5 Salt Lake City Hikes You Have To Do Before Winter

Living in Salt Lake City, our backyard truly is the best backyard for climbing, skiing, and of course, hiking! Before the first snowfall though, we HAVE to check these 5 hikes off of our Adventure Bucket List!

1. Donut Falls This hike is perfect for the afternoon Saturday or Sunday date and will be even more beautiful when the leaves start to change.  Begins like an easy stroll for about 30-45 minutes and then ends with a rock scramble where at the top you’ll reach the waterfall.  This is a super fun hike and comes with an added challenge of seeing who can stand in the freezing water the longest. Location: up big cottonwood canyon. Rating: fairly easy, around 2.5 miles, and little elevation gain. 

2.  The Living Room Hike As Utes we are very lucky to live so close to the mountains and this hike lets you take advantage of that.  The “trailhead” is right above our very own Red Butte Garden. After finding it, you will hike up the mountain on a fairly marked trail and it’ll lead you to furniture made out of rocks.  This place has a great view of downtown Salt Lake City and is a spectacular place to unwind after a stressful week.  Location: above Red Butte Garden.  Rating:  easy with some steep sections, 2.7 miles roundtrip, and little elevation gain. 

3. Salt Lake City Overlook Perfect for the out of state U of U student who is interested in getting to know more of Salt Lake’s neighborhoods and wants a view of the whole valley.  After driving up Millcreek Canyon (which is awesome in itself), you will reach the trailhead and hike up the mountain on switchbacks.  Unlike the other hikes, this will most likely take you at least an hour to get to the top.  After you reach the final switchback you will wrap around the edge and be met with a view of the Valley.  Don’t worry, the trail is very well marked. At this point you can scramble through rocks to go to the point of the mountain.  Make sure to flash your U when you take pictures.  Location: half way up Millcreek Canyon in the Olympus Cove area.  Rating: moderate and steep, 3.5 miles roundtrip and 1,250 feet elevation gain.  Tip: this hike is also known as/connected to Desolation Trail so when researching be aware of that. 

4.  Lake Blanche This hike is for those of us who are ready to take on a challenge but expect it to be worth it.  Lake Blanche is a very steep hike and contains switchbacks that may seem to be endless.  With that said, you will reap the benefits with a BEA-UTAH-FUL view of a lake and a less populated trail.  Be sure to bring a friend, lots of water and some snacks when you embark on this adventure.  Location: up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Rating:  difficult, 4.4 miles round trip, and 2700 elevation feet gain. 

5. Mount Olympus Likely the most iconic and famous hike in the Salt Lake Valley, Mount Olympus boasts incredible views and having to work incredibly hard to get there.  With many switchbacks at the beginning to strolling through valleys that look like they came out of a fairy tale, Mount Olympus has it all.  On hot days, make sure to leave early in the morning and take plenty of water.  This hike can be dangerous in adverse conditions so please check out the weather before leaving and always go in a group.  Mount Olympus is a must-do at some point during your 4 years.  Location: off of Wasatch Blvd.  Rating: very difficult, 7 miles, 9,000 feet elevation gain, and for experienced hikers only. 

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