Autumn Adventure: Hiking
By Tom Wharton and Brett Prettyman
The Salt Lake Tribune

City Creek Canyon: Those in Salt Lake City and its surroundings don't have to drive far to get away from it all and see the fall colors. City Creek Canyon is a paved road popular with hikers, walkers and bikers (odd days only). This is a perfect quick escape. The road runs for about 6 miles, with a slight incline most of the way.

Naomi Peak: The 6-mile, round-trip hike to 9,980-foot Mount Naomi - the tallest in the Bear River Range - ranks among the best all-day fall hikes in the Logan Canyon area. Start the hike at the Tony Grove Lake loop, about 22 miles north of Logan. Expect panoramic views of the Cache Valley. For details on this hike and shorter jaunts in the area, log on to http://www.publiclands.org.

Deseret Peak: Expect to see plenty of fall colors in South Willow Canyon near Grantsville where the trailhead to this classic 8.4-mile basin and range loop trail begins. Vegetation is scarcer near the top of 11,031-foot Deseret Peak and the hike, with its 3,613-foot elevation gain, is not particularly easy though the trail is, for the most part, well marked. Expect great contrasting views of the alpine-like splendor of Deseret Peak, the stark white Bonneville Salt Flats, the blue waters of the Great Basin and, on a clear day, peeks at parts of the Wasatch Mountains. A good information source is http://utahtrails.com or Utah's Favorite Hiking Trails by David Day.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument: Utah's most impressive cave system also happens to be in one of the state's most scenic canyons in the fall. Plan to do the 1 1/2 -mile hike, with a 1,065-foot elevation gain, to the cave in the morning and then spend the rest of the day driving the Alpine Scenic Loop (State Road 144 in American Fork Canyon). The trail typically closes in mid-October or when snow makes getting to the cave dangerous. More information at http://www.nps.gov/tica/.

Aspen Pond Trail in Cedar Breaks National Monument: This short 2-mile, round-trip hike leads to a pretty pond in a national moment, which, with elevations about 10,000 feet, is near the top of the famed Grand Staircase. The high mountain meadows offer nice fall views as do some of the overlooks near the monument visitor center.

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