This a pretty easy trail with a gradual incline. I would say it's rocky in parts, but over all a…read morefantastic trail for beginners. You can hike all the way up to the falls, the trail meanders, which is nice. You can take your time enjoying the scenery or hike fast to get to the falls. Bikes are allowed on this trail, and there are a lot of them. I just which they would use etiquette when biking. Let hikers know you are about to pass them (give hikers a heads up) most of them time you can hear when a bike is approaching, but not always, especially these days with the river water rushing so fiercely it's hard to hear.

Personally, I think this trail is way to short from the Lisa Falls trailhead, but that is my kids…read morepreferred route, less than 0.5mi to the falls if you park at Lisa Falls trailhead. The falls is very pretty and unique. It's a very popular family hike since it's so short and easy. That said, my preferred route is to park at Temple Quarry/Little Cottonwood trailhead and hike up Little Cottonwood trail. You will get to a point where you cross a private drive, but the trail continues if you just keep going straight and follow the signs. Then, eventually, there is a split. Little Cottonwood trail continues to the right and another trail goes uphill to the left - this will take you to the main canyon road, where you can cross, and Lisa Falls trailhead is right there. I don't know the exact mileage because we went all the way up Little Cottonwood Trail, and then back down to the split and that's when we decided to check it out and find out where it went. Either way you go, the falls is great!

Short 2.0 mile out and back single track multi use trail with a 341 elevation gain…read more You can continue on up the canyon to the Ensign peak overlook for a 180 degree look of the valley. Or you can continue up the mountain where the trail will split so that you can either hike the BST, or hike over to the City Creek Trail that is closer to Memory Grove Park. I just hiked up to the overlook today and I was able to clock in 7.4 miles. The overlook has great views of Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, and the mountains. It gets very hot (as do all trails in this area) and has no shade. Wildflowers galore, and they are in full bloom right now if you like hiking trails with flowers. Be careful of the bees. **Info for mountain bikers: This is a narrow piece of singletrack with very tight switchbacks. Some loose baseball-sized rocks, tight corners, and rocky steps make this a challenging climb ending at the foot of Crag's Trail. Per the Salt Lake City Foothills Trail System Master Plan, this trail is rated as Black Diamond and is only open to all uphill users, with downhill bikes prohibited. (Lots of bikers going downhill today. Not cool) Of course there are always rule breakers as the case today. Trail is narrow so hard to find a place to pull off the trail, luckily it wasn't crowded today. Dogs are allowed on trail if leashed. Please pick up your doggy bags and throw them away. *No restrooms **Limited parking #leavenotrace

4.75 mile hike with incredible views. This hike was a steady incline on the way up and all downhill…read moreon the way back. It took about 2.5 hours and was just over 1200ft in elevation gain. Would recommend early in the morning before it gets too hot!

This has two trailheads, so please note that the pin drop here on Yelp (as of today) is on the…read moreMillcreek Canyon side. If you're looking to hike to Desolation Lake, you can make it there on this trailhead, but it's the loooooong way. For the most direct way to Desolation Lake, you'll want the Beartrap Fork Trail #057, located one canyon to the south in Big Cottonwood Canyon, here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beartrap-fork-trail-057-salt-lake-city Now that's settled, let's talk about the Desolation Trail. As alluded to above, this is actually quite a long trail that straddles the hump between Millcreek and Big Cottonwood Canyons. Arguably, the most popular section of the hike is here at the Millcreek side, as it delivers hikers a nifty vista after a few miles. First, find the trailhead by going east up Millcreek Canyon. You'll pass the series of Cub Scout and Boy Scout camps on the south side, and come to the Church Fork Picnic area on the north (left) side. Once you pass that, the South Box Elder Picnic Area appears on the south (right) and this is where the trailhead begins. The trailhead hosts a small pit toilet building but there is no available electricity or water, so bring your own before you arrive. There are a few small picnic tables on a first come-first served basis, as well as the Edmund Ellsworth picnic area, which can be reserved ahead of time. Begin the ascent behind the restrooms and you'll see a few signs to begin: first, note that the beginning of the hike is on private property. The Boy Scouts allow the public trail to cross the property, so be nice, and stay on trail. The other sign you see is a mileage indicator which reads: Salt Lake Valley Overlook 2 Thaynes Canyon 3 Porter Fk. Trail 8.5 Mill B North Fk. 9 Bowman Fk. 10.5 Dog Lake 16.5 Desolation Lake 18 Far and away, the most popular hike here is the Salt Lake Valley Overlook. Though marked at 2, it's arguably more like 2.2, making a nice but challenging 4.4 mile round trip activity. This is infinitely doable as an after-work hike in the long days of summer, and even in less illuminated conditions the trail is well worn and can be accomplished on days when you sneak out of the office early. Expect to see lots of traffic those first few miles. Also note that Millcreek Canyon is a popular spot for dog owners, and dogs are allowed on trails and offleash on odd-numbered days of the month. If pups ain't your thing, stick to even-numbered leash days, or skip to the south for the dog-prohibited Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The Salt Lake Valley Overlook is as far as I've taken the trail from Millcreek. On the other side, I've run around BCC, Dog Lake, and Desolation Lake as a younger fellow and trail is remarkably similar. Expect to find shorter but thick foliage in sunnier, lower elevations. As you rise or find shady sides of the canyon, you can find stands of pine and other evergreens. The flowers light up from early spring and take turns all season; scarlet gilia, lupine, the occasional mountain aster, Indian paintbrush, and many others. The trailhead sits at about 5750ft in elevation. Salt Lake Valley Overlook takes you to just over 7000ft. It's never technical, the trail is almost exclusively dirt (read: dusty in the summer) but it's a constant climb and can get the best of less-than-seasoned hikers. Still, it's a good choice if you have a healthy group. The full Desolation Trail (which, as far as I can tell, ends at Desolation Lake) maps out on paper to be 16 miles, but is listed at 18. The lake itself sits at just over 9200 ft, so you shouldn't be surprised that the Desolation Trail is a constant climb for over 6 miles before calming down and dropping to around 8800ft over the next 7 or so miles, reaching Dog Lake, dropping to around 8300, and then lifting back up over the 9K mark to reach the waters of Desolation. Here again, you're looking at high elevation forest, although never terribly thick, and a lot of shrub and deciduous groves. Pack plenty of water, even if you're just headed to the overlook. Some of it is exposed, and it's a pretty dry hike. Sunblock is a must, because no matter what time of day or season, you're going to pass stretches that are exposed. We're spoiled to have something like this, and all the other great trails, so close to us in SLC. the Salt Lake Valley Overlook is quite the sight, and that's just about 2 miles away. The whole journey -- one I've not completed in a continuous slog, to be clear -- is on my conquer list and a real treat for anyone looking to head for the hills on a summer day.

It's starting to get way too hot in the valley, so I've been trying to escape up into the cooler…read moremountain temperatures for the past couple of weeks. What a stunning hike this was! We started the hike from a less populated trail starting near Solitude, but there's another, more popular trail that goes to this same viewpoint. I believe the route we took was called the Beaver Pond trail from Solitude. The wildflowers are starting to come out and the views are absolutely stunning. The lake itself was perfectly still and reflecting the beautiful aspens. We came here on a Friday night and lots of people were backpacking here and setting up camp around the lake. What a beautiful place to backpack, and a short little backpacking trip! I would definitely come back to backpack this sometime. The temperature was perfect, although it was a little bit buggy so bug spray was necessary. We even ended up needing sweatshirts on the way down. Our trail was about 4.2 miles RT, but the regular Willow Lake/Willow Heights trail is 2.5-2.8 miles RT. Definitely worth checking out right now as the wildflowers come out!

Do you ever feel like you just need to spend some time outdoors? Some might call it woo woo, but…read morewith the cooler temperatures, I have not been out on as many adventures as usual, and my spirit definitely required a reconnection with nature. It hit me acutely about a week back, and, while I have my trusty standard hikes (I swear I visit Bell's Canyon near weekly!), I wanted to go somewhere new. Willow Heights popped up while searching Alltrails in an attempt to locate a different hike in the same area. The one I'd originally had in mind didn't feature a lake, so Willow Heights quickly won over my interest. At just over two miles, it is a great option for those seeking a quick hike. Located a ways up the canyon, and though not super well marked, if you utilize GPS and watch for cars parked along the road, it is not too difficult to spot. There is a small etched boulder that serves as the trail marker. The path starts with some incline, but nothing too challenging. There are aspens EVERYWHERE, and, in the early morning light, their bare branches and trunks appeared so starkly white against the blue sky. It was incredibly striking! As elevation is gained, more pines start to sprout up, though with no loss of aspens. We did not see any, but moose are said to be common hiking companions. Eventually, you will reach a large open field (I imagined it full of wildflowers mid-summer), and then the trail breaks off into a wide loop around the water. It's a small lake, but it's still a lake, so I'll take it, even frozen, as it was at this time. I found a raised spot on the west side, and settled in to enjoy the perfect silence and view of surrounding snow-topped mountains. And speaking of snow, in November, there were spots with plenty, though more ice than anything else. We brought crampons, but didn't bother to use them as the bottom of the trail was entirely clear, and my hands were too frozen to maneuver crampons over my boots once we reached the more slippery spots. It was okay without, but further into the winter you will certainly want 'em. There were also areas that, with several inch deep shoe prints, clearly get pretty darn muddy once warmed by the sun. It was cold enough that the dirt was frozen for us. Because Big Cottonwood is a watershed, dogs and swimming are prohibited. Camping is allowed, but I don't think fires are (though we saw what was very clearly a fire pit near the lake). I could see this being a popular hike during other seasons, though, on a cold Sunday morning, we only happened upon one other group right as we exited the trail.

This is a review from my 20 mile ride on the JRT…read more I started with the intention of just riding to the gym and back... it was 5 miles door to door. This was my first ride in over a year so I should have gone home. No gloves, no padded shorts, one water bottle. I usually ride with three Liters of water. I was feeling good so pressed on with a round trip goal of 20 miles. The trail, in my area, is clean, devoid of trash or dumped garbage. Refreshing and peaceful. Very quiet. Mostly runners, mountain bikers, walkers and the occasional E Bike... maybe going faster than they should but I'm not the Park Ranger. The trail runs under the road in the trailI traveled so there is never the risk of getting hit by a car. In Vegas they have bike lanes but the road is shared and bikers are in constant danger of being hit. This JRT makes me feel safe. Along the way there are businesses in view so if you wanted to take a break or needed assistance resources were not far away. People I encountered were friendly. I saw beavers in the river and a deer. I got a vigorous workout and should have taken it easier on my first ride in a long time but it was so gorgeous out. If your curious about riding the JRT Through Draper I highly recommend it. Safe, beautiful and clean there's no reason I shouldn't get back in shape riding the JRT. Thank you for making this trail available for recreation. NOTE! If you have a road bike, I don't recommend as there are a lot of turns to maneuver.

I rode the trail from the South starting at Taylorsville going north to Salt Lake City. I had to…read moreturn around at the Utah State Fair park due to the homeless blocking the trail, garbage, and I felt unsafe. Glass, garbage and tents were abundant north of the Japanese Gardens. The Japanese Gardens were very nice. If your downtown Salt Lake City on the Jordan River Trail be careful. Nothing like ride by a guy squatting on a Home Depot bucket taking a dump. Somebody is going to get hurt. Road the trail south the next day 15 miles from Taylorsville, very nice that part of the trail gets 5 stars.

This hike to the lake was absolutely incredible! Even though I was out of shape, I still made it to…read morethe top, it was sort of difficult. The trail is steep and challenging, but the views at the lake were worth it. Definitely be prepared: bring plenty of snacks and enough water, preferably with electrolytes because you'll need it. Next time, I'm planning to camp overnight so I can rest to make an easier trip back down. Highly recommend this hike if you're up for a challenge!

Great trail from Spring through Fall in Little Cottonwood - especially in the Summer when you are…read moredying of the valley heat, it's usually at least 10 degrees cooler and there is ample shade. It is roughly 7 miles and 2,100-ft of elevation gain (200-ish flights of stairs going up) so not the best choice for novice hikers. The Forest Service did an awesome job and regraded portions of the trail in Fall 2019 to create more gentle dirt switchbacks instead of hiking up the rockier and steeper incline - my knees thank you! This is also the trail if you want to summit Pfeifferhorn and are really looking to level up! In the Summer be aware of limited parking and they also drain the lake usually late Summer so best to go earlier. Happy hiking!

This hike is special!…read more Don't let the packed parking lot make you not go do this one! It's not that bad/busy, even if the parking makes you feel like it is. I hike a lot and do a lot of the bigger peaks. This one is great because it's still challenging, but doable for many fitness levels. Today we met a family from New Zealand that couldn't believe the beauty! We are pretty lucky to be so close to this experience! The views are beautiful the entire time! From the start with the river running next to you to the top with the lake and mountain views to the view of salt lake and the great salt lake. I love this hike and make sure I do it at least once a year!

First off - I wish more people would review trails.... They are great adventurous outdoor things…read moreto do. Now for the trail, having hike this in the beginning of May, this came across as a very three season trail. The elevation gain was close to 2800 and the trail started at the base like a summer trail with streams and green plants, it wound up along the stream and then started climbing until we got about a half mile from the top in which it was snow. There was a snow covered lake at the very top that was stunning. Round-trip is about 6.8 miles if you wander around the lake a little..

There are some trails that you can start to wander on, and eventually find yourself at the end…read more This is likely not one of them-unless you are a long distance walker or really, REALLY dedicated to the trail. That's because this behemoth boasts 40 miles-running along the Jordan River. It's well marked and paved most of the way, so you'll have a hard time getting lost, as long as you stay on the trail. Depending on where you start your adventure, you may be able to find nearby parking. It's not so remote that you won't be able to safely ditch your car before hitting the trail. Who might you find out here? Well, for starters, there are people on foot. Lots of folks walking or running. I was also surprised to see plenty of bikers. I guess I was surprised just because the trail can be so hilly....and I have barely enough endurance to walk up the hill, slowly. Those bikers are hard core! I wouldn't think it would be good for motorized vehicles, although I did see plenty of open space that would be good for that, if it's allowed. I may see you out there some time. Or I probably won't-because even if we are both walking the trail, it's large enough that our paths may never cross.