Alta, Utah

Catherine Pass is a must do if you are in the Salt Lake vicinity in July. The wildflowers are mind-blowing. But it’s a great hike to do in the Spring, after Alta Ski Resort has closed, and the Fall as well.  It costs $6 per vehicle to drive to the trailhead, or $10 per person to ride the lift (if...

This mountain can be conquered two ways and is a great after-work adventure to watch the sunset, an early morning trail run, or a fun family challenge. The trail is 4 miles and 1,425 feet elevation gain (from the Alta side) or 6 miles and 2,050 feet (from the Brighton side). Both routes converge ...

Still have the skiing itch but it's late in the spring and the resorts have closed and the other backcountry skiing areas have melted? No problem, just head up to Alta Ski Area and get some amazing backcountry corn skiing laps in.  Drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon all the way to the top and park...

To get to the Grizzly Gulch trailhead, drive up Little Cottonwood until you reach Alta Ski Resort. Keep left along the road and park in the upper Alta parking lot. Head up the cat track with all the cats and snowmobiles parked to the side. About 100 yards up, you'll take a left and head up the st...

Starting at the parking lot near the Albion Basin gate, travel up the summer road until the second switchback. Just past the second switchback and cabins, leave the summer road heading east. The Trail heads northeast into Grizzly Gulch. It should be easy to follow—it gets a lot of traffic. From h...

It's no secret that Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) is home to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the lower 48, if not North America. What many people are not aware of is the extremely easy and quick access from Salt Lake City.Enter the Dawn Patrollers. Skiers and snowboarders from Salt L...

Drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon until the first entrance into Alta. Park in the Collins lift parking lot, throw your boots on, and head over to the nordic track. Its just next to the tow rope that runs through Albion Basin. Now thats left to do is to step into your skis and ski. The track has a...

Willow Fork is just across the mountain from Solitude Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. You can access Willow Fork from a few different trailheads; either from the Willow Heights Trailhead or across the street from both the lower and upper Solitude parking lots. The Willow Heights Trailhead wi...

You can access the trailhead to Beartrap by driving up Big Cottonwood Canyon 10.4 miles and parking on the right side of the road. You will see the "Bear Trap Fork Rd" sign on the left side of the road, this is where the trailhead begins. Make your way up the skin track through the dense aspens u...

Starting at the White Pine Trailhead in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, hike southwest until reaching the junction to Red Pine Canyon. Take the trail that crosses the stream and continues west around the ridge. The trail will quickly turn south and begin to gain elevation. Continue west as you pass...

The White Pine Trailhead is up Little Cottonwood Canyon on the south side of the road just before you get to Snowbird Ski Resort. The parking lot fills up very quickly so an early start is recommended. The skin track starts in the southwest corner of the parking lot near the bathrooms. You will f...

To get to the trailhead drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Spruces Campground. Once in the parking lot, walk to the southwest corner of the parking lot and go up the road past the bathrooms. The trailhead will be next to the overgrown baseball field.  The trail is awesome single track the whole wa...

Cardiff Fork and Donut Falls share the same parking lot, so depending on what time of week you go exploring here, it may be the most packed parking in all of the Wasatch. Head up on a weekday for less crowds.  The Cardiff Fork trailhead is follows the rocky jeep road around the parking lot to the...

Largely runnable trail up through pines and aspens with a few steep climbs. Incredible wildflowers. You can stop at Desolation Lake then continue up towards the ridge and up to Desolation Peak. You have to listen and watch for descending bikers coming fast around corners.  

To get to the trailhead, drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon 8 miles. The parking lot is on the left side of the road. The first half mile is the steepest of the whole trail so don't get too intimidated by it, it mellows out a lot after. You will come to fork in the trail about a mile in, you can eith...

The trail head for Butler Fork is 8 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon on the left side of the road. Throw your gear on and head up the trail. Continue along the skin track and after about 20 minutes you'll come upon a fork in the trail. The right trail will take you up the East Fork towards Butler B...