Neff's Canyon is in the Olympus Cove neighborhood of Salt Lake City. It starts at the base of Mt. Olympus. You aren't by the trailhead to summit Mt. Olympus, but it is a great way to explore the area without committing to an all day hike. It is also dog friendly, I am coming to find that there are more dog friendly hikes in Salt Lake than I previously thought.
This trail can be done as a loop, or what I normally do is just keep walking and take any side trails that seem to lead somewhere cool. You can wind through the area and explore through the trees. Bear & Daisy LOVED it. This is one of their favorite things to do. The snow was great. It wasn't melting or ice packed. It is also the first hike I have been on this year where I am surrounded by pine trees. The smell of fresh pine CANNOT be beat.
I did this hike after a memorial for a friends mother who died. It was a bittersweet memorial. So many people showed up the parking lot was completely full and there was a room set-up as overflow. By the time I got there, it was only standing room. That was so important for my friend to see how many people loved her mom and were lucky to have her in their lives. This hike helped me digest my feelings with the memorial on the way up. On the way down however I noticed that my mind had gone completely quiet. I was only paying attention to my senses and how beautiful and peaceful everything was with the snow.
As always it was so healing and rejuvenating. There is only one thing that can get me to that state instantly and it is being in the mountains. I am SO ready for spring and to see everything turn green again, even though I am enjoying how beautiful the pines look with the snow.
What You Want to Know
Take Me There!
From 3900 South in Salt Lake, turn left onto Jupiter Drive, follow that road up to Oakview Drive and turn left, than turn left onto Parkview Drive, turn right onto 4260 East and than right onto White Way, continue straight and you will see a parking lot. From there pick a trail and head up!
How long is the hike?
The entire out and back trail is 6.2 miles with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. This is a very steep area because it is right on the base of Mt. Olympus, which is one of the tallest peaks in the Salt Lake Valley. But this area provides lots of different trail access and my favorite thing to do is to spend the day exploring whatever way is calling out to me.
What Do I Wear?!
Because it can get pretty steep, I would recommend wearing hiking boots. My go-to's are FiveTen Access approach shoes or Ahnu Montara. This can be a hot hike during the summer and has little access to water, so bring plenty for you and the dogs.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes! This is a great place to bring your dog for a quick off-leash hike after work on the weekday. It is used by a lot of people for that same reason so be prepared for dogs running alongside you on the trail.
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