Over Mother’s Day weekend, I traveled to Salt Lake City, UT for the first time. While I’m eager to visit Utah’s 5 national parks, I discovered Salt Lake City has an abundance of natural beauty on its own. At the tail end of spring, it was not the red dusty desert I imagined, but a lush green landscape bursting with color.
My guy M and his puppy Bronx took me for a hike along the Bonneville Shoreline, a trail that follows the shoreline bench of the ancient lake Bonneville. So far, the trail is over 100 miles long with something to offer everyone, from mountain bikers and unicyclers to first-time hikers and seasoned trail runners. During the summer months, the trail is exposed and hot, but spring is another story.
From the trailhead, the hills were exploding with yellow wildflowers, and the surrounding mountaintops were dusted with snow. With every step, I held myself back from breaking out into song with, “The hills are alive with the sound of music!”
The trail led us up a steep hill to a lookout above the city. The weather was cool and overcast, but my layers came off as I neared the top. We were rewarded with just a few moments of blue sky before we headed back down the hill.
I have so much to explore in Utah, including the Mighty 5, but I look forward to discovering the hidden gems along the way. Soon I’m going to have to start a new Meetup called Shoestring Adventures SLC! I’m only half-kidding.
Bonneville Shoreline Access Trail
- Location/Parking: Though there are several trail access points, we started from a small parking lot at the end of Hilltop Road at East 18th Avenue in Downtown Salt Lake City.
- Description: 0-100 miles; elevation 5,100 feet
- Fitness Level: All
- For more information, check out this feature by Runner’s World.
A – it looks like you had such a wonderful time in SLC! I can’t wait to hear all about it. Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking. And you and M make a gorgeous couple.
Thanks, L 🙂 I always appreciate your kind words here. Love you!