Ensign Peak

This hike is a piece of cake with a sizable reward. It starts just up the hill behind the Capitol Building and ascends 350 feet over about 0.5 miles to the top on a very well marked trail. It's great for a family with young ones or maybe a quick post-dinner evening date. Parking is all along a residential street and though it could prove tricky to find a spot on a really busy weekend day, it's free!

The views are pretty spectacular for most of the short hike, though the top is where the big pay off lies. With the Wasatch Mountains to the east, the Great Salt Lake to the west, and the city sprawled out below, there aren't many better places to really get a sense of how SLC fits into the landscape.

After settling in, enjoying the view, and maybe reading some of the signage at the top, take some time to look around below you. We saw two Gopher Snakes, patches of wildflowers, and shortly after sunset, noticed a patch of Evening Primrose blooming under the almost full moon (late May).

No matter the season, the sunset will be glorious here. For us the sun was setting perfectly in the center of Antelope Island, though in the fall it will be behind the Ochre Mountains.

If you have a little more time, come earlier in the afternoon and hike all around the Ensign Peak Open Space. This leads to higher elevations and different vantage points, but depending on the time of year, the sunset may still be better (less obstructed) from Ensign Peak itself.

It can be busy so weekdays are definitely the time to do it if you want to avoid crowds.