(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) Bald Mountain provides a view of the Wasatch Mountains from Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) Hikers look at the Wasatch Range from Bald Mountain, at the top of the Sterling Express Lift on Aug. 6, 2017 at Deer Valley Resort.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) Hikers climb rocks on top of Bald Mountain on Aug. 6, 2017 at Deer Creek Resort.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) Jordanelle Reservoir stretches out below Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) Views of the Wasatch Mountains stretch for miles from Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) The Ontario Trail winds down the mountains from the top of the Sterling Express lift to Bald Mountain at Deer Creek Resort. Photo taken Aug. 6, 2017.
(Erin Alberty|The Salt Lake Tribune) A ski lift rises out of Silver Lake Village on Aug. 6, 2017 at Deer Valley Resort.
Ontario Trail is a great intro-to-the-Wasatch hike that’s pretty easy if you have $20 for a lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort. Ride the ski lifts 2,200 vertical feet from the resort base to the peak of Bald Mountain. Enjoy the views from 9,400 feet, and then hike the Ontario Trail back downhill to Silver Lake Village, meandering through open slopes and forests. Flowers were blooming in early August but probably are mostly spent by now.
Directions • Begin at Snow Park Lodge at the resort base. Buy your tickets inside the base and then climb aboard the Silver Lake Express lift near the amphitheater. It will take you to Silver Lake Village, where you hop off the lift and walk to the Sterling Express Lift. It will take you to the top of Bald Mountain, where the trail begins.
Hike • From the lift, walk up the gravel road to the overlook and enjoy the views of the neighboring peaks. Take the gravel path to your left to the nearby rocky peak to catch a glimpse of Jordanelle Reservoir and return to the gravel road where you started.
From here, the Ontario Trail is clearly signed. It intersects mountain-biking trails at several points; hike defensively and always look both ways before crossing. The trail descends through fields of wildflowers and groves of aspen and enters a conifer forest near Silver Lake. Hikers should bring poles. Parts of the trail are steep, and the gravel is very loose on the service roads; several people in my group slipped and fell.
The trail deposits you at Silver Lake Village, 1,300 feet below Bald Mountain. You may enjoy Deer Valley’s swanky amenities before taking the Silver Lake Express back to Snow Park Lodge.
Hiking time: 2 hoursRound-trip miles: 2.75Elevation loss: 1,300 feetDifficulty: ModerateTrailhead restrooms: YesDogs allowed: n/aBikes allowed: No, but extensive bike trails run from Mount BaldyFees: $20 for adults and teens, $15 for seniors and children 5-12, free for children under 5