Local Winter Activities Worth Trying
by MADISAN HINKHOUSE
Good news! Salt Lake City and surrounding areas have plenty of great ways to enjoy winter.
For The One Who Can’t Wants to Hit the Slopes
There’s a reason skiing is so popular: it’s a lot of fun. What if I told you there’s a way to ski without lift lines, expensive tickets, or crowded canyons? There is! Cross-country or nordic skiing is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors without the hassle of a resort.
While nordic skiing doesn’t offer the thrill of speeding down extremely steep hills, it offers one of the best workouts for your cardiovascular system. But the best part about cross country skiing is the gorgeous, non-crowded places it can take you. You can pretty much cross country ski on most hiking trails as long as there is snowpack.
A few great places around Salt Lake City include East Canyon, Millcreek Canyon and Mountain Dell Golf Course.
For Those Who Would Prefer To Stay Warm
Salt Lake City is home to so many locally-owned fitness studios. Whether you want a high-intensity cycling class or a yoga class to ease some stress, there are plenty of options. For yoga, Salt Lake Power Yoga is great for a higher intensity but still meditative class, but if you’re looking for something more physically or spiritually healing check out Rock Steady Body Works.
If you want to add more cardio in, Torrent Cycle is an LGBTQ+-owned spin studio with multiple locations in the Valley.
For The One Who Craves The Winter Wonderland Vibe
If you’re still in search of the wintery vibe (ie. cute hats and hot chocolate) skiing provides, you should check out some of Salt Lake’s great local ice rinks.
The Gallivan Center ice rink is smack in the middle of downtown Salt Lake. If you’ve always had the dream of spending the holiday season in Central Park, the Gallivan Center is close.
If you’re looking for lessons, laps, or free-skating, the Olympic Oval in Kearns is perfect. First off, it’s huge, giving you plenty of room to get in your exercise. Next, the history of the Oval is amazing and one could spend hours just exploring the displays. It’s like an unofficial museum of the 2002 Winter Olympics. It could serve as a good refresher since Salt Lake is bidding for a future Olympic Games.
For The One Who Wants To Hibernate Until Spring
Salt Lake’s Public Library System is vast and growing with its newest edition in South Salt Lake. The Downtown Branch has a cafe, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee, people watch, and browse multiple floors of books.
If you’ve got kids who want to get out of the house, the Salt Lake Library system has so many options for reading groups and activities for kids of all ages.
For The One Who Still Needs Fresh Mountain Air
Sometimes it is overlooked that almost all of Salt Lake City and the surrounding area’s hiking trails are still open and accessible during winter. As long as you’ve got the right gear (warm clothes, shoes with added traction), you can still enjoy all of the hiking you typically do in the summer.
Enjoy your winter!