The typical reaction to being told to “take a hike” generally isn’t positive, but today is different. Nov. 17 has been deemed National Hiking Day, also known as “Take a Hike Day.” That means instead of telling you to go away, on this day that phrase can be interpreted as, “Go, get away from it all.”
But where to go?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you.
Friday’s weather is setting up perfectly for a hike, with highs in the 60s around Salt Lake City and no rain in the forecast. Unfortunately, Thursday’s storms will have transformed many trails into muddy bogs. With that in mind, we’ve collected five of our favorite Trib Trails that also happen to hold up well in wet weather (Keep in mind, though, if it’s sticking to your heels or wheels, turn around. If you decide to continue ahead, walk through the mud, now around it).
Do one today and stash the others away as options for when the winter doldrums set in. When you want to tell the world to take a hike, now you can go on one instead.
The Parleys Pointe Trail on the East Bench offers a somewhat strenuous hike that is 7.2 miles as an out-and-back but which can be halved if you drop a car at the Arcadia trailhead on Lakeline Drive and catch a ride to the Yesco driveway off Foothill Drive. Its lack of shade means the train generally dries quickly and your efforts will be repaid in views of the city.
On the other side of the valley is the Yellow Fork Trail, one of the few but growing accesses to the Oquirrh Mountains. Plenty of loops interconnect on this trail, so it can be a 3.85-mile mostly flat outing or a 7-mile trek with steep climbs and potentially some ice and snow.
Near Bountiful is the well-known yet versatile Wild Rose Trail. The basic loop is just 1.75 miles, but it includes enough elevation gain, and views, to get the heart pumping. Plus, hikers have the option of adding other loops to increase the distance as well as shortcuts.
Feel like a hike’s just not a hike unless you’re in the canyons? Try the Mule Hollow Mine trail. Yes, you may have to wade through a small creek a few times if it rained recently and possibly do some bushwhacking. Yet neither mud nor crowds will be among your worries.
Finally, a hike doesn’t have to be out in the woods or through the mud. It can be right in your neighborhood or one nearby. This Park City tunnels trail has plenty of sites to offer in all seasons, plus easy side trips for some warm coffee or cocoa.
Follow @julie_jag