Mt. Van Cott Trail

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If you're tired of hiking the same path along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, then give Mt. Van Cott a try. The trail gains/loses elevation at an impressive rate, and the views of the Salt Lake Valley and the Wasatch are spectacular.

There are multiple ways to access it, and the route shown here takes you from the Red Butte Canyon side and the Red Butte North Trail (near the Red Butte amphitheater parking lot), up to the top, and down the ridge toward Dry Creek. The trail can be connected with the Red Butte Skyline Trail, or you can skip some of the climbing and hike up Red Butte Canyon Road to the Red Butte North Trail directly across the street from Red Butte Skyline Trail.

The trail can be taken in either direction, but the climb from the Red Butte side is slightly more manageable. The trail is extremely steep in either direction, but you are rewarded with an equally long hike down the other side.

If you'd like some more distance, you can hike the ridge from the top of Mt. Van Cott. If you descend the north side (as shown here), you can also continue along the ridge all the way to behind the Huntsman Cancer Hospital and back to any of the various spurs of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.