Salt Lake City’s Best Water Feature Hikes
It’s SUPER hot out right now in Salt Lake City and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the extreme high temperatures and dry weather -- but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and enjoy the great outdoors that Utah’s capital city is known for.
When heading out on a hike during the summer, it’s important to keep a few safety related items in mind. Remember to bring extra water (and even more if you’re hiking with a pet) and don’t forget a good SPF. When hiking in the summer, going early in the morning before it gets too hot is ideal. Choosing a hike with plenty of shade can help you avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Hiking in places with water features like lakes, waterfalls or streams is another way to avoid overheating for you or your pets.
There are lots of hikes with water near Salt Lake City with streams running down most of the major canyons but here are a few of the best with skill levels and distances noted.
Bell Canyon Reservoir and Waterfall
There are two options when hiking in the Bell Canyon area, you can take it easy and just hike to the reservoir (2.3 miles with a loop around the lake) or if you’d like more of a challenge you can keep going to the lower waterfall (4.6 miles round trip). Be warned, if you decide to hike to the waterfall, the trail gets very steep.
The trailhead is near Sandy, Utah, a quick drive from Downtown Salt Lake City. The waterfall is massive and worth the trek, but for a casual adventure the reservoir is sure to suffice.
No dogs are allowed on the Bell Canyon trail system.
Dog Lake
Dog Lake in Millcreek Canyon is the perfect summer adventure for you and your dog. The trail gets busy, so go early to avoid crowds and a difficult parking situation.
There are a few ways to get to Dog Lake, but you’ll need to pick one of the trails on the Millcreek side (not Big Cottonwood) if you plan to take your dog. I’d recommend taking the Big Water trail to Dog Lake (5.2 miles round trip). It’s a moderate trail, it’s not extremely steep, but more of a gradual uphill as it meanders through the forest.
There isn’t much water along the trail, so you’ll want to bring some for you and your dog but when you get to the lake, you and your dog will be thrilled.
Lake Mary
Lake Mary, in Big Cottonwood Canyon, is breathtaking, probably the most breathtaking hike on this list. It’s a short (2.6 miles round trip) but kind of steep from the Brighton Resort parking lot. There isn’t much water along the trail but when you get to the lake, you’ll be in awe, it is the quintessential alpine lake.
No dogs are allowed to hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon as it is a watershed area. The Lake Mary trail is one of my favorites to do after work on a weekday, since it is up in the canyon, it's cooler and there is quite a bit of shade along the trail.
Remember when you are recreating outdoors to follow the “Leave No Trace” guidelines by leaving everything as you found it, or better. Happy hiking.