- Lake Blanche (6.8 miles roundtrip)
My favorite hike in the wasatch front in any season. It is a steep trail with 2,808ft of elevation gain. You start at a popular trailhead, so on weekends/holidays be sure to get there early for a parking spot. You’ll hike through meadows, towering aspens and end with a beautiful alpine lake. It’s perfect to bring lunch up with you and take your time to enjoy the lake. Snow can linger near the lake for most of the year, so be prepared for potential snow at the top.
- Grandeur Peak (5.6 miles roundtrip)
A popular peak to climb that is close to town and a great sunrise hike to check off your list. There is a steady incline up to the top with the first half feeling steeper. The last half of the hike you’ll be exposed to the sun so make sure you’re prepared if you’re hiking this peak in the heat.
- White Pine (10.7 miles roundtrip)
This is a long one, but totally worth it! One of the prettiest lakes in the Wasatch and the place to go to get away from the crowds. I hiked this trail in August and there was still a large ice field before the lake that you had to walk across that did have some exposure. The trail leads you through many fields of wildflowers and under towering conifers.
- Adams Canyon (3.8 miles roundtrip)
Adams Canyon is 30 minutes north of Salt Lake, and is such a fun hike! It starts out with some slightly sandy switchbacks-but don’t worry that’s the worst part of the hike and you get it over with right at the beginning. The trail follows a creek up the canyon and ends in a big waterfall.
It stays very icy in the winter, even when there isn’t any snow in the valley. Always bring spikes for late fall into early spring to make it through the icy conditions.
- Donut Falls (3.3 miles roundtrip)
A very popular trail that leads you to a waterfall inside of a cave. There are two separate parking lots. One is at the Mill D Trailhead right off the amin canyon road. It is bigger and leads to the 3.3 mile hike. There is a small parking lot that is open (except for in the winter) that makes the trail 2 miles shorter. To get up to the waterfall it does require scrambling over some rocks at the end, but even if you choose not to do that section it’s still a great hike.
- Cecret Lake (1.8 miles roundtrip)
The BEST hike in Salt Lake if you’re looking to travel a short distance and reach a beautiful alpine lake. You do need to pay to reach the trailhead in Alta, or you can hike from the lower parking(without paying) lot to make your hike 4.5 miles roundtrip. You can often spot moose on this trail, and don’t forget to look for salamanders in the lake.
- Bloods Lake (2.7 miles roundtrip)
You’ll start this trail going downhill and then you’ll have a steady climb to the lake. The road has a seasonal road closure in the winter, so if you’re planning on going late fall or early spring double check that the road is open. I recommend this trail in the fall as it has some of the most beautiful yellow aspens in the area.
- Stewart Falls (3.2 miles roundtrip)
This popular trail is located near Sundance Resort 45 minutes south of Salt Lake. It is available to hike year-round, but does go through avalanche terrain in the winter so check conditions. This trail doesn’t have many steep ups or downs and stays mellow throughout the majority of it. The multi-tiered waterfall at the end is stunning.
- Brighton Lakes (4.4 miles roundtrip)
You start this hike at Brighton ski resort, and while it’s a fairly short hike it is quite steep for the first half mile. You’ll first reach Lake Mary at the one mile mark. You can turn around or go the extra .4 miles to reach Lake Martha. Lake Mary is the bigger of the two, but both are beautiful. If you wanna go a little further, you can go to the last of the lakes, Lake Catherine. A little past the 2 mile mark you’ll reach the highest of the lakes and find some other great views. Moose are also common on this trail.
- Waterfall Canyon (2.4 miles roundtrip)
This hike is located 45 minutes north of Salt Lake in Ogden. It leads to a very tall waterfall. It is beautiful all times of the year, although sometimes by late summer the waterfall does dry up. It is hiked frequently in the winter but you must have spikes because the entire trail, especially the last section becomes solid ice.