Herriman, Utah

Located in the Wasatch Mountains, less 30 minutes from Salt Lake City, Big Cottonwood Canyon, provides some of the best rural dark-sky viewing of the Milky Way in the Wasatch.The Donut Falls trail head/Mill D trail head, close to the ski resorts of Brighton and Solitude, additionally provides one...

Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon until you reach the Mill D South parking lot (aka Donut Falls parking). Head up the main road until you reach the bathrooms at the Donut Falls trailhead. Here you can either keep straight past the bathrooms, but the best way to go is to keep right along the road. Yo...

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...

At Albion Basin, wildflowers you will see include lupine, Indian paintbrush, American bistort, sunflowers, fireweed, and many more! Drive to the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon and park at the Albion Grill. There is a trail just behind the Grill that takes you through a variety of wildflowe...

The out-and-back trail from Albion Basin to Cecret Lake climbs a gentle slope and along the way there are interpretive signs with information about the basin, its plants, animals and geology. From the lake you can return the same way you came, or explore the area more. If you head there during t...

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...

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 ...

Drive 9 miles into Big Cottonwood Canyon and park at the Mill D North Trailhead (on the left). On the right side of the road, there is a restroom. The trial head begins on the left, there is a visible sign you cannot miss before beginning.The trail is about 7.4 miles round trip, about half way t...

The hike is considered moderate, but the 1500ft. elevation gain (2100ft. to Reynolds Peak) will definitely get your heart rate up. Snowshoes/skins are recommended but the trail is often packed enough to do without them.After crossing the street from the Spruces parking lot, follow the trail past...

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 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...

Days Fork is on the south side of Big Cottonwood Canyon behind the Spruces parking lot. The trail head begins on the south west corner of the parking lot. The approach to Days Fork is long, but gradual. Continue south along the skin track until you reach the end of the Days Fork Basin. Here you c...

Drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon until you reach the Spruces Campground on the right. You will park here and prep your gear for the day. Walk back out to the canyon road and cross the street to the trail head. As you hike up the trial, you'll pass some cabins, once you've passed all the cabins, you...

Turn off Highway 68 onto a dirt road towards Utah Lake. You'll see a large sign on your left and a small hill with ATV trails in the distance on your right. Follow the dirt road straight down past the hill. After veering right you can park down fairly close to the water's edge. The dirt road is f...

If it’s an even day and you’re in Salt Lake and you’re in possession of a mountain bike, put down your phone and spend the next 2 hours in pure bliss. Mountain bikers are only allowed to use the trails of upper Millcreek Canyon on even days, which makes for a busy route, but well worth it. This i...