Two Great Day Hikes – Must See!

Our mountains and trails are some of the most beautiful in the world.  If you live hear or are just visiting check out the places below.  Even if you are not a hiker – some of these trails are easy and you can still enjoy the  beauty  of spring/summer/fall right here in Utah.

Two hikes to enjoy over the weekend.

Brighton Lakes (Best Lakes)

Where: At the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, 15 miles east of the Salt Lake Valley Length:4.2 miles out and back. Duration: 3 to 4 hours

Lake Mary, Lake Martha, and Lake Catherine, known collectively as Brighton Lakes, lie at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon just above the Brighton Ski Resort. They form a chain of pristine, alpine glacial lakes set in granite bowls and adorned with woods of fir and spruce. Since Lake Mary is closest to the trailhead and can be done as a 2.2 mile round trip hike, it’s the most popular destination for families and a wide range of hikers. It’s a great spot for a picnic or a summer afternoon of lakeside recreation. Continuing on to Lake Martha and Lake Catherine, the crowds thin, as does the air, and outside of an occasional angler, you may be the only person on the trail as it nears treeline.

Doughnut Falls (Favorite Local Waterfall)

Where: Big Cottonwood Canyon, nine miles east of the Salt Lake Valley Length: 1.4 miles out and back Duration: 1-2 hours

Doughnut Falls is well-known by local hikers, but rarely seen by visitors. It’s an intriguing sight — a unique waterfall that plunges through a hole in the rock and into a grotto before cascading down the rock drainage below. It’s a short hike that even small children can accomplish and enjoy, but keep them close by, as they’ll be tempted to climb in and around the waterfall, and that can be dangerous. It’s easy to spend an hour or more playing around the falls. The trail and falls are set in a forest of spruce and aspen. You’ll see ground squirrels and chipmunks along the trail, but also be on the lookout for deer, moose and beaver.