100 Favorite Things To Do In Utah (Summer Edition)

I have asked several groups of people recently about their favorite things to do in Utah. The answers were beautifully varied. In my family the answers included riding bikes on the cobblestone sidewalk outside the Lehi Legacy Center, paragliding at the Point of the Mountain, and swimming at Sand Hollow State Park. Followers on the A Local Wander Facebook page were reflective in their answers, sharing how getting up into the mountains or out to wander in the desert brings peace and reminds them that they are home.

As for me, I could not possible narrow my favorite activity in Utah down to just one thing. I am a transplant here and from Day 1 have been running from one unbelievable activity to the next with wild abandon and complete awe. Those of us lucky enough to call Utah home are beyond fortunate to have hundreds of bucket list worthy adventures right outside our front door. (Indeed, the inspiration behind "A Local Wander")

To help plan your next weekend excursion, fill the summer calendar, or give you ideas for an epic western vacation, here is a beginning list of 100 favorite things to do in Utah...

Utah Summer Bucket Lists

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Temperatures are rising and the kids will soon be out of school. Summer has arrived-now what are you going to do? After recently being asked to share my favorite Utah bucketlist ideas, I've put together my best tips and created 14 lists to give you PLENTY of ways to keep busy in Salt Lake & Utah Counties.

Stewart Falls: A Utah Waterfall Hike

It seems fitting that since my husband and I met and got engaged at a waterfall (in Alaska, but still a waterfall), we should continue making waterfall memories. A few years ago he nonchalantly informed me he wanted to take our two young boys toTimpenooke and Emerald Lake.  Only later did I translate what he was actually saying as, "I think we should drag ourselves and our little boys that mostly need carried 11,000 feet up to the top of Mt. Timpanogos."  Before being tricked into that one, I convinced him perhaps we should try a slightly shorter hike to see how far our little ones could make it.  

That is how we found ourselves on the relatively short (4 miles roundtrip and rated as "easy to moderate")  hike to Stewart Falls.  It was a BEAUTIFUL trek through wooded mountainsides.  Even in the height of Utah's dry summer season the trail was lush and green with wildflowers blooming everywhere.  It rivaled many of the hikes I've been on in the midwest and eastern states.  

Part of what makes the Stewart Falls Hike great is the fact that it is a relatively flat walk.  The initial ascent from the parking lot is steep and the eventual descent down to the waterfalls is tricky, but the 4-mile round-trip adventure really is quite relaxing.  Whether hiking with children or not, there are many areas perfectly suited for resting, snacking, and scenic gazing.  

The falls themselves are amazing!  You can hear them before you see them and the air temperature drops refreshingly just at the point when you really need it.  Be amazed as the triple-tier of cascading water comes into view, and then remember to follow the trail down and to the left.  We followed a group of teenagers to the right and discovered they were sliding down a scree field.  Not the safest way to go.  

My one piece of advice is this:  Plan to linger and enjoy your time at Stewart Falls.  There's no reason to rush along the way and you'll want time to cool down and replenish before making the journey back to your car.  Bring a lunch, dip your feet in the ice cold snowmelt stream, and enjoy being in one of the most beautiful places Utah has to offer.

Directions and information:

The Stewart Falls trailhead is on the Sundance end of the Alpine Loop.  Driving through Provo Canyon, follow the signs to Sundance, continue past the resort and BYU's Aspen Grove facility.  Just before coming to the Alpine Loop fee booth you will see a parking lot on the left of the road.  This is where the trail begins.  (You will have to pay the small Alpine loop fee-we tried to avoid it by parking on the side of the road and got a ticket).  

Several different trails begin from this parking lot so be sure to read and follow the signs.  Once you're on the right trail you'll be on your way.  

It is also possible to hike to Stewart Falls from the Sundance Resort.  

The hike will start at the top of Ray's Lift and be more of an uphill, 

then downhill hike than from the trailhead I've described above.

 Check out the Sundance website for more information on that alternative.

 (Be sure to read another waterfall post on the Battlecreek Trail)

Cedar Breaks National Monument: An Alternative to Busy Bryce Canyon

Grove Creek Trail: We Almost Died That Day

Anywhere along the Wasatch Range in Utah, you can take a few hours or days to hike parts of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail or the more expansive Great Western Trail.  Close to my house there are three very easy access points, the easiest being the Battle Creek Trail, which my kids love because it has a refreshing waterfall.

For years I've been wanting to explore more of these trail systems that pass behind "G" Mountain.  I actually started out one time with a bunch of friends, but quickly decided my sea-level midwest lungs were not ready for such an endeavor.  Since then, though, I've known a couple other people who've camped with their families up there, and I've been waiting for the day I'd be motivated to try it again. The painful and frightening journey we encountered when we finally tried it will not be something I EVER forget!

Here is a reference point to use as we move through the hike today...

What we attempted to do was hike from Grove Creek over to Battle Creek.  We left a car at the Battle Creek trailhead, and drove the mile or so to where we wanted to begin.  In my mind the hike was going to take 6-7 hours.  We would have an uphill climb, but not too bad, on the Grove Creek side, level out into a much-talked-about green meadow, have an easy walk across the back, and even though we'd be tired, the Battle Creek downhill would be a piece of cake.  

It started out okay, wide and gradually climbing...

...then narrowing...

 ...then narrower and rocky...

 ...and HARD!  Instead of the easy climb I was expecting, we quickly found ourselves in the middle of steep and dangerous switchbacks, heading in the opposite direction we wanted to be going...

View of the switchbacks about halfway through them.

It was about this point that people passing by started remarking how brave it was to be hiking with our kids. We're used to hearing that, too many people don't get out and do challenging things as a family.  We didn't realize that this time, they were mostly educated and heeding us a warning.  This is what we were about to come up on...

The already steep and narrow trail changed from packed gravel to extremely loose rock shale on either side as well as right up the middle.  We'd now gone from slightly harrowing hike to white-knuckled parents clenching onto their over-energetic little boys to keep the whole family from sliding down the mountain.

It was also at this point that we started seeing people who had passed us coming back down and passing us again.  We knew there had to be a turn-around point for people not wanting to go all the way, we just never seemed to be getting there! 

This is how we were feeling...

...until, finally, we made it to the waterfall...

...where we could see this view of the valley down below...

...and higher up, a trickling stream... 

Surely this means the trail is going to level out and be smooth sailing from here, right? Uh , NO!  All these years we have been lied to!  There's no leveling out and ease on the backside of this mountain.  What we had not taken into account after our legs were already screaming is that we now had to climb the hidden mountain on the left before eventually summiting the visible mountain on the right and then traversing the rest of the way straight back down.

We tried to keep on going.  After the waterfall, the terrain changed from brown, hot, and rocky to green, cool, and safely packed.  We even ran into a friend on the trail...

Year-old moose

Trying to decide what we should do

 In the end, we just couldn't make it.  B, P, and I collapsed to the ground in the middle of a lush green hill while my husband ran ahead to find out where the blasted meadow was.  20 minutes later he came running back down the trail with a discouraged look upon his face.  This is a man who never quits anything, and doesn't always have the best sense about how far to push the boys.  Even he knew we were beat.  The only thing we had left to do?  Turn around and creep our way back down the death-defying way we'd already come.

It was harder.  Poor P had nothing left in his legs to give.  I carried him as far as I could before my own knees threatened to give out on me, and then somehow my husband managed to get back down the rest of the way with baby on back and P on his shoulders, scrappling through the steep rock shale, heading downhill this time instead.

The last photo before we were too exhausted and frustrated
 to get the camera out anymore.
Trust me, it does NOT represent the way we were feeling by the end of the day!

After nearly 5 hours we were back in the car, all alive, barely.  The next three days were not great as exhaustion brought about weak immunity and a round of family flu.  It's the first thing we've ever done that every person agreed equally was not a good idea and has not paled to some of rose-colored glasses nostalgia.  I'm quite certain it never will.

 So, what is the take away?

•  Don't do this hike with kids.  Nobody told us beforehand, and everyone told us afterwards. 
•  Don't do this hike as your first big trip of summer after sitting around all winter.  Your legs will scream at you!
• Don't do ANY hike without first doing your research.  This was so uncharacteristic of me, but we had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  Really simple lesson learned the really really hard way!

The Redemption of Timp Caves

My husband is a runner. He talks a lot about a marathon he did as a young teenager with almost no preparation and without any semblance of the proper equipment (the waffle print from his Payless shoes was imprinted on the bottom of his feet for months after).  His interest in running comes and goes in stages, but with no effort he can always pick it up again, no problem.

A few weeks ago, though, he made a big mistake.  After only a couple days of 1-2 mile jogs, he took off after work (remember, that means 1:00 in the morning) and got lost in an far away neighborhood.  By the time he figured out how to get home, he'd run a hard 13 miles.  Yes, that's right...after months of not running, he just tied up his shoes and completed a half-marathon.  We both were pretty impressed when he logged his distance that night.  The next morning, though, he felt was feeling the pain.

As much as he enjoys running, he has learned over the years that pushing too hard or trying to go farther than he should will result in a mental block for weeks, or months, to come.  After dealing with the cramps and muscle aches, he starts being fearful of going back and hurting himself even more.  And even though he normally runs with great form and practices the way he should, he can easily talk himself out of going. Just as his muscle memory slips into a distance-runner's gait as soon as he puts on his shoes, his brain's muscle memory can keep him from pushing through it.

I've had similar experiences while hiking.  To be more specific, I had this experience my first time hiking up to the Timpanogos Caves.  It sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon with B, who was 2 at the time, and my 8-yr-old nephew visiting from the flat Midwest.  I had no idea it was a 1.5-mile hike of switchbacks going straight up the mountain before you reached the entrance to the cave. Middle of July in Utah, I was 10 weeks pregnant, and B refused to walk pretty much the entire way.  It was a long, hot, unenjoyable day and I've never ever wanted to do that hike again.

Until last week, that is.  Our local homeschool network provided tickets on the cave's opening day to anyone who wanted to take the cave tour.  It happened to fall on B's 8th birthday and sounded like a fantastic way to spend the day.  On one hand I completely was not looking forward to it, and on the other hand really wanted to have that experience with him.  I gave myself a month to push through the harsh memories and resolve myself to doing it.  The day finally came...and the babies decided to be sick...

In the end, my husband took B & P and they had a really great time.  He was willing to stay home, but it was a cold and rainy day, with the possibility of snow up at the caves and I didn't see how that experience would in any way be successful in erasing my brain's belief that the hike up is horrendous and awful.

I'm glad they had fun, but the Timpanogos Cave trail will have to wait for it's redemption to come from me on another day.

This Is The Place: A Utah Heritage Park

This post sponsored via US Family Guide.

I received product in exchange for an honest review.

How have I lived in Utah 13 years and not been to one of the most historically educational sites in Salt Lake City?  My family finally took the time to visit This Is the Place Heritage Park  and I'm going to plead with you not to make it such a long time before you take your family to see and do the same thing.

The park is divided into two portions.  Along the drive and looking out over the Salt Lake Valley are monuments dedicated to the memories of the Mormon Battalion and also the day Brigham Young's party first arrived and, while quite ill, announced, "This is the place." This portion of the park is free of charge and a quiet place to reflect on the pioneers who journeyed here in many different ways all those years ago. 

The second portion is Heritage Village.  The entrance fee for the village gives you access to dozens of historical buildings which have either been relocated and restored or replicated.  

Deseret Hospital
Brigham Young felt strongly that women should be able to be attended to by women doctors
and encouraged women to become midwives as a way of serving.

An example of original tongue and groove construction.
This building was so well built that it was moved intact to it's park location.

 The entrance fee also includes activities for the kids.  It wasn't explained very well to us right away, but we finally figured out that each kid can do 3 activities, and they are marked off in a box on the wristbands.  Our boys did scratch art in the old halfway house, took a pony ride, got a taste of apprenticing at the saddlery, and made Native American jewelry.

In addition, many of the buildings have volunteers dressed in pioneer clothing who can answer your questions and give a little history of what the buildings purpose was.  My favorite was the cabin where they taught B how to beat the rugs...that seems like it could come in handy for me one day...

I could not get enough of this little baby who's mother was volunteering that day and had placed him right where he obviously belonged...

A few thoughts from our visit:

• Don't go on a school field trip day...they break up in groups and fill the buildings.  We had to skip quite a few because they were to full to get in to.
• Do buy Brigham's doughnuts.  They're hot and greasy and delicious!
• Don't get discouraged when your wristband boxes are full.  Under 3-yr-olds get to do the activities for free, and we were able to let our kids use the boxes on our wristbands when theirs were full.
• If you have visited historic sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you will notice a difference in quality at this park.  While the park focuses primarily on the lives of the Mormon Pioneers, it is not run by the church.  This is a state park and while we were impressed with the facility, there were obvious differences in the quality of displays in the buildings, and especially in the interaction and information from the volunteer "pioneers" compared to official church historical sites.  Not a big deal, but something that did keep popping through my head while we were there.

Now, the real question is, could I have raised these 4 boys in a house this size...

Spend the Day at Discovery Gateway

Sponsored post via US Family Guide.

I received product in exchange for my honest review.

I have a love/hate relationship with children's museums that stems mostly from me getting impatient when the kids are having so much fun and just want to stay all day.  Seems like a twisted thing to get annoyed with, doesn't it?  I pushed aside my selfishness and suffered through it last week so that my kids could play all they wanted to at Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake City.

My kids LOVED the Discovery Gateway!  I appreciate the focus on imagination and pretend play.  In each area there are costumes the kids can put on to really fit the part of the activity they are doing...

Construction vests for the builders, protective gear for the water engineers,
and a work shirt for the mechanics.

My favorite part was the house midcentury-era house complete with reading area and mouse house...

Getting upstairs to the second floor at Discovery Gateway brings me a little less finger-drumming.  The stations are much more science and education related, with lots of building blocks, an earthquake simulator, a pseudo news desk, and a really impressive exhibit that walks kids through the stages a child goes through at Primary Children's Hospital.  

In addition to the regular activities, Discovery Gateway regularly brings in special exhibits. There are also classes offered everyday included in the price of admission.

As far as children's museum experiences go, the day we spent at Discovery Gateway was pretty good. Some of the station accessories are showing some wear, but nothing that affected how well the kids could play.  We rode Frontrunner and Trax to get there easily and the kids thought that was just part of the fun.  We will go back later this summer and let them have fun playing and learning all over again.

25 Fun Things To Do At the Salt Flats

What do you do on a summer Saturday morning when everyone is bored and needs to get out of the house?  In Utah the possibilities are endless and there isn't much need to venture far from home. Sometimes, however, the moment calls for a solution spontaneous and grand.  It might just be time to pack the water bottles, put gas in the car, and head west to the Salt Flats of Bonneville!

This photo of Bonneville Salt Flats is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Utah Summer Bucket Lists (Printable)

Temperatures are rising and the kids will soon be out of school. Summer has arrived-now what are you going to do? After recently being asked to share my favorite Utah bucketlist ideas, I've put together my best tips and created 16 lists to give you PLENTY of ways to keep busy in Salt Lake & Utah Counties.

Check out our last post with tips and ideas on creating the perfect summer plans.

Click on each image below to print your summer bucket list from Google Drive...

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Click Here...