Day Trippin' › Utah › From Salt Lake City › Best hikes
Our picks for the best hikes within 3 hours of Salt Lake City: 25 places, 16 under an hour away, 6 between 1 and 2 hours and 3 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 84101.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Corner Canyon, 26 min south of Salt Lake City.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0
#1 · State park · 1 hr 1 min northwest
A big island in Great Salt Lake reached by a causeway, with free-roaming bison, pronghorn, salty beaches, sunsets and trails.
Heads-up: Dogs on a 6-ft leash, but not on the beach, the Frary Peak Trail or the Sentry Trail. Biting gnats in late spring. Stop at Fielding Garr Ranch.
Photo: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0
#2 · National park · 35 min southeast
A ranger-led tour through colorful caves high on a cliff in American Fork Canyon, reached by a steep paved trail.
Heads-up: Tour tickets sell out, buy ahead on Recreation.gov. The trail climbs about 1,000 feet in 1.5 miles one way. No pets on the cave trail. Cashless.
Photo: Helen854 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
#3 · Bike trail · 26 min south
A big trail network in the Draper foothills with flowy mountain-bike trails, hiking paths and views of the valley.
Heads-up: Dogs on leash only on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and trails below it; no dogs in the watershed above. Some trails are downhill bike-only (like Rush and Jacob's Ladder). Only Class 1 e-bikes.…
Photo: Argyleist at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
#4 · Bike trail · 33 min south
A long, mostly paved trail that follows the Jordan River about 40-45 miles from Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake, past parks, ponds and nature areas.
Heads-up: Flat and good for family bike rides. Many trailhead parking spots. Some sections are quiet, ride with a group.
Photo: Hermann Luyken, CC0
#5 · Scenic drive · 1 hr 31 min north
A 41-mile drive on US-89 from Logan to Garden City through limestone cliffs along the Logan River, with trailheads and picnic spots.
Heads-up: Red maples low and gold aspens high in fall. Tops out at Bear Lake Summit, with an overlook of the turquoise lake.
Photo: Meservy (talk), Public domain
#6 · Lake · 2 hr 2 min north
A high lake in Logan Canyon with a nature-trail loop around the shore, summer wildflowers and the start of the trail up Naomi Peak.
Heads-up: The side road off US-89 is not plowed in winter and may stay closed into June. Parking fills on weekends. Dogs on leash.
Photo: GreenGlass1972, Public domain
#7 · Bike trail · 34 min east
A 28-mile rail trail from Park City through Wanship and Coalville to Echo Reservoir, with gentle grades for families.
Heads-up: Surface is a mix of asphalt and gravel (paved part near Park City, check). Shared with horses. Dog rules not posted.
Photo: An Errant Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0
#8 · State park · 1 hr 7 min southeast
A big mountain park above Midway with hiking and biking trails, four golf courses, fall colors and the Soldier Hollow Olympic venue.
Heads-up: Golf is extra. Guardsman Pass and Pine Canyon roads close in winter. Dogs on leash.
Photo: Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0
#9 · Museum · 2 hr 38 min south
A museum and rock art trails in Clear Creek Canyon at the largest known Fremont village, found when I-70 was built.
Heads-up: Museum exhibits are closed for renovation until a planned reopening on November 21; the visitor center, gallery and outdoor trails stay open. Closed Sundays in winter. Dogs not in the museum; leashed…
Photo: Gyejournal, CC BY-SA 4.0
#10 · Waterfall · 38 min north
A steep, rocky climb from the edge of Ogden to a 200-foot waterfall in a narrow canyon.
Heads-up: About 2.5 miles round trip with 1,100-1,400 ft of climbing. Start at the 29th Street trailhead (restrooms and water); the lot fills on weekends. Dogs on leash.
Photo: runt35, CC BY 3.0
#11 · Lake · 39 min southeast
A flat, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop around a mountain lake at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon near Brighton, with wildlife and wildflowers.
Heads-up: Boardwalk loop is about 0.9 mile, open dawn to dusk. No dogs, and no swimming, wading or paddleboarding (watershed). Visitor center open in summer.
Photo: Unknown, CC BY 2.5
#12 · Swimming · 40 min east
A big reservoir near Park City with a swim beach and rentals at Hailstone, and the long Perimeter Trail along the shore.
Heads-up: Paddleboard and kayak rentals at the Hailstone Beach House. No dogs on the Hailstone public beach or the south side of Rock Cliff; leashed dogs OK on the Perimeter and 3 Rocks trails.
Photo: Climbjm Jeffrey McGrath (original); Thatotherperson (this version), CC BY-SA 3.0
#13 · Trail · 42 min southeast
A short climb above Alta to an alpine lake surrounded by summer wildflowers and peaks.
Heads-up: About 1.7 miles round trip from the Cecret Lake lot, longer from Albion Base. No dogs (watershed). Road to Albion Basin is gravel and closed in winter. Parking is limited; ask the Town of Alta about…
#14 · Family fun · 44 min north
A ski resort in Ogden Valley with summer gondola rides to Needles Lodge, hiking, mountain biking and live music.
Heads-up: The gondola climbs to 8,700 ft in about 12 minutes. Pets are welcome in outdoor areas, trails and on the Needles Gondola, but not inside lodges. Thursday evening Sunset Social at Needles Lodge.
Photo: Paytonpingree, CC BY-SA 4.0
#15 · Scenic drive · 47 min southeast
A narrow, winding mountain road (SR-92) around Mount Timpanogos, linking American Fork Canyon and Provo Canyon, gorgeous with fall colors.
Heads-up: Closed to cars in winter. Not recommended for vehicles over 30 feet. Weekend fall-color traffic is heavy.
Dog Lake (Millcreek Canyon) (31 min), Ogden River Parkway (41 min), Donut Falls (41 min), Round Valley (Park City) (52 min), Stewart Falls (55 min), Mantua Reservoir (58 min), Lake Blanche (1 hr 5 min), Fifth Water Hot Springs (1 hr 14 min), Wind Cave Trail (Logan Canyon) (1 hr 27 min), Moon Lake (2 hr 43 min)
Our top picks are Antelope Island State Park (1 hr 1 min), Timpanogos Cave National Monument (35 min), Corner Canyon (26 min), Jordan River Parkway (33 min) and Logan Canyon Scenic Byway (1 hr 31 min). The page lists 25 places in all.
25: 16 under an hour away, 6 between 1 and 2 hours and 3 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 84101.
Corner Canyon, about 26 min south of Salt Lake City.
11 need no pass or fee, including Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, Wind Cave Trail (Logan Canyon) and Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. Fees change, so check each place.
9 of the 25 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.