Northern Utah

By Melissa Mackie

Cooler temperatures, thick aspen forests, crystal lakes and rugged, high elevations characterize Utah’s northern most locales. This type of terrain lends itself to some of the best mountain biking, hiking, and fishing in the country. From sparkling Bear Lake to the rugged peaks of the Uinta National Forest, from the cosmopolitan  mountain home of Park City and Sundance to the  tranquil valleys of Ogden and Logan, Utah north has all you need for an outstanding recreation getaway.

Box Elder County: Starting at the most northern section of Utah, adventure is found among the historic railroad ruins. 20 miles west of Brigham City, ride your mountain bike on the 8-mile East Grade and 15-mile West Grade self-guided tours on dirt and paved roads. Railroad history will be evident as you wiz by remnants of railroad construction, cut and fill sites, culverts and blast zones.

Bear Lake: This “Blue Beauty,” with its Caribbean like waters, is a recreational hotspot worth checking out. Bear Lake has a combination of great visibility and surprising depths (more than 200 ft. on the east shore), making it a popular scuba diving destination. All types of watercraft can be rented for fishing, water sports or just plain sunbathing. Anglers can lure in the region’s popular Cutthroat Trout from First Point north to Cisco Beach or Utah State Park Marina north to Swan Creek. Around Bear Lake there are many options for hiking and fat-tire riding. A popular hiking trail is Limber Pine, a short one-mile roundtrip to observe the aspen forests, meadows and wildlife. The Highland Trail is also a favorite, lengthy excursion (at 55 miles long) and is open to hikers, mountain bikers, horses and motorbikes. Bring your camera and take in the spectacular views of Cache and Bear Lake Valley on this scenic route. The annual Bear Lake Raspberry Festival in August is a must-do (and taste)!

Wasatch-Cache National Forest, from the Idaho border down to Salt Lake City, encompasses 1.2 million acres of mountains, wildflower meadows, canyons, rivers and aspen laden forests. The area boasts eleven ski resorts including Snowbasin, host of the downhill at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Wasatch-Cache offers stunning scenery and epic mountain biking/hiking for all skill levels. One of the best singletracks for advanced riders is the Skyline Trail, accessed from either of two trailheads. Powder Mountain Resort has a vast variety of riding opportunities, from the White Pine Basin ride for intermediate/ advanced to the Flat Top Mountain ride for beginners. If you are not interested in self-locomotion, check out horse rentals in both Logan Canyon and Cache Valley.

Antelope Island - Great Salt Lake

Antelope Island State Park: The largest island in the mystical Great Salt Lake is fifteen miles of wildlife, outdoor adventure and a veritable geology and zoology classroom for the young and the young-at-heart. Bison, big horn sheep, elk, coyote, bobcat and a gazillion birds call Antelope Island home. The island hosts two campgrounds and thirty plus miles of hiking and mountain biking. Road riders can enjoy several loops featuring climbs and descents along shorelines. Mountain bikers of all levels will love the White Rock Bay Loop to immerse in Antelope Island’s diverse yet rugged flora and fauna. Three spur trails for more advanced riders jut off this moderate double-track and allow for additional viewing of wildlife and dramatic scenery. One of these parallels the oldest known rock shelf on the Colorado Plateau, over three billion years old!

Bonneville Salt Flats is the spot for those who really want to “get away from it all”. This stark, barren and sluggish flat area of salt is what likely caused a severe delay to the Donner party on their way to the Sierra Mountains. Today, it’s rugged adventure that draws bikers and 4Wheelers out to the Salt Flats.  Mountain bikers can spin the historic Pony Express Trail from Faust Junction to Simpson Springs and beyond. 4WD enthusiasts can explore the legendary Deep Creek Mountains. If you go, be sure to have all the essentials since there are limited stores, repair shops or facilities out in this desolate landscape.

Salt Lake City is Utah’s Capitol and largest city. Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful metropolitan cities in the world, lying in a valley framed by rugged, snowcapped peaks of the Wasatch Range rising on the east and north, and the Oquirrh Mountains on the west. Seven glacially carved canyons flow into this city, thereby creating a true high alpine adventure immediately beyond its urban corridor. Road cyclists encounter Utah history riding a short loop connecting famous landmarks, such as the Beehive House, the State Capitol and the Mormon Temple. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail traces the benches of prehistoric Lake Bonneville cut into the Wasatch foothills millennia ago. An incredible fat-tire or hiking route on the Steiner section starts at Hogle Zoo and climbs to Ensign Peak. A bit away is the trailhead to a local favorite, The Wasatch Crest Trail. This ambitious fat-tire ride, 18.5 miles out and back, is located up Mill Creek Canyon (open to mountain bikes on even-numbered days). The Wasatch Crest is known for its technical challenges, outrageous alpine views, and the infamous “Puke Hill.” 

Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Locals enjoy this canyon for its simplicity in amenities and extravagance in adventure. You won’t find expensive restaurants and spas up this canyon and only the animals are wearing fur. BCC hosts both Solitude and Brighton resorts for winter recreation and lift-service for summer activities, including Frisbee Golf at Solitude and quality singletrack mountain biking. Great hiking is found at Silver Fork and Brighton where huge bowls are a short walk from the canyon road. A favorite destination is a 1.5 roundtrip to Donut Falls where water gushes through a donut-shaped rock. Strong road-riders will enjoy the 34-mile up and back ride through Big Cottonwood. The dramatic views of the sheer-walled canyon make the uphill grind well worth the effort. The down-hill is pure exhilaration and ends at the canyon mouth, where locals gather at the popular Porcupine Pub & Grill, sponsor of the annual Big Cottonwood Bicycle Hill Climb.

Little Cottonwood Canyon boasts the highest trailheads, steepest terrain, most dramatic waterfalls and loftiest peaks in the Wasatch. LCC is a favorite high altitude training ground for many local road racers and runners. Climbers from throughout the world know of the granite walls found here, shrines to craggers. World famous ski destinations, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort and Alta Ski Area are in LCC. Snowbird holds its 12-mile Bicycle Hill Climb (ascending over 3,000 feet) from the valley town of Sandy to the resort every August. The Widowmaker, a mountain bike race to the top of 11,000-foot Hidden Peak, follows this classic event the next day. Riders with the best-combined time for both events are crowned “King and Queen of the Hill”. Advanced riding via the Snowbird aerial tram begins in July. For the young-at-heart, check out the new mountain scooter, easy to learn and a blast! At the top of the canyon, around the Town of Alta, Albion Basin, Collins Gulch, and Grizzly Gulch offer hikes and rides for all levels through a vivid explosion of wildflowers. Albion Basin is a popular trek for beginners. Make sure to check out Cecret Lake (the old miner who named it surely had a spelling problem). Catherine’s Pass and Sunset Peak have easily defined hiking trails, but Devil’s Castle, Sugarloaf and Mount Baldy require route-finding skills.

Uinta National Forest, one of Utah’s favorite outdoor playgrounds, is 949,848 acres of rugged mountains and towering peaks. The Uintas contain most of the highly visible Wasatch Front, three wilderness areas and Timpanogos Cave National Monument. There are currently more than 500 miles of hiking/biking/equestrian trails meandering across the Uinta’s mountainous expanse. Hikers should check out mount Baldy for some high-altitude switchbacks.  The view from the summit will make you feel like king of the world.

Park City is Utah’s most diverse city, featuring many cosmopolitan restaurants, fine shopping and a recreational hotspot. Part of Utah’s “Greatest Snow on Earth,” Park City is the home of supreme skiing and venues for competitions such as the 2002 Winter Olympics Games and yearly World Cup ski races. Three world-class resorts are located here, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons. Mountain bikers find 80 miles of advanced and intermediate terrain, mostly singletrack, via high-speed chairlifts at Deer Valley and Park City. If you are more interested in “earning” your descent, these trails can be accessed at the resorts by grueling, lung-searing climbs to the summits. Guardsman’s Pass Road takes you high into the Wasatch Range for expansive and beautiful views of Heber Valley and Midway far below. After your hike or ride hang out with the locals and enjoy a beer and sandwich at McHenry’s at Deer Valley, or at O’Shucks located halfway up historic Main Street.

Heber Valley and Wasatch County: This pastoral valley boasts hundreds of miles of quality mountain biking trails surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of the mighty Wasatch. The trails accessed via Daniels Canyon are especially engaging. A popular ride traverses up Strawberry Ridge to overlook the Strawberry Reservoir. The trail features some technical terrain; rocks, chatter marks and ruts; but the ridge top views make the effort more than worthwhile. Wasatch Mountain State Park is a popular stop, with a 22,000-acre sanctuary and an exciting 30-mile fat-tire loop. Golfing enthusiasts will love the inexpensive, yet gorgeous Wasatch Course with three distinct nines. If you hit an errant shot, don’t forget to yell “fore” to the deer grazing alongside the links.

Provo Canyon beholds majestic Mount Timpangos. The Mount Timp Perimeter Trail leads mountain bikers on an exhausting jaunt over very challenging terrain. Hiking options include the 12-mile Nebo Trail, with elevation gains breaching 5,000 feet. Expect to “feel the burn” hiking up switchbacks above timberline and eventually to the summit of Mt. Nebo. Both middle and northern summits can be reached by traversing a mile-long, razor-thin ridge. The canyon also frames the Provo River, arguably the best trout stream in the country so near a major metropolitan area. While you are in the canyon, take a gander at Robert Redford’s 6,000-acre resort in Sundance Village. After a challenging day in the hills or on the river, relax, shop and dine at the many fine retail stores and restaurants in Sundance.
 

Melissa Mackie is a graduate of Puget Sound with a degree in Exercise Science. Melissa is a gorilla on a mountain bike, a terror on a pair of skis, and a welcome addition to the many fine writers submitting their works to the Guide. Melissa lives, works and plays in Park City.