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Salt Lake City, Utah

Looking for the best photography in Salt Lake City? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Salt Lake City. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Photography Spots in and near Salt Lake City

  • Sandy, Utah

    South Thunder Mountain via Bell Canyon

    11.78 mi / 5968 ft gain
    Starting at the Bell's Canyon trailhead, the trail follows a river for most of the way, passing two reservoirs and two waterfalls. This trail is intermediate, depending on your destination. The first and most commonly visited section of the trail is the first reservoir. An easy hike of less than ...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Mountain Bike Dog Lake, Millcreek Canyon

    4.4 mi / 1260 ft gain
    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...
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  • Brighton, Utah

    Hike or Trail Run Butler Fork

    5.0
    7.2 mi / 1964 ft gain
    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...
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  • Brighton, Utah

    Backcountry Ski Butler Fork

    2 mi
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Hike to Big Cottonwood Canyon's Desolation Lake

    4.6
    7.4 mi / 1900 ft gain
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Winter Backpack to Dog Lake and Backcountry Ski Reynolds Peak

    4.5
    5 mi / 1500 ft gain
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Hike from Mill D to Desolation Peak

    10 mi / 2500 ft gain
    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.  
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Hike Cardiff Fork

    8 mi / 2880 ft gain
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Donut Falls

    4.1
    1.53 mi / 413 ft gain
    The Trail Follow the trail for just a little bit and when it forks, stay to the left and you will arrive to Donut Falls. Once at the waterfall, climb up the rocks to get to the cave at the top, which is not visible from the bottom. To take pictures inside of the cave, you will most likely get yo...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Kessler Peak in Utah's Big Cottonwood Canyon

    4.7
    4.66 mi / 2733 ft gain
    Kessler Peak is a 10,403-foot peak located in Big Cottonwood Canyon. From the top, you can see all the way to the Uintas to the East, The tram at Snowbird to the south, and the Salt Lake Valley to the west. To the north is Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob.  Kessler Peak is the terminus and highes...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Big Cottonwood Canyon Astrophotography

    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Backcountry Ski Cardiff Fork

    4 mi
    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...
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  • Sandy, Utah

    Explore Little Cottonwood Canyon's Lisa Falls

    3.8
    Lisa Falls sits approximately 0.22 miles from Little Cottonwood Canyon Road. While the trail is not long or particularly steep, there are some large step ups that could be difficult for either the very old or very young. Nonetheless, this is a great option for a family outing.Once you arrive at t...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Backcountry Ski Days Fork

    3.2 mi
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Backcountry Ski Short Swing, Mill D North

    4 mi / 1900 ft gain
    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...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Hike Days Fork

    5.0
    7.5 mi / 2494 ft gain
    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...
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