Night Hike through Neff's Canyon

Salt Lake City, Utah

Save

View all 2 photos

All 2 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

6 miles

Elevation Gain

3000 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Dana Tran

Absolutely gorgeous sights year round- in the winter, Neff's Canyon is usually untouched and looks like a winter wonderland, while in the early summer (done in the evening) red light shines on the mountains as you ascend, and when you look back you see a beautiful sunset and mountainside silhouette.

How to Get There:

The trailhead is located before the mouth of Millcreek Canyon. When you're driving, turn onto the road you would as if you were going into MillCreek Canyon, and then turn right at the first stop sign. Once turning right, you'll be going through a residential area. You'll need to make a left turn (I believe when you make the turn there will be a power box on your right) and continue until you reach a paved parking lot.

Trail:

Not sure how long the hike actually is (never made it to the giant rock features shown in photos), but the distance to the bend of the horseshoe is approximately 4-5 miles. At the bend, you can almost see the city, there are towering trees, and in the spring there will be a waterfall.
This is a dog trail, so you will find dogs and dog poop along the way
The hike is easy-moderate skill up until the bend, from there on it gets very steep. I would recommend wearing at least decent shoes with some kind of grip
The trail would also be great for trail runners- gradual incline up until the bend

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Hiking

Forest

Scenic

Waterfall

Night Hike through Neff's Canyon Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Hike Neff's Canyon

From the parking lot, you will follow a 4-wheel drive track that runs straight up to the beginning of the different trailheads. You can also take an actual trail up to that same spot, situated below the 4-wheel gravel track on the righthand side.There are a few different trails that merge together, but if you begin in the "epicenter", where the rope swings are located, you can take a trail that...

Climb West Slabs of Mount Olympus

Park at the top of Thousand Oaks Drive, and make your way to the dirt path heading east. It will be a well maintained, well-covered single dirt track which takes you to the base of a really impressive couloir. Follow the trail until you reach the couloir / rocky gully. You will then see the West Slabs. Depending on the time you go, there may or may not be snow at the base. I went in the middle ...

Hike Mt. Aire

Mount Aire, standing around 8600 ft, certainly isn't the most inspiring peak in or around Salt Lake City, but to me it serves as a quick summit to catch the sunset when I'm short on time.Getting There:Start by heading up Mill Creek Canyon Rd. After passing the ranger booth, drive about 5.5 miles up the canyon. Mount Aire TH is on the left with ample parking. The Hike:It starts out fairly gradua...

Grandeur Peak East Trail

This is the peak that can be seen from the valley located between Millcreek Canyon and Parleys Canyon. There are 2 trails that head up to this peak, but the one up Millcreek Canyon at the top of Church Fork is by far the more popular/enjoyable one (and the one described here). The other one heads straight up the face of the mountain. It is a fairly straight forward hike and one of the easier p...

Hike Thayne Canyon

If you want to avoid the crowds heading to the Salt Lake Overlook and are looking for a bigger challenge with better views, Thayne Canyon is the ticket. The trail is 6 miles roundtrip with 2,800 feet of elevation gain. It’s a great evening hike and the peak is a nice place to watch the sunset. The path stays in the shady canyon bottom for much of the way up. Its rocky walls are carpeted with mo...

Salt Lake Overlook via Desolation Trail

This popular trail follows a portion of the Desolation Trail leaving from Mill Creek Canyon. The trail to the overlook is 4.75 miles round trip with a 1700 ft elevation gain. You begin at the Desolation Trailhead and then turn around once you have a view of the Salt Lake Valley. It is a perfect hike to do in the evening after work because it is so short and very near the city. It is also wonder...