Although it’s most well-known for skiing and for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City is also an incredible summer hiking destination. With stunning mountain vistas, blooming wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and alpine lakes, Park City and the surrounding Wasatch Range and Uinta Mountains are worth adding to your list of summer vacation ideas. As a bonus to the scenery, hiking around Park City means you’ll likely get to watch a few fly fishermen skillfully cast their lines, and you will definitely run into countless adorable dogs! These are the 9 best hikes near Park City, Utah for your next summer trip.
Best 9 Hikes Near Park City, Utah
1. Lake Blanche Trail
6.8 mi Roundtrip | 2,808 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Lake Blanche is a stunning, mirror-like lake flanked by colorful wildflowers and the towering Sundial Peak. The climb up to the lake is well worth the effort, and as a bonus, there are two other nearby lakes to explore at the top, Lake Florence and Lake Lillian.
The trailhead for Lake Blanche is located along Guardsman Pass. The hike is fairly steep, though the AllTrails reviews for the hike were much more threatening about the difficulty level than how the hike actually went for us. There were some factors in our favor though – we were already acclimated to the altitude and we hiked in the morning while there was still shade. We highly recommend starting your hike early in the morning while it’s shady and more comfortable for hiking.
On your way back down the canyon, be sure to keep an eye out for views of Salt Lake City in the distance.
Because this trail lies within a protected watershed, dogs and swimming are not permitted in the area.
2. Fifth Water Hot Springs
4.5 mi Roundtrip | 636 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Grab your bathing suit and hike to Fifth Water Hot Springs. The water of Fifth Water Hot Springs is actually as blue as the photos show, it’s stunning! When we visited, we were lucky enough to have this oasis to ourselves. It was just us and the resident red dragonflies.
Keep in mind that Fifth Water Hot Springs are natural hot springs. Each pool has a different temperature and some spots have a strong sulfur smell. There are many pools to choose from in the area so browse around until you find the perfect pool for you.
Fifth Water Hot Springs is the farthest hike from Park City on this list. The trailhead is about a 1.5 hour drive from Park City.
3. Bloods Lake Trail
2.7 mi Roundtrip | 429 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Bloods Lake is a great hike for cooling off in the summer. The trailhead is located about 45 minutes away from Park City along Guardsman Pass, which is a scenic drive through the Wasatch Mountains. Bring your bathing suit and take a swim, or even try out the rope swing on the southeast side of the lake!
This moderate hike is mostly flat until last approach to the lake. The last 0.4 miles to the lake are a climb.
If Bloods Lake is crowded, you can continue hiking to reach Lackawaxen Lake for a little more seclusion.
4. Bridal Veil Falls
0.1 mi Roundtrip | 3 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Bridal Veil Falls is an impressive 607 ft waterfall located in Provo Canyon. While some stunning scenery can be difficult to access, this waterfall is family-friendly parking lot wonder! Take the very short hike from the parking lot located just off highway US189 to the base of the falls.
5. Stewart Falls
3.2 mi Roundtrip | 830 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Stewart Falls is a beautiful 200 ft waterfall that’s a bit more secluded and less crowded than Bridal Veil Falls. For an added thrill on this hike, scramble to the upper tier of the falls.
While on the trail, take a look at the houses nestled into the mountains in the distance – can you imagine the views from those homes?!
6. Clyde Lake Loop
5.4 mi Loop | 547 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Clyde Lakes (also known as Three Divide Lakes) is a loop hike that passes by several beautiful alpine lakes. Cliff Lake (also known as Petite Lake) was one of our favorite lakes along the loop because of the rock climber watching and small boardwalks.
Clyde Lakes Loop is along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. Parking requires a small fee unless you have National Parks Pass.
7. Lofty Lake Loop
4.5 mi Loop | 948 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Lofty Lakes is another loop hike that passes by several alpine lakes. There were many fly fishermen at these lakes who were very interesting to watch. There were also adorable dogs, of course!
Lofty Lakes is along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. Parking requires a small fee unless you have National Parks Pass. (See Lofty Lakes on AllTrails)
8. Provo River Falls
0.2 mi Roundtrip | 36 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Provo River Falls is a short, family-friendly hike. And when we say short, we mean you can see the upper falls from parking lot.
Provo River Falls is located along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway and makes a great stop for a picnic.
9. Cascade Springs
0.8 mi Roundtrip | 91 ft elevation gain (AllTrails)
Cascade Springs is an easy trail that meanders along a series of small waterfalls. With the trickling water, greenery, and butterflies, the hike feels like you’re walking through a magical fairy land!
We were surprised about how much we enjoyed this hike. We had only one complaint – there was a sign that said that otters live in the area, and we unfortunately did not see one. Jordan was inconsolable.
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That completes our list of the best hikes near Park City, Utah. To make the most of your trip, we recommend packing these items along with you.
Packing List for Park City Hiking
- Hiking Shoes: We recommend wearing sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes, especially for the longer and steeper hikes on this list.
- Hiking Socks: Good socks are important for preventing blisters. Smartwool Hike Light Socks (Women’s | Men’s) are our favorite hiking socks.
- Bathing Suit: There are several hikes on this list where you can go swimming in alpine lakes or stand under a cascading waterfall! We recommend bringing along a bathing suit or clothes you don’t mind getting wet in.
- Towel: After swimming, it’s nice to dry off before putting hiking shoes back on. We like to pack our Nomadix Towel (Amazon | REI) or a Flow Swim Chamois “Shammy” Towel (Amazon) for hikes with swimming. The Nomadix Towels are quick dry and have really cool designs (there’s even a National Parks collection!). If we’re tight on space, we bring a Flow Swim Chamois Towel. These shammy towels are used by Olympic swimmers and are great for travel and hiking too. They’re compact, super absorbent, and can be squeezed out and used again right away.
- Bug Spray: The bugs can be vicious on the trails. We recommend bringing bug spray with you on your hike. DEET bug spray can be applied to your skin, though it should be kept off of your hiking gear as DEET can damage plastic and certain synthetics. Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent (Amazon | REI) is an alternative to DEET that won’t damage your gear. We also always pretreat our backpacks with Sawyer Permethrin Spray (Amazon | REI) prior to our trips to help keep the mosquitoes and ticks away.
- Sun Protection: Be sure to pack bring sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, a sun shirt, sunglasses, hat, etc. to prevent getting burned. The alpine sun is strong and some hikes have limited shade. For lip balm, we’re fans of Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 since the tube is completely sealed and won’t melt all over your gear in the heat.
- Water: Make sure to bring plenty of water! The altitude and heat make hydration especially important. We prefer hydration bladders over water bottles while hiking because we tend to drink less when we have to pull a water bottle out of our bag to take a sip. Drinking on the go is much easier with a hydration bladder. We also recommend carrying a Sawyer Mini Water Filter (Amazon | REI) in case you run out of water. This filter is lightweight and gives you the ability to safely drink from a natural water source.
- National Parks Pass: If you have an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass, bring it along. Some areas (like the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway) generally require a small fee, but America the Beautiful Passes are honored so you don’t have to pay the fee if you display the pass.
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