Trailhead up by Red Butte Gardens/Natural History Museum of Utah
Distance: 2.3 miles round trip, ~875 feet elevation
Difficulty: Moderate
Accessible March-November
Dogs ARE allowed
Have you ever been hiking to a living room made of rocks? :) Well, here's your chance! I just did this hike again with my friend Gail and our two babies, and boy was I a sweaty mess by the top. Granted, we did hike in the middle of the day, but also carrying an extra 25 pounds on my back is hard work. Can you say #legday? This is a trail that I love.
I'll be honest, this definitely isn't the prettiest trail I've hiked. There's not a ton to look at on your way up, but once you get to where you bend back around the mountain and see the view, it all becomes worth it. The fall leaves are just starting to come in, and it was beautiful toward the top. And The Living Room, the final destination of the hike, is obviously worth seeing. People have constructed sofa chairs and benches out of rocks... and sometimes there is even a little coffee table made of rocks too. It's nice to be able to have somewhere to sit, and look out over the University of Utah campus, and downtown SLC. When we hiked it yesterday, the chairs didn't seem as well-constructed as I've seen other times I've done it (darn wind), but it's still fun to just go and sit and look out over the city.
Grab a hiking buddy and go do it! Especially with the fall leaves starting to come in! It's a must.
It's kind of a confusing trail to keep up with in the beginning, and so I included some pictures that will hopefully direct you on the right track. After turning east on Wakara Way and when you're almost to Red Butte Gardens and the Natural History Museum of Utah, you take a right onto Colorow Road. The trailhead starts further down that road on the left (east) side before you get to Huntsman Way. You can park anywhere on that road free for 3 hours. **This hike took us two hours yesterday, and we took it reallllllly slow with the babies and also sat at the top for a while. That should give you a good estimate on how long it will take you.
Here are some pictures from yesterday. There is one picture I included at the bottom of when I did this hike with my Dad. We hiked the face of this peak that time around, and it was much harder, but I love the memory that pictures holds as I sat at the top with my Dad at sunset. <3
