I love taking friends from out of town on this hike! It's long enough that you feel like you did…read moresomething active, but not too far or too difficult that your friends never trust you to pick a trail again. The trail can be crowded at certain times of the day/year and it can seem confusing because of lack of signage/multiple spur trails but you really can't get lost if you keep heading towards the mountains. This trail is dog friendly! And the dog owners are very respectful and responsible. Which makes this trail even more fun to try!

Trivia: What university originally established in 1850 as the University of Deseret and used in the…read more2002 Winter Olympics sits rather close to the base of this trail? Finding the actual trail can be a little bit of a challenge. From the road where everyone seems to park, we started on a shaded, tree-lined trail that looked promising. But after a short jaunt, we arrived in a dusty, tree free area with trails going in lots of directions. The group in front of us took off like they knew where they were going, but I wasn't fooled by their confidence. Yay Me! But BOOO on the existence of trail markings. I reviewed the map and pointed my hiking companion and I to the trail I thought was most closely aligned with GOOGLE maps and AllTrails. Service was a little spotty. Luckily, it all worked out! The trail is a solid 1000-1200 feet of elevation over a mile which is a solid click of UP. Bring water as shade is rare and the trees are really more shrubs and bush size. The living room area is superb, but depending on the time of day, VERY congested. The seats will feel like the best chair you've ever parked your tired rump, and you will begrudgingly give them up when the crowds form around you.

I used to really enjoy riding Blackridge Trail, but as it's become more popular, the trail system…read morehas grown noticeably more crowded. Because it's mostly singletrack, it can be challenging when things get busy with both riders and hikers, especially during peak times. They've also started charging for parking, which is disappointing and takes away from the overall experience. While it's still a scenic trail system, the increased traffic and added fees have made it less appealing than it once was.

Super nice parking lot for this pond and trailhead. Note: There is a charge for parking there on…read moreSat/Sun/Holidays between May 1 - Sept 7th. See photo. I scanned the code and it looked like it was $16. Trails are marked great. Saturday late Sept, there were very few bikes and hikers. Dogs are welcome on these trails. AllTrails seems to know these trails well. We did the Blackridge/Sidewinder/Diamondback loop which was a nice hour+ long 3.5 miles. Would def. do it again.

Absolutely beautiful. Parking is tight. Trail goes straight up, it's steep and rocky with loose…read moregravel and rocks. I had foot surgery less than a year ago and this was difficult for me. I didn't read any reviews mentioning that it was steep or rocky so here's your warning. My husband and I loved it though and my dog was in heaven. He got a good workout meeting a lot of friendly dogs and owners. Please take poop bags and plan on carrying them out, saw a lot of poop and filled poop bags left on the trail.

Beautiful nature AND it's dog friendly?!? Why, yes, please! This is a great hike (or more like a…read morenature walk for true hikers) that is absolutely beautiful. There are several paths you can take, most of them are pretty clearly marked but I could see how people could get lost if they venture off the path. The leaves in the fall were breathtaking with the sun sneaking through the trees as if to spotlight them on the world's stage. Yes, I wax poetic when it comes to nature. I can't help myself. Go see for yourself and you'll do the same. Along with the spectacular array of colors, there's a nice rope swing that someone put up for people to enjoy (thank you to whomever did that!) and a few random forts made out of fallen trees and branches. My inner nine year old was loving every moment of it! The map showed us that we were near a cave, but we struggled to find it. We eventually found one (I think?) but the entrance was cemented over. Maybe there were others, but we gave up and vowed to return again to find them.

Trail is great for bikers, hikers, and especially climbers that range from beginner to expert…read more Trail is short in distance (0.08 miles) but packs a punch with and easy elevation gain. Rock climbing is the highlight of this trail, but there are several other longer trails you can merge onto, especially the BST which has a great view of the valley. Trails are single file, and are clearly marked for a perfect place to mountain bike. Please use trail etiquette. Bikes yield to hikers and horses. Dogs are allowed if leashed. Please pick up after your dog. #leavenotrace **No bathrooms ***Small parking lot

Everywhere I look these days, it seems that people are posting pictures of amazing fall colors. We…read moredo live in a beautiful state and it's appropriate for us to step outside, take a look around and appreciate when nature shows off. I joined a group of hikers and hit the trails this past week, in search of some great fall colors. Bell Canyon did not disappoint. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, including clean bathrooms. The first part of the trail is pretty rocky and has a decent elevation gain-poles are helpful, but at the least, have good shoes with some traction. Once you get to the reservoir, it's pretty flat and there are lots of places you can get amazing pictures. Be sure to take some time down by the water-it's so calming and just beautiful. There were some detour signs on the trail, so we didn't get the full experience (not sure why it was closed, but we tried to follow signs until they suddenly stopped. So we turned around and came the way we went.) Overall, it's a beautiful hike and I'd love to come try it again when the trail is open.

We started at the entrance on Wasatch Blvd near the residential area; and then, ended up at the…read morewaterfall. It took us about 4 hours to hike approx. 6 miles with short breaks in between for water. It's a mixer of flat, incline, rocky, slippery (snow still out towards end of hike), upward steps, and mini bridges to cross over small water streams. There are surrounding plants and trees, but most are barely blooming. Didn't see any wildlife animals, but saw a few squirrels crossing our paths lol. The hike itself wasn't too hard. I'd rate it intermediate. It was only challenging because the paths towards the end were slippery due to snow still out and melting. It was fun with some close calls. Luckily I found a stick on the way to use. We passed by the lake at the beginning of the hike, which was nice. Once we reached the waterfall, we took a refreshing break; snacked a bit; embraced the beautiful nature; and then, headed back where we started. It was harder to hike down the slippery snow than it was to hike to the waterfall. I'd come back to hike this place during fall to see the vibrant color of the trees.

The Butler Fork Trail is just a little spur that starts right off of Highway 190 (Big Cottonwood…read moreCanyon Road) up in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It's most commonly used as the start for a hike of Circle All Peak, Mount Raymond, Gobblers Knob, or as an alternate route to reach Dog Lake (rather than the more common and direct Mill D North Fork trail a bit further up the canyon). The actual Trailhead, located on the north side of the canyon road, hosts enough parking for 15-20 cars. There's a trailhead post and signboard with information about the hike, and a couple of maps. There aren't any other facilities there to speak of, so don't plan on finding a potty or fill up on water. Come prepared. The trail is steep. It's not too rocky, and it's not "stair-stepper" steep, but the dirt path will rise and rise in elevation without relenting. In the first half-mile, you follow Butler Creek, and eventually rise above it before leveling out (a momentary reprieve from the climb) and crossing a footbridge. You resume the climb, and after about a half mile, you reach a fork. Go right (north, turning east) to stay on the Butler Fork Trail and eventually junction with the Desolation Trail, find Dog Lake and see the Butler Fork Trail to its terminus, or go left (west) and you'll officially be on the Mill A Basin Trail headed towards Circle All Peak, Mount Raymond, and Gobblers Knob. By going west on the Mill A Basin Trail you'll also junction with the Desolation Trail. You could make a loop out of the experience, by going either direction at that fork 1/2 mile in, taking that trail to its terminus at the Desolation Trail, and then traversing Desolation back to its junction with the trail you decided not to take back at the fork. A quick measurement on my map puts that option at around 7 miles. A more popular option, however, is to out-and-back, and leave the Butler Fork Trail in favor of the Mill A Basin Trail about at that fork. The most popular hike here is probably the Circle All Peak route. Circle All Peak isn't really a "peak" so much as a bump with a nice view, but let's not quibble over terminology. That view is worth the price of admission. You'll go left (west) at the fork, and then continue straight up the canyon, eventually winding through a series of switchbacks amongst the aspen trees on one side of the canyon wall, until reaching the canyon saddle and continuing on up the other side. Keep your eyes open once you're up on the ridge top, because the trail shoots off to the left for Circle All, and it's easy to miss. If you continue straight, you're headed to Raymond Peak and eventually Gobblers Knob. Take that side trail to the left (south) and you've got 100-150 yards of climbing through the trees before popping out for terrific views. Because of the relentless climb (you gain over 1500ft in elevation) it feels like more than 1.7 miles to this point, but that's what the map says I've not done the hike in Autumn, but I've heard it's tremendous with the aspens and the other foliage turning colors. In June, it was bright green, overflowing with foliage, especially on the lower portions along the creek. There were several flowers in bloom, with many more on their way. I hiked next to a botanist who pointed out the penstemon, wild sweet pea, scarlet gilia, columbine, lupine, larkspur, and I saw a violet-colored wild clematis (?) which I'd not seen elsewhere. Since BCC is free and the parking is free, this is a great way to get some recreation without busting the bank. It's a tremendous hike, no matter what direction you end up going. Just be prepared--pack plenty of water and know that this one is quite strenuous, steep, and will let you know if you're out of shape. Trailhead coordinates: 40.6492, -111.6614

This is a easy 5.9 mile trail. Located in the Dimple Dell Regional Park area…read more Plenty of parking available, and bathrooms at the beginning of the trailhead. Bark is what you will start out on and then turn to a single track sandy trail. There are many off shoot trails and you can easily go from one trail to another accidentally. Not to worry, you can't get lost. All roads lead to home (parking lot) or your home if your lucky enough to live in one of the houses that line the bark trail. No shade on these trails, an evening walk would be perfect with the fantastic sunsets we have. This trail meanders until you get to Dimple Dell Park which has a playground for the younger kids, and a pavilion for family outings. Most of the trail is single file and is the perfect trail for all, including horses, bikers, runners, dogs on leash and the slow poke like me. *Dogs allowed on leash. Please pick up after your dog and throw it in the trash. #leavenotrace

this large trail goes through cottonwood canyon, and the river follows all along the trail. i don't…read morewalk all of it, but took a small walk towards the trail once i parked in sure the trail is long, beautiful and great experience to have in Utah. i loved just the views alone

Close to SLC, and it's A great little trail to punish your preteens - on five gold stars!!read more