Melissa Hartwig's Favorite Hikes in SLC
We talked to Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the original Whole30 program, and a five-time New York Times bestselling author. We talked about Whole30 and motherhood. You can listen to the full interviewHERE.
I talked with Melissa about her favorite trails here in SLC. She often takes her kindergartner with her. Her advice?
> Exploring the mountains on HIS timeline gives me a whole new perspective on the journey.
Be sure to adjust your expectations when your little people are in tow!
Melissa Shares Her Favorite Hikes Along the Wasatch Front
Use the free @alltrails app to search for the following hike ideas for more details.
SLC: Brighton Resort, Lake Mary (Martha, Catherine) (moderate, 2 mi RT). This is my vote, hands-down. First, it’s an easy drive from PC (across Guardsman Pass). Second, you can choose your own adventure; the hike to Lake Mary is just 2 miles RT (but steep, and at major elevation!), and it’s gorgeous. You can also continue past the lake (the views from the far end are the prettiest), to the smaller Lake Martha (on the right), up another steep climb to Lake Catherine… and up even higher to Catherine’s Pass and Sunset Peak (to the left).
Image viaHikesandLakes.com
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SLC: Dog Lake, from Mill D North (moderate, 5 mi RT). Also super pretty (especially on the way back), about a quarter of the way down the same canyon as Brighton (Big Cottonwood Canyon). Another “choose your own adventure” here… you can start up the trail and head left at the clearly marked “Dog Lake” sign for another 0.6 (steep) miles, or head right for 2 more miles to the larger and quieter Desolation Lake. Also, across the street is a really pretty picnic area by the river.
Photo via@Melissa_Hartwig
SLC: Lake Blanche (hard, 7 mi RT). One of the prettiest hikes in SLC, about halfway down the same canyon as Brighton (Big Cottonwood Canyon), but this one makes you work for it. It’s 3.5-ish miles up, and steep. Plan on at least 2 hours up if you’re from sea level, and you’ll want to explore for a while at the top. (Head past the lake up and over to the other two on the left—Florence and Lillian—just as pretty.) Also, parking here is tight, so best to get here early.
Other favorites:
Little Cottonwood Canyon (Red Pine Lake, 8 mi RT/hard). This is on par with Lake Blanche in terms of steepness, but the lake is gorgeous. Bonus: continue around to the back side and head up to Upper Red Pine Lake, or continue onto the peak Pfeifferhorn. You can also fork left after the first mile on this trail for 10 RT miles to White Pine Lake; equally pretty and usually less busy.
Photo via@Melissa_Hartwig
Millcreek Canyon (Rattlesnake Gulch to Salt Lake Overlook, 3.5 mi RT/moderate—the first mile is steep and the rest is basically flat) is a sunset favorite, with stunning views of the canyon and downtown), or for something longer and more challenging, summit Grandeur Peak from Church Fork (7 mi RT/moderate). And a really fun one close to downtown is the Living Room trail(2.5 mi RT/moderate), which offers awesome views of downtown and a legit set of rocks build to resemble sofas. This one is always busy, FYI.
