12 Microadventures near Salt Lake

Salt Lake is one of the best towns in the west to do something quick and fun after work with those long summer days. If you need to blow off some steam after sitting at a desk all day, then save the gym for when its cold outside and grab a headlamp. There are too many great outdoor recreation choices nearby to pass up!

• The Living Room: A popular place for people to take in the sunset or even listen to music coming from the Red Butte concerts below. Located along the Wasatch Front, its an easy-to-access place with built-in stone seats.
• Willow Heights: Bring up the hammock and find one of the many giant aspen to chill out beneath while watching out for frequent moose. Hike up a bit further toward Dry Lake to catch sunset over Solitude Ski Resort with Willow Lake reflecting the clouds below.
• Stairs Gulch: Close to town and loaded with a ton of small waterfalls and beautiful cascades. This fun and short hike is less of a trail and more like a terraced playground to explore. It's near the mouth of Big Cottonwood, saving a ton of drivng time.
• Peak 10420: Get a weekday sunset all to yourselves on this easy-to-hike peak at the top of Big Cottonwood. The steep trail might be a bit tricky coming down at night, but take your time, it is worth it.
• Corner Canyon: Grab the bikes and head south to the best place to ride in the valley. There are a ton of trails and all types of terrain, and while it can get crowded, the place is huge and can handle the numbers.
• Tanner Dog Park: Bring the pups on your adventure and allow them to run off-leash across the long stretches of open land. A river and watering holes at both ends of the trail make this a favorite with dogs.
• Bells Lower Waterfall: The small open valley just beyond the falls is a terrific place to take in the sunset with its western facing views and stunning scenery. The trailhead is just on the edge of town and saves you the long drive up a major canyon.
• Ferguson Canyon: Epic rock climbing on the vertical granite canyon walls make this a popular spot for climbers to hit up after work. A few small waterfalls along the way in the early summer and a trailhead close to town make it a favorite for weekday warriors.
• Catherines Pass: The immense beauty of the summer flowers has made this spot really crowded. However you have to go once a year to remind yourself just how amazing it is, and it has to be on a weekday after work for a chance to find parking.
• Silver Lake Loop: This is a favorite for Salt Lake residents to circle the lake while looking for moose. The lack of elevation gain makes it easy going, and the pretty drive up Big Cottonwood is an added bonus.
• Bloods Lake: Rope swing into the chilly alpine lake not far from home. Blood's Lake is a great place to take the kids and your dogs on an adventure that makes you feel much further from home then you really are.
• Heughs Canyon: If you want to avoid the crowds of the other Wasatch Front hikes but don't want to head up a major canyon to start your hike, Heugh's is the answer. Short, pretty, and steep enough to get the heart rate up.