Northern Utah's Hidden Beauty

First of all I have to say Northern Utah was a spur of the moment change in my plans for the road trip. I sat down for an afternoon and saved sites I found and in my opinion the best trailheads and direction to travel. What I came across with my friend was nothing short of beautiful and completely took my breath away. I have traveled through the National Parks in Southern Utah over a 2 1/2 week period, but this trip exploring the Northern region may have some of the park spots beat.

The town of Salt Lake City and Provo sit right up next to where you will enter the mountains. It's a strange feeling to be driving past restaurants and houses to then suddenly switch into the mountains. I was skeptical at first, but with each day spent in the area I fell more in love with the landscape more.

Tip: Any area in the Northern region will be pack in pack out. I have a collapsible trash bin I carry with me when I camp and the only place I found to empty it was when refueling at gas stations. Keep this in mind so you're prepared and keep the environment cleaner than you left it.

The first stop in Utah was Millcreek Canyon Road. When you leave there will be a 5 dollar fee. The road takes you up through some gorgeous scenery and after about ten minutes of driving you will find a handful of pullouts that are for day use only. They are designated cement fire pits with large picnic tables. This area was busy on the weekend when we went.

We pulled off to the side on a dirt patch and made out sandwiches deciding on our plans for the night. In Northern Utah there is a rule that allows you to camp 1/2 a mile off any trailhead and 200ft from any road.

We took this opportunity to find a spot off a trailhead in the dense forest. We found a spot with a fire ring and what looked like an old shelter made from hand. We only had to walk about 15 minutes to find this spot. I am sure there were more scattered about. As our week went on we found that this was the only legal way to disperse camp and had quite a fun time scavenging for great camp spots.

The trailhead we camped off of had plenty of options for exploring the trails ranging from 2 miles to 18 miles. There are other trailheads to explore and the bonus of camping up in this area is a guaranteed place to set up and cook food in the morning.

Tip: Be prepared to backpack into your spots if you are camping. We made do with our two hands and some smaller backpacks but we definitely made sure to not forget anything because the walk out wasn't worth the trouble.

The next big road with trailheads all along it is Big Cottonwood Canyon. A lot of climbers come here for the rock surfaces but this strip of road has a ton of hikes leading to waterfalls and lakes up in the mountains. This area is also very busy during the warmer months and the weekends. Be prepared to search for parking. There are some campgrounds on this road by reservation only.

The area we stayed was near the Utah's water conservation area, some of the cleanest water I have seen. There are spots for fishing if you need a break from hiking up high elevation. Some of the hikes may require you to walk through water if you're in for a cool down.

North Fork Trailhead

We spent two days in this area exploring the trails. North Fork has some of the more unexpected scenery from what I pictured for Northern Utah. Groves of Aspen are everywhere and the creek that runs all the way along the hike keeps everything incredibly green and lush. Tiny colored wild flowers are hidden among the plants and it's hard to look where you are going on the trail with so much to see.

It is a very rocky area and uneven trail, as are most of them so wear ankle support or very good shoes. North Fork splits and allows you to choose between which lake you want to venture to, but also allows you to circle around to both. Northern Utah is big for their mountain bike trails everywhere you go so be conscious and alert when walking so you don't get run over by them -- they have the right of way as do horses.

Mt. Timpanogos

The first few days were spent near Salt Lake and then the second half of the week was spent down near Provo. We hit the Alpine Scenic Road next which is where Salamander Flat is located pretty deep into the mountains. This area is dispersed camping mostly for trailers and RVs but you can walk down the trails and find dozens of fire rings for campers. The more you look the more you find.

Salamander Flat Area

Between the two nights we spent here we moved around an isolated valley where there was an opening in there Aspen Grove. We moved our tent around a little to find the best place for shade in the morning since this time of year Utah is hitting mid-80s and higher.

Most of the spots are very open and you can see the next camp over even if it is five hundred or so feet away. If you put a little effort into your search you will find some deeper in the forests and even just off the trails. We joked about moving up the mountain further, but to carry all that stuff for one night was almost too much. The open field allowed us to see the mountains and sunset both nights.

There are a ton of hikes in this area that lead to the ridge views where you can find them intersecting. This part of Utah was also covered in a variety of dainty wildflowers and plants thriving from the environment.

Our last stop was Squaw Peak Road. There are a handful of campgrounds for reservation on this road, but we found a pull off with fire rings that seemed even better.

Like I said, the more committed you are to exploring the better spot you will find. We walked on some footpaths and found a fire ring down this mossy tunnel with tons of shade. After days in the sun we finally found a spot to relax and hang out.

This road offers a handful of moderate hikes that require a decent amount of elevation change, but also provides to opportunity to soak your feet in the creek and cool off in the beauty for awhile.

These last two days were mostly spent sipping beers in the shade and storytelling adventures which was a perfect end to the trip. This road does turn into a dirt road that is maintained pretty well, but caution is definitely advised.

Y Mountain

The week of exploration turned out to be nothing but pure shock and awe as each place we discovered continued to provide new excitement in campsites we found and the landscape we were engulfed in. This place is definitely worth a peak and you can't go wrong picking one of these major roads and just driving until something excites you. Each bend in the road has a new treasure and the reward is always there waiting for you to find it.