small gravel parking lot. If the parking lot is full you can park along Horizon Run Road. There are no restrooms or amenities directly at this trailhead. You can also park up at Hidden Lake Lodge which will add another .25 miles to your hike, but also give you amenities such as a restroom when it is open.  

The Trail

Dirt trail with yellow wildflowers up close and on the sides.

The trail is a moderate .9 mile loop. We say moderate instead of easy because of one section that has quite an incline. 

Little girl walking up a narrow dirt trail with yellow wildflowers on both sides of the trail.

You can go in a the loop clockwise where you will have a steeper descent, but a more gradual incline back up to the trailhead. The start of this route is shown below. Take the path to the left of the ski signs, past the cement barrier, then a right down the trail about mid way between the two cement barriers. 

Silver car in empty gravel parking lot with a blue and white arrow pointing to the left
Take trail left of the ski signs
A trail with a cement barrier in the background. A blue and white arrow pointing to the right.
Halfway between the cement barrier is a trail to your right

With this route you are going down the steeper section instead of up it. Always hang a right at intersections if taking the trail clockwise. 

Young boy in a blue shirt stopping to look out over the valley below on a steep trail.

or you can take the loop counter-clockwise and have a more gradual descent to the paper airplane and a steeper return home. Begin this way to the right of the ski signs as shown in the photo below. 

Car in a gravel parking lot with a arrow pointing to the trail to the right.
Trail begins on the far right of the parking lot

With this route you have a more gradual descent with a steep return up to your car. Always hang a left at crossroads when taking this route. 

Cross roads in a trail one way pointing to Woody's World. The other way pointing to the Paper airplane

We personally like to go clockwise as to not have as steep of a return to the trailhead. If you go this way then you will come to the paper airplane first and the observation deck or “tree house” on the return. 

Large wooden observation deck built between large trees.

Best time to hike to the Paper Airplane

Mid July is the best time to hike to the Paper Airplane as the entire mountain is covered in yellow wildflowers! We suggest starting your hike mid morning and taking the clockwise route. Then having a picnic lunch at the treehouse on your way back from seeing the paper airplane. 

Young boy riding on a large metal structure of a paper airplane.
Yellow wildflowers with a metal paper airplane structure in the background
Boy climbing on a metal paper airplane.
young boy stopping to look off a trail
Trail with yellow wildflowers on both sides
Paper airplane metal structure with greenery in the foreground.
Young boy running on a trail with yellow wildflowers on both sides of the trail
Young boy climbing a pine tree looking up and smiling
view from observation deck with trees and mountains in the background.

Although short, take your time with this hike. We spent 3 hours doing the less than 1 mile loop because we stopped to climb trees, play at the airplane, and had a picnic lunch at the treehouse. 

How to get to the Paper Airplane Trail

The trail is located in Eden, Utah near Powder Mountain Ski Resort. Park and begin your hike on the corner of Summit Pass & Horizon Run road. 

Happy Trails

The hike to the Paper Airplane is perfect for kids! Not only is it short, but there is so much for them to do and to explore. Happy trails to the Paper Airplane until we meet again.