The Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) is part of a system that runs along the Wasatch foothills along the shoreline of ancient Bonneville Lake. Right now there are roughly 100 miles of completed trail, but the hope is to have a trail that stretches from the Idaho border to Nephi, UT – closet to 280 miles of trail! Luckily for us, it runs right through downtown Salt Lake City, and is a mere 2-3 miles from our apartment. We love doing small portions for an easy, accessible weekday run. The trail is on the easy side of moderate and doesn’t gain much elevation, so it’s been a great way to get in some trail time without killing ourselves. We like to start either at City Creek near the Capitol or at the Terrace Hills Trailhead.
Emigration Canyon Miner’s Trail
We hiked the 6 mile Miner’s Trail in Emigration Canyon our first weekend in Utah. The road into the canyon is packed with bikers going up and coming down – it made us a little sad we didn’t bring our bikes along. There isn’t much parking at the trailhead, so best to get there early, but it also makes for a relatively undisturbed hike. The first portion of the trail was rocky and exposed with a slight grade. The wildflowers were in full bloom which made for a gorgeous backdrop across the canyon. There is a small creek about halfway up, and most people stop there. We continued on along the backside of the hill towards Red Butte Canyon. The trail climbed quickly, was muddy, and still covered in snow in places which made for a slippery climb. The effort was worth it for the views at the top across the Salt Lake Valley.
Holbrook Canyon trail is a 5 mile trail near Bountiful, UT, just north of Salt Lake City. The trail runs along a creek and there are numerous creek crossings. It gains a bit of elevation, but it’s gradual and doesn’t feel too taxing. Some of the crossings have bridges, but once you get about a mile in, there are just logs and rocks. If the water is high, be prepared to get your feet wet. We went after a rain and had soggy shoes by the end. The trail is nicely shaded and lightly trafficked. While you don’t get much for views in the canyon that you do on some of the other trails, its secluded nature made it one of the most enjoyable hikes we’ve been on in a while.
Grandeur Peak West Side trail is a 5 mile out and back trail located 13 miles south of downtown Salt Lake City. There are two trails leading to the peak – the east side is more accessible with less elevation and a moderate climb while the west side is rated difficult and climbs over 3,000 ft. in 2.5 miles. The trail starts steep and climbs steadily all the way to the top. We took it slow and steady, but it’s a leg burner for sure. The views were spectacular all along the trail; you get amazing views of the Valley on the way up and even better ones of Parley’s Canyon to the north and east once you reach the summit. It’s best to do this route on a cool or overcast day as there’s little shade, though the summit – at 8,200 ft. – can be quite cool. The hike down is equally difficult and killed our quads; definitely a great way to get in a workout.
We combined Rob’s Trail to Mid Mountain Trail to Ridge Connector for a hike/run just shy of 9 miles. The trail is in Park City, UT and is used for both hiking and mountain biking. The trail is an out-and-back and gains about 1,800 feet over the course of 4.5 miles. It starts at around 7,100 ft. elevation and climbs to just shy of 9,000 – while SLC is at about 4,500 ft. we still found ourselves gasping for air on more than one occasion. It’s a gradual climb with plenty of switchbacks and is well shaded. There are quite a few intersections with other trails, but all are very well marked with signs and maps. It’s a beautiful location, and a great spot to do as much or little trail as you desire. Park City is a ski town, so you can see plenty of runs down the mountain and the trail crosses them a few times. There was still a bit of snow in the upper, shaded portions of the trail, which Snickers loved and seemed to gain energy from :). We turned around when we got to the ridge line, but there were trails in either direction leading up to double black diamond ski slopes. We did a combo hike/jog – mostly hiking on the uphills and running on the way down.
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