The trails I gravitate to most are the ones right out the door - no more than an hour's drive from Salt Lake City. These are the trails I do right before or after work, with friends, solo, or save the bigger hikers for the weekend. Whether you want to see new trails, improve your fitness, or lose weight, use this book as a tool for motivation.
The Wellsville Cone (9,356 ft) is the 2nd highest point in the Wellsville Mountains, the highest being Box Elder Peak. Wellsville Cone is only 16 feet lower, and if you must bag the tallest peak of the mountains go for it, but the views will be the same. There are several routes to reach either summit and all require bushwhacking, and are long, steep hikes.
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Mount Baldy (11,068ft) is the summit that divides Snowbird from Alta Ski Resorts, and is a short and easy summit, especially for newbie peak baggers. There's nothing technical about this hike, which also makes is great for kids looking to bag a few easy peaks. Advanced peak baggers often combine Mount Baldy with either a section or entire ridgeline of Little Cottonwood Canyon. But, if you are looking for something short you can take the Snowbird Tram up and hike 1 mile to this summit. Looking for something longer? Hike up from the base of Snowbird.
Grandview Peak (9,410 ft) sits at the Salt Lake/Davis County line and is one of the seldom visited peaks along the Wasatch Front. It's a long hike in from all directions, there's no water source, very little shade, and a little bushwhacking required. No matter which route you choose (described below), be prepared for a full 10-12 hour day. However, I've been staring at this peak for 4 years now, and I just HAD to knock it off my peak list. Wednesday night I was looking at the weather for the week, and it was supposed to have perfect blue skies, comfortable temperatures, and the Fall colors were also almost at their peak.
Hayden Peak (12,479 ft) stands out for anyone who's driven along the Mirror Lake Highway in the Uintas. This rugged peak is quite intimidating from the road, but for Peak Baggers that's nothing to prevent us from climbing it. Hiking to the summit of Hayden Peak is NOT for the beginner hiker nor the beginner peak bagger. You should be comfortable hiking across narrow ridges, class 3 scrambles, and route finding. There is either a very faint, or non-existent trail. Though this route is only 2 miles one way, you'll gain a total of just over 2,000 ft.
Mill Canyon Peak (10,349 ft) sits on the backside of the Wasatch Mountains and offers amazing 360 degree views. For a 10,000 ft peak this is a relatively easy summit - there's a trail most of the way and no scrambling.
The West Summit of Notch Mountain (11,206 ft) is near "The Notch", an opening in between the West and East summits. The Notch is the high, open area on the Notch Mountain Trail by Lovenia Lake and Twin Lakes. Hiking to the West summit is fairly easy for seasoned peak baggers, and offers a good intro to peak bagging for newbies. There is a trail all the way to The Notch, after that you need to find your own route. It's not hard though, just steep hiking over medium sized boulders. Be careful where you step as some boulders are uneven - always test it out before putting all of your weight on the boulder.
Provo Peak (11,068 ft) is one of the higher peaks in the Wasatch and also one of the shortest but steepest in the area. The trail to the summit is only 1.5 miles but gains 2,700 ft! The views from the summit are amazing, as you get 360 degree views of Utah County, and on a clear day into SLC County and major peaks north.
Kelsey Peak (10,373 ft) is located along the Oquirrh Mountains, the large mountain range just West of SLC. It's not the highest summit in the range (Flat Top Mountain is the high point), yet hiking to the peak is very rewarding. You can knock out three peaks in one morning - Butterfield Peaks, White Pine Peak (aka Wans Peak on some older maps), and Kelsey Peak. If you had enough time and energy you could make it all the way to Lowe Peak, or if you set your goals really high you could even complete the Oquirrh Ridgeline Ascension Trail (the whole ridge line point to point)!
Fool Creek Peak (9,712 ft) is the highest summit in the Canyon Mountain Range in central Utah, and ranks #20 on the Utah Prominence List with 3,712 ft. I bet everyone has seen this peak, but nobody knows the name as you drive by it heading south on I-15 in Scipio, UT. This is one of the reasons I just had to hike this peak - every time I would drive on I-15 I said to myself "One day I'll hike to that peak!" So I did.