If you're looking for a peaceful, magical, and completely free holiday experience in Utah, the Tree…read moreof Life in Draper City Park is an absolute must-see. This breathtaking willow tree is wrapped in over 1,000 strands of warm white LED lights, creating one of the most beautiful Christmas displays in the entire Salt Lake Valley. The moment you arrive, you're surrounded by a soft golden glow that instantly puts you in the holiday spirit. What makes the Tree of Life so special is its simplicity -- it's not a massive park full of displays or a loud commercial event. It's just one stunning tree, lit to perfection, that transforms the quiet park into a serene winter wonderland. Families stroll beneath the branches, couples take romantic photos, and visitors of all ages gather to enjoy the calm, cozy ambiance. The nearby illuminated bridge adds another dreamy touch and makes the whole scene even more picturesque. This spot has quickly become a beloved holiday tradition for many, and after visiting, it's easy to see why. It's peaceful, beautiful, easy to access, and perfect for a short outing that leaves you feeling refreshed and festive. I highly recommend adding the Tree of Life to your holiday bucket list! https://linktr.ee/reessroots

How long have I lived here and never visited the well-loved tree of life? Well, forever, really and…read morethat's a miss on my part. I've heard lots of people talk about this park, especially in the winter when it's all lit up with Christmas lights, and it wasn't until this year that I finally made it out there. The playground looked fun-although I didn't go try it myself. I figured that the parents of the kids playing might not appreciate some rando adult joining in with everyone. But if you have youngsters, or are one yourself, you'll find merriment and joy here. The trees were all lit up beautifully and the star of the show, of course, was mesmerizing. It might not be a multi-hour tour, but it's worth a visit. And it's free, so there's that!

Wow! Can't believe I've lived in Utah my entire life and never tried this easy, but beautiful hike!…read moreThanks to ChatGPT for recommending this hike me. Searched up easy, short winter hikes for solo hikers and this popped up, super glad it did! This hike is an absolute must try if you live in Utah county. It is just 1.3 miles round-trip and only took about 15 minutes to get up to the frozen waterfall. The waterfall was absolutely beautiful, all of the ice crystals and trees were stunning. It is pretty slippery this time of year so I would bring hiking poles or hiking boots that have good traction so that you can get down to the waterfall. I unfortunately wore the wrong shoes so I couldn't go all the way down. Would've broke my assWill definitely be doing this again, it's nice that it's so close and such a short easy hike for the winter time!

On Monday, April 7, 2025 (Yesterday), I decided to take advantage of the warmer weather and hike at…read moreBattle Creek Falls. Parking lot: Free Size: Small Bathroom: Yes Men and women Toilet: Regular; water-based. From the parking lot to the waterfall, took 15 minutes, give or take. The trail is slightly incline, some parts more, than others and since I haven't worked out in the past few months, I was slightly out of breath, but nothing extreme before the waterfall. Moreover, there is also a path down to the waterfall, with a log to sit on, and taken in the beautiful waterfall. If one decides to go further up, the path does continue on top of the waterfall, right hand side. This trail is easy and no way of getting lost to the water fall. In additon, If you're looking for more beyond the waterfall, there is a much smaller one shortly ahead, but after that, there is not much to see. A lot of snow and mud, and dry plants. And after the second smaller waterfall, the trail does get challenging because it's all uphill. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the meadows. I came across two hikers who said they did go to meadows and it was ugly right now. I wanted to see for myself and on the way there, the path itself was very ugly, muddy and dry. Henced, I turned back. Overall, family friendly, easy hike, and make sure to bring a hat because a lot of the trail after the waterfall is direct sunlight, no shade.

Donut Falls is a very special place to me, and it's accessibility makes it a great family-friendly…read morehike. You can choose to scale the slick rocks to the top of the waterfall if you're feeling bold, just be super cautious and be sure you're experienced and wearing proper gear. Even if you choose not to, you'll still be rewarded with incredible views!

First time in Utah, and this was our very first stop. It's a bit of a drive followed by a 1.5-mile…read morehike, but it's well worth it. The road to the trailhead is bumpy, so take it slow. The parking lot is small, though there's some overflow parking along the road. Bathroom facilities are available, so be sure to use them if needed. About halfway to the falls, you'll pick up a small stream, which makes the hike even nicer. Most of the trail is shaded by trees, which helped keep us cool. Once you reach the falls, it can get a bit congested with people. The views from the bottom are beautiful, but the real spectacle is the "donut" itself -- I've seen the photos, and it looks incredible. There are signs asking people not to climb up, but the allure of the falls seemed too strong for some, and a few went to the top anyway. One thing to be aware of: there were a couple of areas with ground bees swarming, so stay alert and watch your step. A beautiful spot -- absolutely worth the time and effort.

Beautiful drive once you get there all paved walkways so much fun to see the water, cascading fish…read morein the bonds and unique flowers and white natural grasses

This is my type of hike-more like a mild nature walk with all my favorite things: water, trees and…read morewildlife. There's a good sized parking lot with some restrooms (which were unfortunately poorly maintained due to staffing issues-but that's another review). There are a few nice overlook spots along the trail and even a few benches to stop and enjoy the scenery. I noticed that there were many spots in the grassy area that appeared to be burned. As I was wondering aloud what those meant, I came across a sign that explained that they were prescribed burns to prevent the existing trees from choking out. They need space to grow. The water is incredibly clear and the stream has a lovely flow to it. There are some spots that are a little more sparse than others, so it might not be the most magnificent trail you'll find in the mountains, but if it's along your path and you'd like a short walk, it's definitely worth visiting.

4.75 mile hike with incredible views. This hike was a steady incline on the way up and all downhill…read moreon the way back. It took about 2.5 hours and was just over 1200ft in elevation gain. Would recommend early in the morning before it gets too hot!

This has two trailheads, so please note that the pin drop here on Yelp (as of today) is on the…read moreMillcreek Canyon side. If you're looking to hike to Desolation Lake, you can make it there on this trailhead, but it's the loooooong way. For the most direct way to Desolation Lake, you'll want the Beartrap Fork Trail #057, located one canyon to the south in Big Cottonwood Canyon, here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beartrap-fork-trail-057-salt-lake-city Now that's settled, let's talk about the Desolation Trail. As alluded to above, this is actually quite a long trail that straddles the hump between Millcreek and Big Cottonwood Canyons. Arguably, the most popular section of the hike is here at the Millcreek side, as it delivers hikers a nifty vista after a few miles. First, find the trailhead by going east up Millcreek Canyon. You'll pass the series of Cub Scout and Boy Scout camps on the south side, and come to the Church Fork Picnic area on the north (left) side. Once you pass that, the South Box Elder Picnic Area appears on the south (right) and this is where the trailhead begins. The trailhead hosts a small pit toilet building but there is no available electricity or water, so bring your own before you arrive. There are a few small picnic tables on a first come-first served basis, as well as the Edmund Ellsworth picnic area, which can be reserved ahead of time. Begin the ascent behind the restrooms and you'll see a few signs to begin: first, note that the beginning of the hike is on private property. The Boy Scouts allow the public trail to cross the property, so be nice, and stay on trail. The other sign you see is a mileage indicator which reads: Salt Lake Valley Overlook 2 Thaynes Canyon 3 Porter Fk. Trail 8.5 Mill B North Fk. 9 Bowman Fk. 10.5 Dog Lake 16.5 Desolation Lake 18 Far and away, the most popular hike here is the Salt Lake Valley Overlook. Though marked at 2, it's arguably more like 2.2, making a nice but challenging 4.4 mile round trip activity. This is infinitely doable as an after-work hike in the long days of summer, and even in less illuminated conditions the trail is well worn and can be accomplished on days when you sneak out of the office early. Expect to see lots of traffic those first few miles. Also note that Millcreek Canyon is a popular spot for dog owners, and dogs are allowed on trails and offleash on odd-numbered days of the month. If pups ain't your thing, stick to even-numbered leash days, or skip to the south for the dog-prohibited Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The Salt Lake Valley Overlook is as far as I've taken the trail from Millcreek. On the other side, I've run around BCC, Dog Lake, and Desolation Lake as a younger fellow and trail is remarkably similar. Expect to find shorter but thick foliage in sunnier, lower elevations. As you rise or find shady sides of the canyon, you can find stands of pine and other evergreens. The flowers light up from early spring and take turns all season; scarlet gilia, lupine, the occasional mountain aster, Indian paintbrush, and many others. The trailhead sits at about 5750ft in elevation. Salt Lake Valley Overlook takes you to just over 7000ft. It's never technical, the trail is almost exclusively dirt (read: dusty in the summer) but it's a constant climb and can get the best of less-than-seasoned hikers. Still, it's a good choice if you have a healthy group. The full Desolation Trail (which, as far as I can tell, ends at Desolation Lake) maps out on paper to be 16 miles, but is listed at 18. The lake itself sits at just over 9200 ft, so you shouldn't be surprised that the Desolation Trail is a constant climb for over 6 miles before calming down and dropping to around 8800ft over the next 7 or so miles, reaching Dog Lake, dropping to around 8300, and then lifting back up over the 9K mark to reach the waters of Desolation. Here again, you're looking at high elevation forest, although never terribly thick, and a lot of shrub and deciduous groves. Pack plenty of water, even if you're just headed to the overlook. Some of it is exposed, and it's a pretty dry hike. Sunblock is a must, because no matter what time of day or season, you're going to pass stretches that are exposed. We're spoiled to have something like this, and all the other great trails, so close to us in SLC. the Salt Lake Valley Overlook is quite the sight, and that's just about 2 miles away. The whole journey -- one I've not completed in a continuous slog, to be clear -- is on my conquer list and a real treat for anyone looking to head for the hills on a summer day.

Every time I visit South Jordan, a few visits to Oquirrh Lake are an absolute must! The Daybreak…read morecommunity is so beautiful, with homes along either side of the lake. Today we walked around the entire lake, a nice 3.2 mile walk before dinner, and another 2 miles after dinner. There are always so many ducks and geese, and somehow there seemed to be even more today! I wonder if the geese migrated away from Canada for the winter and made their home here??...

We love the park it's beautiful! There are times it's a bit extreme with the kids and their sand…read morebuckets plus the buckets of water they poor in the sand. I'm not a party pooper but there are times where I'd like my kids to stay clean. Parents need to be more mindful and at least keep the sand clean.

I used to really enjoy riding Blackridge Trail, but as it's become more popular, the trail system…read morehas grown noticeably more crowded. Because it's mostly singletrack, it can be challenging when things get busy with both riders and hikers, especially during peak times. They've also started charging for parking, which is disappointing and takes away from the overall experience. While it's still a scenic trail system, the increased traffic and added fees have made it less appealing than it once was.

Super nice parking lot for this pond and trailhead. Note: There is a charge for parking there on…read moreSat/Sun/Holidays between May 1 - Sept 7th. See photo. I scanned the code and it looked like it was $16. Trails are marked great. Saturday late Sept, there were very few bikes and hikers. Dogs are welcome on these trails. AllTrails seems to know these trails well. We did the Blackridge/Sidewinder/Diamondback loop which was a nice hour+ long 3.5 miles. Would def. do it again.

More of a trail than a park, like Christine M said. This is the place to come if you want to take a…read morenice walk through the trees, looking at the birds or the different trees and flowers. People also bike on the paths, so be careful to watch for each other. The trails weave in and out of the trees, mostly in the shade, although there are some parts of the trail that are in direct sunlight-so wear your sunscreen. At the trailhead, you'll find a parking lot and a restroom. There's plenty of space for your to wander and enjoy nature. I'll see you on the trail.

I love walking around this area so peaceful. Too many bikers that don't follow biker protocol. I've…read morehad several incidents where I've almost been hit by a bike because they don't Warn you they are coming up along side of you. Aren't you supposed to say "On your left"?