As I’ve mentioned I live in Salt Lake City. And I feel lucky to live close to so much outdoor recreation – not so lucky for wineries, but they are easy to get to. And if I lived too close to the wineries, I might be in trouble. ; )
One of my favorite places to go walking or hiking is in Millcreek Canyon. There are no ski resorts in Millcreek Canyon and for most of the year, you can’t drive up past the winter gate. The gate is only open July through October.
You can bring your dogs to Millcreek, so expect to see a lot of them. It’s like a dog show most days and if you love huskies, labs, and Australian shepherds like I do, you will go crazy. But you will see almost every breed that you can imagine.
There is a $3.00 fee to access Millcreek Canyon, and you pay on your way out. So unless you have a yearly pass, make sure you have a few bucks on you. It’s awkward when you try to leave and you don’t have any money. I might be speaking from experience. :0
I met up with a few girlfriends on this chilly but mostly sunny morning to hike to the Salt Lake Valley Overlook which begins at the Desolation Trail Head (just past the Millcreek Inn), about 2.5 miles past the fee station on the right hand side).
Let me clarify. I hope you didn’t think by the title of this post that I was hiking to Desolation Lake. Oh no! That’s eighteen miles one way! Thirty-six miles round trip! If that’s what you thought, you clearly don’t know me yet. 🙂 One of the husbands had asked his wife that morning if that was the hike we were doing. Obviously, he doesn’t know us that well either. ROFL!
The Salt Lake Valley Overlook hike is about five miles round trip. There are a lot of switchbacks, but it is shaded and not too rocky and just flat-out pretty every time you stop to take a breath. It is a popular trail so you will run into a lot of people (and dogs!), but the trail is wide and it’s easy to pass for the most part.
When you get to the top, you can climb out onto the boulders and you have a stunning view of the whole Salt Lake Valley. It is such a nice reward for your efforts. We took a few minutes to drink some water and eat some snacks and take pictures. It was windy at the top, so all the layers that had come off on the way up went back on until we started our descent.
This is a great morning hike to follow up with breakfast or brunch. Or a good after-work hike during the peak of summer when the days are long. However, if you get a late start, it’s always a good idea to have a flashlight or a headlamp just in case.
Trails and Tastings 