Big Cottonwood Canyon | Angie Payne

Best Winter Hikes Near Salt Lake City

Salt Lakers rarely let winter’s bite prevent them from hitting the trails. The good news is that you don’t have to hit the ski resorts to get that Rocky Mountain high. Quick escapes out of the city — as a weekend warrior, for a midday lunch break or an after-work sweat sesh — are the next best thing. Want to know how to live like a local this winter? Grab some snowshoes or YakTrax and head to the hills.

Salt Lake City Winter Hiking Tips

Trailheads Near Salt Lake City

Hiking Trails with Views of Salt Lake City

Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) traces the shoreline of Bonneville Lake, the ancient lake that once filled Utah’s valley. The beauty of the BST along the Salt Lake Valley is that winter hikers can pick and choose their route and distance due to the number of trailheads that sprout along its route.
Corner Canyon

The Corner Canyon Trail System nestles into Draper’s South Mountain. A mountain biker’s paradise in the warm months, winter opens up to more foot traffic (alongside a small, but growing population of bikers taken by the fat-tire bug). As another BST limb, this maze provides multiple city-overlook routes, including Suncrest Trail (a 2.7-mile loop), Brocks Point Trail (a 0.8-mile out-and-back trail), Clark's Trail (a 3-mile out-and-back trail), and Corner Canyon Loop (a 3.8-mile loop).
Ensign Peak

Ensign Peak pays homage to Utah’s pioneers, including Brigham Young, with a well-maintained, one-mile, out-and-back trail. The hike is rated easy with a few steep slopes and small ledges. Signage reveals history, geology and plant-life lessons, but perhaps, the best part of the trail is the dramatic downtown overlook at 5,414 feet.
The Living Room

The Living Room is a BST offshoot and one of the most popular Salt Lake City hikes. Located above the Natural History Museum of Utah, it’s a steep, but short 2.3-mile hike to a perch of sandstone slabs resembling, you guessed it, living room recliners. The workout awards winter hikers with a dramatic view of the Salt Lake Valley.

Utah-Avalanche-Center_Film-Still-2_Wasatch-Mountains_Backcountry-Skiing

4 Tips to Prepare for Utah's Winter Backcountry

Written By Evan Thayer

3 minute read

If you’re seeking solitude, adventure or just some untracked snow, the backcountry undoubtedly has a lot to offer. But it’s a playground that’s not without risk, so here are four tips to help get you prepared.

Bell Canyon

Bell Canyon leads to a waterfall 4.6 miles from the Granite Trailhead (near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon). Winter conditions may make the 1.3-mile Lower Bell Canyon Reservoir Overlook from the Boulders Trailhead (off of Wasatch Blvd.) a lighter option.
City Creek Canyon

City Creek Canyon quickly lifts winter hikers away from the bustle of Salt Lake City. The 6.5-mile escape meanders alongside the babbling City Creek through open meadows and barren trees. If you’re craving a hearty, delicious meal in downtown Salt Lake, it’s easy to shorten this out-and-back hike.
Donut Falls

Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon rewards winter trekkers with a waterfall cascading through a circular rock, a spectacle when dressed in icicles. Because the trailhead is gated in the winter, the 3.5-mile snow-packed trail stretches longer than it does in the summer months. Located near Brighton and Solitude resorts, winter visitors to this trail may experience ski traffic, especially on weekend mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Neffs Canyon

Neffs Canyon tucks into Salt Lake’s East Bench, directly south of Millcreek Canyon. There’s a challenging 7-mile out-and-back option or an easier 1.3-mile loop. Both paths are dog-friendly but beware of sledders filling the trail's lower portion after a weekend snowstorm.

Millcreek Canyon’s Best Winter Hikes

Millcreek Canyon’s trail system is one of the most popular places for winter hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The canyon’s entrance sits 12 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, so it is easily accessible whether you have a couple of hours or a full day blocked out for wintery adventures.

Dogs are welcome off-leash on odd days. Be prepared to stop at the pay station when leaving the canyon to pay $5 for day use (or $50 for an annual pass).

Millcreek Canyon Road ends at the Terraces Picnic Area in the wintertime. A gate closes the top portion of the canyon from November to July, leaving the thoroughfare above car- and bike-free. The two-lane road gets groomed once a week, making it a beginner-friendly slope for hiking with dogs, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and sledding.
Millcreek’s Pipeline Trail winds parallel to the Millcreek Canyon Road and allows trekkers to pick their poison of distance from Church Fork, Porter Fork or Rattlesnake Gulch Trailhead.
Grandeur Peak offers extreme winter hikers 5.9 miles of vertical and sensational valley views from the 8,222-foot mountaintop.

A winter view of Millcreek's Porter Fork trail.

Photo: James Heys

Winter Hiking Gear

Trails near Salt Lake can be snowy, icy or muddy, so be prepared with proper footwear — waterproof shoes or boots with thick treads or traction cleats are a must. Once equipped, there are many winter trails that lead to the most sensational valley views.

Winter Packing Tips

Snowshoeing Trails and Hiking Areas

Snowshoeing in and around Salt Lake City ultimately depends on the snowpack. Snowshoers can frolic in parks, school fields, dog parks and golf courses after a big storm. However, the best winter bet is to hit the bench trails like Bonneville Shoreline or head up the hills to Millcreek Canyon.

Snowshoeing in Utah