Winter Hiking in Salt Lake City: Trails, Gear & Safety

Trip Planning 9 min read · September 30, 2026

Salt Lake winters hand hikers an odd pair of problems. Down in the valley, an inversion can trap cold, grey, polluted air over the city for weeks. Up in the Cottonwood canyons, the snow is deep, the roads are run on ski-season rules, and many famous summer trails pass beneath slopes that avalanche. Winter hiking Salt Lake City locals actually do sits between those extremes: short foothill climbs that pop out above the murk, a few canyon trails that work with traction and good judgment, and a clear line beyond which you need avalanche skills, not just warm clothes. This guide sorts all eight of our Salt Lake trail guides by that line. It covers what the Utah Avalanche Center says about specific routes, how the canyon traction law and winter gates change your plans, and which gear the Wasatch snowpack actually calls for.

Climbing out of the inversion

The single best winter trick in Salt Lake is getting above the inversion, and two of our guides do it close to downtown. From Ensign Vista Drive, Ensign Peak switchbacks up a wide gravel path, gaining 400 feet over 1.8 miles out and back. Our guide says it often rises above the trapped layer of cold, polluted air that sits over the valley, so you can go from grey murk to clear sun in twenty minutes. It is one of the few Salt Lake trails our guides list for all four seasons, and leashed dogs are welcome because it sits outside the protected watershed. The Living Room Trail starts near Colorow Drive at the edge of Research Park and gains 971 feet in 2.3 miles to a bench of stacked-stone chairs. Our guide names winter as one of its best seasons, with the same chance of climbing into sunshine within forty minutes. Both trails face west over the city, and both are unlit. Snow and ice change their character, though. Ensign's gravel stays manageable with traction, while the Living Room's loose dirt and rock become slick and braided, especially on the descent.

Checking the inversion before you go

If the valley looks flat and grey from your window, check Utah's air quality site and a mountain webcam. When the valley is socked in but the foothills are sunny, these two trails reward you most. On clear days, the payoff is the snowy Wasatch view instead.

📊 By the Numbers

Salt Lake Winter Facts

When the Cottonwood Canyons traction law is in effect on SR-190 and SR-210, vehicles must have at least 5/32 inch of tire tread, and 2WD vehicles need three-peak mountain snowflake tires on all wheels or traction devices.— Utah Department of Transportation
The center's Central Wasatch route ratings give Donut Falls a yellow rating and note that the falls and the last half of the route are exposed to avalanches from above.— Utah Avalanche Center
The Lake Blanche route from Mill B South carries an orange rating in the center's Central Wasatch route ratings.— Utah Avalanche Center
Mill Creek Canyon's winter gates close to vehicles, but not foot traffic, on November 1, and dogs must be leashed on even-numbered days.— Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation

Canyon roads set the rules

Before you think about trails in Big or Little Cottonwood, think about the drive. The Utah Department of Transportation runs a traction law in both canyons, on SR-190 and SR-210. When it is in effect, 4WD and AWD vehicles need at least M+S tires on all wheels, 2WD vehicles need three-peak mountain snowflake tires on all wheels or chains or similar devices on the drive wheels, and every vehicle needs at least 5/32 inch of tread. UDOT can put it in place before a storm arrives. Ski traffic is heavy on powder mornings, and parking is tightly controlled. Some summer trailheads are not reachable at all. Our Cecret Lake guide says the Albion Basin road above Alta is open only in summer, closes by late autumn, and that the basin then becomes backcountry ski terrain. That makes Cecret Lake a summer-only hike in our sorting, and we would not try to reach it on foot in winter. Our Donut Falls guide notes that the road and trail are snowbound in winter, so any winter visit starts lower and runs longer than the summer walk.

Mill Creek's winter rules

Mill Creek Canyon, home of Grandeur Peak, is outside the watershed and is the place for dogs. Salt Lake County says its winter gates close to vehicles, but not foot traffic, on November 1, and our guide notes the Church Fork picnic area gate has hours, so you may park lower and walk in. Dogs are on leash on even-numbered days. The vehicle fee is collected on the way out.

What the Utah Avalanche Center says about our canyon trails

The Utah Avalanche Center publishes a daily forecast for the Salt Lake area mountains, which includes the Cottonwood canyons and Mill Creek. It also rates selected Central Wasatch routes by how much they interact with avalanche terrain, on a colour scale that includes green, yellow and orange. Two of those routes are trails we have guides for. Lake Blanche, reached from Mill B South, is rated orange. Our own guide already says the trail crosses avalanche paths and open slopes, and that winter travel there is avalanche terrain requiring proper training and equipment, not a snowshoe stroll. Donut Falls is rated yellow, and the center notes that the falls themselves, and the last half of the route, are exposed to avalanches from above. That matters because our guide also describes the lower canyon there as a popular snowshoe once the snow settles. Both things can be true: a short, busy outing that is still under avalanche paths. The center's ratings describe the route itself, not the terrain beside it, and they are meant to be combined with the day's forecast. A low-rated route on a dangerous day still deserves caution.

The basic kit for avalanche terrain

If you plan to travel on or under avalanche paths, every person needs a transceiver, a shovel and a probe, plus training to use them and partners who can dig you out. The Utah Avalanche Center runs introductory classes, and taking one before your first canyon winter is far cheaper than learning the hard way. Hikers without that kit should choose foothill trails instead.

Not a casual winter walk: Blanche, Donut Falls, Olympus and the upper canyons

We sort these trails into a separate tier, because winter turns them into trips that need avalanche training, a current UAC forecast, beacon, shovel and probe for each person, and capable partners. Lake Blanche is 6.9 miles and 2,706 feet from Mill B South, on a route the Utah Avalanche Center rates orange. Donut Falls is short, 1.5 miles and 518 feet in summer, but the falls sit under slopes the center says can avalanche, and the winter approach is longer. Mount Olympus climbs 4,000 feet in 6.9 miles to a class 3 summit scramble. Our guide says snow and ice make the upper mountain a mountaineering objective in winter and the scramble genuinely dangerous. Steep open slopes above the trail can also produce avalanches, so check the forecast before going any distance up it. The upper reaches of Bells Canyon, beyond the lower reservoir and toward the Lone Peak Wilderness, are a serious undertaking even in summer, according to our guide. In winter, treat them the same way. Grandeur Peak's open upper slopes belong here too, since our guide says winter ascents require traction and an understanding of the avalanche picture up there.

Why Cecret Lake is on the avoid list

Cecret Lake is an easy 1.8-mile summer walk, but in winter the road is closed, Alta's slopes are an active ski area, and Albion Basin is backcountry ski terrain. There is no easy winter version of this hike. Come back in July for the wildflowers, or in September for autumn colour, when the trail is once again what our guide describes.

Salt Lake Winter Hiking Myths

Snowshoeing is too slow and low-key to trigger an avalanche.

Snowshoers travel on and under the same slopes as skiers. The Utah Avalanche Center rates Lake Blanche orange and notes that Donut Falls is exposed to avalanches from above, whatever is on your feet.

A short trail is a safe winter trail.

Donut Falls is only 1.5 miles in summer, but the falls sit beneath avalanche paths, and the winter approach starts lower. Length tells you nothing about what is above the trail.

The inversion means the mountains are grey too.

Our Ensign Peak and Living Room guides both describe climbing out of the trapped layer into clear sun within twenty to forty minutes. The murk is often only in the valley.

Watershed dog rules are a summer thing.

The bans in Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, City Creek, Parleys and Bells Canyon apply year-round. Mill Creek, Ensign Peak, the Living Room and Mount Olympus are where dogs are allowed.

Middle ground: lower Bells Canyon and the forest on Grandeur

Two of our guides have lower sections that can make a reasonable winter outing for hikers with traction, as long as you set a firm turnaround. On Grandeur Peak, the Church Fork route begins in a shaded drainage, crossing a creek and switchbacking through forest before breaking out onto open, grassy upper slopes. The forested lower part is the winter-friendly section. Our guide notes that it holds snow and mud into spring, so expect a packed, icy trail rather than dirt. Turn around where the trees thin and the slope opens up, unless you have checked the avalanche forecast and have the skills to judge it. Bells Canyon, from the Granite trailhead on Wasatch Boulevard or the lower Boulders trailhead, climbs first to the lower reservoir, which many people treat as a destination even in summer. Above it, our guide says the trail steepens through granite boulders and rooty forest, and that wet granite is treacherous. In winter, the reservoir makes a sensible endpoint. Remember that Bells Canyon is Sandy watershed, so dogs are banned there in every season. Start early, because shaded canyon trails stay cold and short winter afternoons fade quickly.

Setting a turnaround you will keep

Decide your turnaround point at home, not on the trail. On Grandeur, that might be the edge of the forest. In Bells, it might be the reservoir. Write it into the plan you leave with someone, and agree on it with your partners before you start, so nobody feels they have to argue for turning back when the slope ahead looks tempting.

Gear for Wasatch snow, and the rules that do not change

The Wasatch canyons hold far deeper snow than the valley floor, and what you need depends on how many people have been through before you. On Ensign Peak, the Living Room and the packed lower part of Grandeur, microspikes are the right tool most of the time, because busy trails pack quickly into hard snow and ice. Snowshoes become useful when you are breaking trail in fresh snow in a canyon, which is also exactly when avalanche conditions may be changing, so pair any snowshoe plan with the day's forecast. Poles with snow baskets help on steep descents like the Living Room's loose dirt. Gaiters keep powder out of your boots. Bring a warm layer even on sunny inversion days, because the trailhead can be well below freezing while the summit feels mild. Finally, the watershed rules do not take winter off. Our guides note that dogs are banned outright in Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, City Creek and Parleys, and Sandy enforces its own ban in Bells Canyon. Ensign Peak, the Living Room, Mount Olympus and Mill Creek are the places to bring a dog.

Light and a headlamp

Both inversion trails are favourite sunset spots, and in winter sunset comes early. Our guides say the Living Room descent is too steep and loose to do by phone light and that Ensign Peak is unlit, so carry a real headlamp. Allow extra time for an icy descent in the dark.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best winter hike in Salt Lake City during an inversion?

Ensign Peak is the quickest escape, at 1.8 miles and 400 feet on a wide gravel path. The Living Room Trail is steeper, gaining 971 feet in 2.3 miles. Both often climb above the trapped valley air into clear sun. Carry microspikes and a headlamp for the descent.

Can you hike to Lake Blanche in winter?

Only as an avalanche-terrain trip. The Utah Avalanche Center rates the Lake Blanche route orange, and our guide says winter travel there requires proper training and equipment. That means a current forecast, beacon, shovel and probe for each person, and partners who know rescue. It is not a casual snowshoe.

Do I need chains to drive Big or Little Cottonwood Canyon?

Not always, but you need to meet the traction law when it is active. 4WD and AWD vehicles need at least M+S tires on all wheels, 2WD vehicles need three-peak mountain snowflake tires or traction devices, and every vehicle needs 5/32 inch of tread. Check UDOT before you drive.