Built as part of the Legacy Parkway in 2008, the paved Legacy Parkway Trail follows the Legacy Parkway from North Salt Lake to Farmington The trail is a gem, offering easy access for bikers, walkers, runners, and others For most of its length, the trail is within a stone's throw of the highway, which detracts a bit from the ambiance, but views of the Wasatch Mountains, Antelope Island, and wetlands around the Great Salt Lake make up for the highway noise The trail, on its southern end, connects to the Jordan Parkwa...

With 314, Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state The Ruby Mountains, south of Elko, are often touted as one of the crown jewels of the Nevada ranges Lamoille Canyon, the most visited area of the range, has been described by some as the Yosemite of Nevada I'm not sure I would go quite that far, but the Ruby Range is indeed beautiful, remote, and has an excellent thru hike that visits a large chunk of it The Ruby Crest Trail is between 33 and 37 miles depending on who you ask With small side trips for c...

Parowan Gap is one of the must see petroglyph panels in Utah in my humble opinion A short drive off of I-15, it feels a world away Ancient peoples found this place interesting, and the gap is covered in petroglyphs These panels were likely etched by many different cultural groups over a long period of time It is believed several of the panels were used as a calendar, marking the equinoxes by using a gnomon to cast a shadow on a particular symbol during the equinox Given the gaps east / west opening, it makes sense ...

Separating the Wasatch Range from to the west from Woodruff, Randolf, and Wyoming to the east, the Monte Cristo Range runs north-south for about 30 miles State Highway 39 crosses the range and offers exquisite views and a winding road often frequented by motorcyclists Monte Cristo Peak, the tallest point in the range at 9,148, sits a very short distance off the highway and makes a great family friendly leg stretch when passing through the area A note on timing UT-39 is closed in the winter, roughly from November to...

The eastern reef, near where I-70 enters the San Rafael Swell from the east, is one of the most dramatic parts of the Swell to visit The Navajo and Wingate uplift is dramatic from a distance, and even more so up close Buckeyes Canyon is one of those rare canyons that descends from the top of the reef In its short, but steep descent, it passes through the Wingate and Navajo layers in a series of 10 rappels En route, it also passes through several unnamed natural bridges and gives a rare view of Tip Top Arch One of t...

Perched above the Price River, Grassy Trail is the site of both Native American visitation, as well as early railroad efforts The panels at Grassy Trail are a mix of "gringo graffiti" as well as older rock art, and quite extensive The site is fascinating Grassy Trail was a narrow-gauge railroad that was built in 1882 to connect Grand Junction Colorado to Helper Utah as part of a more significant Desert Mainline effort After only a few years of use, the track was upgraded and re-routed to a more direct path from Woo...

A stone's throw from Salt Lake City, City Creek canyon feels a world away The pioneers, when they settled Salt Lake, used water from City Creek to irrigate their fields, and help develop the budding city The canyon is still used as part of the city’s water supply today, with a water treatment plant situated several miles up the canyon Historical fun fact, the upper reaches of the canyon have both a mining history, and a bootlegging history City Creek Canyon is one of my favorite quick outings in the city The gentle...

Fallen Angel is my least favorite of the Angel Slots The canyon is short, with quite a bit of crumbly rock and somewhat light anchors There were no recent signs of passage on our descent, and several anchors required placement or replacement Because of this, it is probably best left for intermediate or better canyoneers with decent natural anchor skills Once down the short canyon, the exit hike is marvelous, passing a pictograph and petroglyph panel along the Dirty Devil before climbing an elegant exit route up the...

The wherewithal of the early pioneers astounds me! In the summer of 1846, the Donner Party set off for California En route, they learned of Hastings Cutoff, a supposed easier route to California that would make for a shorter trip Nevermind Hastings himself had only traversed the route once of the same year and without wagons! His enthusiasm for California and the fact it was a shorter route convinced the Donner Party to take the new course They chose the route over Big Mountain Pass after scouting determined Weber ...

Upper City Creek Canyon is one of the most pristine canyons along the Wasatch Front Rules against dogs, horses, and camping are in the canyon, coupled with somewhat difficult access, have made this a lightly visited area The hike to the meadows shows this light usages Expect a trail that is occasionally hard to find in grassy meadows, solitude, and a very natural setting On a July day, I was dazzled by butterflies and birds, with many more spotted than I have seen elsewhere in the Wasatch City Creek Canyon is quite...