SLC hikes?

[Janice]

@scatman and the rest of you who know SLC well - I would love suggestions for a couple of hikes in the area for this coming weekend. We'll have a car and will probably have time for 1 full day hike and 1 or 2 half day or shorter hikes. I know there are a lot of great options, but that's why I need help - it's a bit overwhelming. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[scatman]

@scatman and the rest of you who know SLC well - I would love suggestions for a couple of hikes in the area for this coming weekend. We'll have a car and will probably have time for 1 full day hike and 1 or 2 half day or shorter hikes. I know there are a lot of great options, but that's why I need help - it's a bit overwhelming. Thanks in advance for any advice!

If you'd like to see a lake, then I'd recommend Lake Blanche. It sits just below Sundial Peak in the Twin Peaks Wilderness. It is a pretty popular hike though so expect to see quite a few people.


Lake Blanche and Sundial Peak

The higher peaks have snow now, so I'm not sure how comfortable you would be summiting those at this point. If you don't mind the snow, Mount Raymond would be a good all day hike, particularly if you start from the Bowman Fork Trailhead in Millcreek Canyon, just be sure and bring some microspikes. There is also a little scramble towards the top.



Mount Raymond

If snow doesn't interest you, then Mount Aire might suffice. You'll pick up the trailhead at Elbow Fork in Millcreek Canyon. This could work for a 1/2 day hike. Grandeur Peak is also nice, with good views of the Salt Lake Valley, but it is a pretty popular hike so expect again to see quite a few people on the trail (Church Fork Trailhead).



Mount Aire


Grandeur Peak

If you want to venture beyond Salt Lake City, Frary Peak on Antelope Island is a nice day hike. Chance to see some bison and bighorn sheep on this one. You do have to pay to get on the island though.



Frary Peak

Another 1/2 day hike could be Mount Wire, if you don't mind the foothills. Look for the Living Room Trailhead in Google Maps. If you do this one be sure and climb the beacon at the top. Nice city views on this one.



Mount Wire (Beacon Hill)

I've probably given you too much to think about now.

 

[Ugly]

All of @scatman suggestions are great.

To make the decision even more difficult, here are others in Big Cottonwood Canyon. There is snow up higher on the north slopes, but most trails will be pretty tracked out.
For hikes the same day, I would say stay in the same canyon to contend with less traffic. Anything near SLC is likely to be busy on a weekend.

-Desolation Lake, up Big Cottonwood. If you go this Saturday (even numbered days) you do not have to contend with as many mountain bikers. Most people hike to Dog lake, but that's not much more than a muddy pothole. If you go to Desolation it is farther, and there is a good chance to see moose in the meadow. You can also gain the ridge with just a little more effort. There will be some snow in the shady areas
-Butler Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon- this also can give you access to Mt Superior, just from the other side, and there should still be aspens with their yellow leaves. You can go as far as you want a couple of different directions
-There are always the sister lakes, Mary, Martha and Catherine. You can also take the connector trail over to Twin Lakes, and loop back to the parking lot. You will also see Silver Lake from above, so 5 lakes for the price of one moderate loop hike. The sister lakes are pretty popular, especially Mary, but the connector trail is not as popular.
-You can also get to Catherine from the Little Cottonwood canyon side, using Catherine Pass, but on weekends parking on that side can be a mess.

 

[Janice]

I knew I could count on getting help here. This is all great - thanks so much!

 

[Janice]

We had a wonderful weekend! My son is very excited about moving to SLC next year, and we had a great time exploring different neighborhoods and hiking. We had time on our arrival day to hike to Mt. Wire - that was great. The next morning we went halfway up Neff's Canyon; that was lovely but chilly - we were in the shade the whole time. Some people we talked to also recommended Lake Blanche, so we did that on Saturday and had a fantastic time. We went a little beyond the third lake; we had fun on the rocks and loved the beautiful views. The aspen were gorgeous! On our final morning we hiked up to Ensign Peak via Hell Canyon and enjoyed seeing the northern end of the city. Thanks for your help, @scatman and @Ugly, and we'll keep your other suggestions in mind for the future!

A few pics from the Lake Blanche hike: