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...

Wow! If you are a mountain biker or trail runner, the Wasatch Crest is a must-do! This stunning trail traverses the ridge separating Big Cottonwood Canyon from Park City, then continues above Millcreek Canyon before dropping to either the upper trailhead in Millcreek Canyon or Park City It is an excellent outing with ever-changing views A few notes: The trail is high elevation and often has at least some snow patches into the summer Summer and fall are the recommended times to visit Summer finds the trail covered i...

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...

Mill D South Fork is also commonly known as Cardiff Fork, and home to the frequently visited Donut Falls Though the canyon is a mix of private and forest service land, with the upper section almost entirely private, the lower section is a lovely place for a hike The hike ambles up the Mill D South mining road Navigation is easy, views excellent, and a fair bit less traffic than some of the other nearby trails It is a charming place The downside to Cardiff Fork is that just when the trees begin to open to high alpin...

Mount Ogden ~9,579' is the highest peak on the ridgeline directly east of Ogden From Ogden, it is the dramatic backdrop you see to the east This is a peak that has a couple of long routes with fairly big elevation gains or a much shorter and easier route via the tram at Snowbasin Ski Resort Our family opted for the tram route, which made for a very pleasant 1/2 day outing with a very civilized feel It was quite the treat to take the tram up, hike the peak, and then end with a summer music event at the base of the t...

I'm consistently impressed by the state parks in Utah Everyone knows about the national parks, but the state parks often have incredible beauty without quite the crowds! Dead Horse State Park, near Canyonlands’ Island In The Sky is stunning with views similar to Island In the Sky The park offers great camping, easy roadside views, mountain bike trails, and over 6 miles of jaw-dropping hiking along the rim of the mesa This makes an excellent alternative or addition to the nearby Island In the Sky What's in a name Co...

About 30 minutes south of Evanston, on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains, the Lily Lake Ski area is a gem with about 12 kilometers of groomed skate ski and traditional tracks Loops can be combined of the various ways to make for either short outing or a full day in the mountains The trails meander in loops through the forest and open meadows It is a family-friendly and picturesque place to ski Most of the terrain is flat or very gently rolling, making a pleasant ski outing for beginners Dogs are allowed, so be...

Kanarra Creek has blossomed in recent years as a family friendly narrows hike, and with good reason The hike is short, easy, and has several stunning sections and waterfalls Though the hike can be done year around, there is much wading In winter and spring when the weather is cold and flows higher in the spring, neoprene socks would be required to keep feet from freezing In the heat of the summer, this provides a welcome respite from the heat A must do if your traveling by on Interstate 15 near the sleepy town of K...

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...

Kessler Peak, sitting on the ridge between Mineral Fork and Cardiff Fork, is one of the more prominent peaks visible from the road up Big Cottonwood Canyon The peak beckons hikers to visit its lofty summit The summit you can see from the Big Cottonwood Canyon road is not the true summit, with the true summit a little bit south along the ridge The peak was the site of mining activity in the late 1800’s Today, a couple of ruins of shelters and tunnels near the summit are all that remain of the miner's efforts The tra...