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    Desolation Trail

    4.5 (8 reviews)

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    Bliss
    Ashley D.

    Desolation trail was one that we stumbled on accidentally. We were heading towards Dog lake but along the way we kept asking hikers that were on their way back which one is worth it. Desolation is so so beautiful!! It turns out that dog lake is covered in flies and mucky brown water. Desolation was like finding Hawaii water in a forest. Breathtaking lake at the end. The entire trail is 8 miles there and back. Please bring lots of water and bug spray!! Much needed on this trail. It's fairly easy to give up because it's a lot of uphill paths but oh so worth it in the end! Beware of the bikers zooming by on the downhill slopes. They are very fast and sometimes give no warning. We kept passing by hikers saying that they found a moose mamma and baby. We did not see them but it hearing that made us not look at our shoe laces as much so I was great full for that. There is a ton of view points that offer stellar picture perfect views. Sometimes I felt like I was in a movie because it was all too beautiful!! I'm very glad Lori and I went hiking with Andy and Sadie. They were great company and I had a fun time getting to know them! This hike was worth everything once you get to the beautiful blue and turquoise water. It's surrounded by red sand so that makes it so much more unique!! Sometimes it feels like it was a dream coming here but I'm so grateful that I have this spot as a fun and stellar memory!

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    The Living Room Trail - Cairns at the top

    The Living Room Trail

    4.4(39 reviews)
    6.1 miUniversity, East Bench

    I love taking friends from out of town on this hike! It's long enough that you feel like you did…read moresomething active, but not too far or too difficult that your friends never trust you to pick a trail again. The trail can be crowded at certain times of the day/year and it can seem confusing because of lack of signage/multiple spur trails but you really can't get lost if you keep heading towards the mountains. This trail is dog friendly! And the dog owners are very respectful and responsible. Which makes this trail even more fun to try!

    Trivia: What university originally established in 1850 as the University of Deseret and used in the…read more2002 Winter Olympics sits rather close to the base of this trail? Finding the actual trail can be a little bit of a challenge. From the road where everyone seems to park, we started on a shaded, tree-lined trail that looked promising. But after a short jaunt, we arrived in a dusty, tree free area with trails going in lots of directions. The group in front of us took off like they knew where they were going, but I wasn't fooled by their confidence. Yay Me! But BOOO on the existence of trail markings. I reviewed the map and pointed my hiking companion and I to the trail I thought was most closely aligned with GOOGLE maps and AllTrails. Service was a little spotty. Luckily, it all worked out! The trail is a solid 1000-1200 feet of elevation over a mile which is a solid click of UP. Bring water as shade is rare and the trees are really more shrubs and bush size. The living room area is superb, but depending on the time of day, VERY congested. The seats will feel like the best chair you've ever parked your tired rump, and you will begrudgingly give them up when the crowds form around you.

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    The Living Room Trail
    The Living Room Trail
    The Living Room Trail - Sunrise views

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    Sunrise views

    Bell Canyon - Stream

    Bell Canyon

    4.4(43 reviews)
    9.2 mi

    Everywhere I look these days, it seems that people are posting pictures of amazing fall colors. We…read moredo live in a beautiful state and it's appropriate for us to step outside, take a look around and appreciate when nature shows off. I joined a group of hikers and hit the trails this past week, in search of some great fall colors. Bell Canyon did not disappoint. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, including clean bathrooms. The first part of the trail is pretty rocky and has a decent elevation gain-poles are helpful, but at the least, have good shoes with some traction. Once you get to the reservoir, it's pretty flat and there are lots of places you can get amazing pictures. Be sure to take some time down by the water-it's so calming and just beautiful. There were some detour signs on the trail, so we didn't get the full experience (not sure why it was closed, but we tried to follow signs until they suddenly stopped. So we turned around and came the way we went.) Overall, it's a beautiful hike and I'd love to come try it again when the trail is open.

    We started at the entrance on Wasatch Blvd near the residential area; and then, ended up at the…read morewaterfall. It took us about 4 hours to hike approx. 6 miles with short breaks in between for water. It's a mixer of flat, incline, rocky, slippery (snow still out towards end of hike), upward steps, and mini bridges to cross over small water streams. There are surrounding plants and trees, but most are barely blooming. Didn't see any wildlife animals, but saw a few squirrels crossing our paths lol. The hike itself wasn't too hard. I'd rate it intermediate. It was only challenging because the paths towards the end were slippery due to snow still out and melting. It was fun with some close calls. Luckily I found a stick on the way to use. We passed by the lake at the beginning of the hike, which was nice. Once we reached the waterfall, we took a refreshing break; snacked a bit; embraced the beautiful nature; and then, headed back where we started. It was harder to hike down the slippery snow than it was to hike to the waterfall. I'd come back to hike this place during fall to see the vibrant color of the trees.

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    Bell Canyon
    Bell Canyon
    Bell Canyon - The universe sent me here

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    The universe sent me here

    Millcreek Canyon

    Millcreek Canyon

    4.6(39 reviews)
    2.5 miOlympus Cove

    Hands down one of my favorite places in Utah. The hiking is incredible, with so many trails to…read morechoose from that it never gets old. It's also super dog-friendly, which makes it even better, I love being able to bring my pup along and see other happy dogs out on the trails. I come here year-round and every season is special in its own way. Snowshoeing in the winter is peaceful and beautiful, and visiting in the summer, fall, and spring brings totally different scenery and vibes each time. Whether you're hiking, snowshoeing, or just soaking in nature, Millcreek Canyon is a gem and absolutely worth five stars.

    Millcreek Canyon is located close to Big Cottonwood Canyon but is far more pet-friendly. In fact,…read moreit felt designed with dogs in mind--there were bag and trash stations for pet waste, plus signs posted noting which days dogs are allowed off-leash. We love giving Luna off-leash time on hikes like this, as long as she stays on the trails and listens when we call her back or ask her to wait. After a long day of driving, we decided to stretch our legs on the Rattlesnake Trail (not my favorite name, but we went for it). The hike was 2.79 miles and took us about 1.5 hours to complete. It was rated as moderate, with plenty of inclines and beautiful views on the way up--the descent was much easier. Entry was $5, which you pay on your way out. Overall, it was a great way to get some exercise and let Luna roam in a safe, welcoming environment.

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    Millcreek Canyon
    Millcreek Canyon
    Millcreek Canyon

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    Desolation Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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