Hike + Dine: Logan
Endless adventure in the Bear River Mountains, fueled by the enduring classics and newly evolved players of Logan's dining scene.
A college town nestled at the mouth of one of Utah’s stunning canyons, Logan is a feast of beautiful mountain landscapes with a side of surprising eats. Beyond its classic Americana diners, hungry visitors can find award-winning international cuisine, charming brunch spots and some of the best ice cream in the state (go Aggies!). (Read: A Local’s Guide to Logan)
Here are three hikes and three eateries in particular to check out on your next adventure in L town.
1. Tony Grove & Herm's Inn
Difficulty: Easy
Hike: A serene lake perched at an elevation of 8,048 feet within the Bear River Range, Tony Grove is a great place to get a little R&R. Take the relaxing 1.2 mile loop around the lake for a scenic walk among the trees and wildflowers, or spend your morning fishing, canoeing or picnicking lakeside. The lake is a great spot for family recreation and its location puts it close to Beaver Creek Lodge, where you can elevate your adventures with an ATV or horseback ride.
Visitors seeking more action can explore Tony Grove’s sister lake, White Pine. The trailhead to White Pine is on the northeastern edge of Tony Grove lake, and the trail clocks in at just under eight miles roundtrip, but its distance and its location in the shadow of the jagged Mount Gog and Mount Magog make it a quieter, serene alternative to Tony Grove with great brook trout fishing and camping. Come at the right time in the summer and you’ll find the hills colored in wildflowers.
Note: There is a parking fee at the Tony Grove recreation area. For current rates, visit recreation.gov.
Dine: If you’re a sunrise hiker, let your winding journey out of Logan Canyon bring you to Herm’s Inn, the self-proclaimed “First Chance for Good Food.”
Built in the 1900s by Herman and Elizabeth Johnson, Herm’s Inn literally was the first station drivers would visit to fill up on gasoline after the hour-long journey from Garden City to Logan. Today, it makes a great first stop to fill up on good eats before your adventure or after if you’re an early bird.
Herm’s is known for its iconic 16” cinnamon swirl pancake, a meal and then some for any hungry hiker (you might want friends to help you eat this one). In addition to classic American breakfast made from scratch, Herm’s offers sandwiches and lunch fare like their favorite Inside Out Grilled Cheese and Mac of the Day. Its proximity to the canyon makes it a prime stop for adventurers who value a good brunch as much as getting to the trail.
The Tony Grove Nature Trail is the easiest way to take in the daisies, lupines, columbines, paintbrushes, monkshood and mountain sunflowers that are in bloom in mid-to-late summer.
Photo: Angie Payne
Herm’s is known for its iconic 16” cinnamon swirl pancake.
Herm's Inn was originally established in the early 1900s. It was restored in 2012 to recreate its former glory and has since been serving some of the best meals in Cache Valley.
2. Wind Cave Trail & Cooks Underground
Difficulty: Moderate
Hike: One of the most popular trails in Logan Canyon is the Wind Cave trail, and with good reason. A four mile hike round-trip, the payoff is sweet, with picturesque views of Logan’s sheer limestone cliffs framed by an eons-old, erosion-carved cave. Sit atop the formations, breathing in that fresh mountain air, or feel the wind whistle through the gaping maw of the caves from the cooler interior.
This hike is particularly rewarding to do in the fall around golden hour, when the leaves have turned a brilliant hue of red and yellow and the canyon is bathed in the light of trickling sunlight.
Dine: When it comes to dining, Logan is home to several household favorites that have been around for decades, but the city has seen exciting up-and-comers enter the scene the past few years.
Newer to Logan’s food scene is a burger joint with fries that will have your eyes rolling into the back of your head. Started by local tastemakers at Logan’s Cafe Ibis and Lucky Slice Pizza, Cooks Underground is an American fare restaurant that boasts “food made by people, not corporations.” On its menu, you can find unique gourmet burgers, such as the Big Kahuna Burger, with fresh aioli sauce and a slice of pineapple, or the My Big Fat Greek Burger, with tapenade and Feta cheese crumbles. And don’t forget the garlic fries!
Cooks Underground is active on social media (@cooksunderground), where you can catch a glimpse of the food experiments they’re cooking up week to week.
When you're at Cooks Underground, don't forget the garlic fries.
Photo: Arianna Rees
Popular among locals, the Wind Caves trail north of Guinavah-Malibu Campgrounds takes hikers to the roof of a natural arch with a gaping cavern they can climb into for shaded picnicking and a beautiful window view of the cliffs on the opposite side of the canyon.
The limestone caves were created by water underground and eventually uncovered by the Logan River.
3. Crimson Trail & Tandoori Oven
Difficulty: Hard
Hike: While the Wind Cave Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the canyon, there’s a scenic alternative atop those epic limestone cliffs across the canyon that, while more challenging, offers some of the most fun hiking terrain in Logan Canyon.
Crimson Trail got its name from the since-shuttered Brigham Young College, where the official school color was crimson. Today, the name is often attributed to the surrounding canyon, which turns red and gold at the cold touch of fall.
The trail is a five mile loop approximately. Switchbacks at the start will reward hikers with an often shady and fairly flat walk atop the massive limestone wall stretched below. Along the path, there are plenty of rocky outcrops where hikers can pull off to picnic, rest or, if they’re feeling really creative, set up an easel to capture the beauty of the canyon in the medium of their choice.
Hikers get a unique, birds-eye perspective of Third Dam and the surrounding wilderness from atop Crimson and a different view of the wind caves across the way. Wave and squint hard enough and you might find hikers in the cave waving back.
Dine: If you’ve ever heard tales of the infamous gas station Indian restaurant in Logan, you’ve heard about Tandoori Oven. It’s been several years since Tandoori Oven expanded into a larger space abutting the old Sinclair just outside Utah State University, but the deliciousness of the food remains the same.
Tandoori Oven has won dozens of awards for the taste of their food, and they’ve also been featured on Food Network’s Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives, with a special nod to their tikka masala. It’s a common refrain among locals that Tandoori is the best Indian restaurant in the state of Utah — but don’t take their word for it!
After digging into one of Tandoori’s delicious curry dishes (you might try their chicken coconut kurma or paneer tikka masala) with a mango lassi, try their gulab jamun pastry balls or mango ice cream for dessert.
If Tandoori leaves enough room in your stomach — a herculean task from this delicious restaurant — slip over to Angie’s Diner, another local fave that touts Utah’s famous “Clean the Sink” challenge.
A massive stack of ice cream perched atop a crown of bananas in a literal sink, this dessert is not for the faint of heart—or faint of stomach. But finishing it is a rite of passage that’ll earn you an honorary “I Cleaned the Sink at Angie’s” bumper sticker.
Less traveled than the Wind Caves, Crimson Trail is a little more adventurous.
Photo: Angie Payne
Tandoori Oven has won dozens of awards for the taste of their food, and they’ve also been featured on Food Network’s Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives.
It’s a common refrain among locals that Tandoori is the best Indian restaurant in the state of Utah.
If Tandoori leaves enough room in your stomach, slip over to Angie’s Diner for their "Clean the Sink” challenge.
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