5 Great Beginner Dayhikes in Salt Lake City’s Wasatch Mountains

Salt Lake City is plain and simple one of the best destinations for outdoor enthusiasts in the entire United States.  With easy access to and a wide variety of scenic hiking trails for every level, Salt Lake City is simply unbeatable.

Don’t be intimidated by stories of death defying scrambles up Mt. Olympus or daylong treks on the Desolation Trail.  Salt Lake City offers many hikes for all abilities so you don’t have to trek for days on end to attain incredible views of the Wasatch.

Here are five of the best day hikes in the Salt Lake City area for beginner hikers.

(1) Donut Falls

Donut Falls is definitely a local’s favorite hike.  The hike is short and sweet and the trail leads to an incredible waterfall that gushes through a hole in the rock (that looks just like a donut hole) and into a cavern before spilling down the rocks and into the mountainous stream flowing below.  The hike to the waterfall and back is only 1.5 miles so this trail is great for families with small children.

(2) Dog Lake

Dog Lake is a very popular hike in Millcreek Canyon.  The trail winds through spruce forest and aspen groves to a small alpine lake popular with you guessed it – dogs.  Unlike Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, Millcreek Canyon allows dogs so you will surely see a parade of them all the way to Dog Lake.  The hike is 2.5 miles to the lake and climbs gradually to an elevation of about 8450 feet which is around 1500 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead.

(3) Red Pine Lake

Red Pine Lake has to be about my favorite hike in the Wasatch.  The trail to Red Pine Lake follows a nicely maintained trail through a narrow canyon to a gorgeous alpine lake set in a cirque just below tree line.  The lake’s backdrop of craggy peaks and nearly yearlong snow makes it an excellent place for photos and an afternoon siesta.  The trail climbs nearly 2000 feet over 3 miles so plan on around 3 hours to reach the lake.  Beware of the occasional moose spottings and mid-afternoon thunderstorms – I always seem to run into one of the two on this trail.

4.  Grandeur Peak

Grandeur Peak is the easiest and most accessible of the prominent peaks that make up Salt Lake City’s eastern skyline, but it is definitely not for the quick winded.  It is only 2.7 miles to the summit but you gain 2340 feet of elevation.  Start your ascent from the Church Fork picnic area 3.2 miles up Millcreek Canyon.  For the first half-mile you travel alongside a stream before cutting sharply to the west to a series of seemingly never-ending switchbacks.  The trail then follows a saddle to the summit providing excellent views of Millcreek Canyon and the entire Salt Lake Valley.

(5) Lake Blanche

The hike to Lake Blanche is one of the easier hikes close to Salt Lake City although it is probably the most difficult on this list.  The hike ascends 2720 feet over 2.75 miles to beautiful Lake Blanche.  The trail begins from the Mill B South Fork Trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon and climbs immediately at a steady grade all the way to the lake.  Novice hikers will find the trail strenuous so make sure to take plenty of water breaks and you will have no problem reaching the lake.  Trust me the views form Lake Blanches will be well worth all your effort.

To print a copy of this guide complete with contact information, addresses, descriptions, and photos – see Best Beginner Hikes in Salt Lake City.

[Photos courtesy of lemonjenny, Amiee Maxwell, and eyesofsalt]