The Great Outdoors: Favorite Aggie Recreation Spots Throughout the State
By Timothy R. Olsen ’09, ’18 MBA
Logan Region
Tony Grove Lake:
Location: Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Latitude: 41.893892
Longitude: -111.639697
Activities: Swimming, Non-Motorized Watercraft, Hiking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking, Fishing, Camping
Cost: $10/vehicle (day use), $30 weekly pass, $60 season pass
Located up Logan canyon, just 27 miles from Utah State University’s Logan Campus, Tony Grove Lake and its surrounding area is one of the favorite local spots for students to beat the heat. Non-motorized watercraft such as paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes are allowed on the lake, which is roughly 730 yards long and 260 yards wide with a maximum depth of 36 feet. There is a walking trail that surrounds the lake, as well as a picnic area near the water and a fully accessible boardwalk. The lake also serves as the starting point for the White Pine Lake Trailhead, which kicks off a 6.4-mile roundtrip hike to Naomi Peak, the highest mountain in the Bear River Range.
Wind Cave Trail:
Location: Logan Canyon (near Guinavah-Malibu Campground)
Latitude: 41.759486
Longitude: -111.709508
Distance: 3.7-mile out-and-back, 1,000-feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Required: 2–2.5 hours
Cost: Free
This popular hike, located less than a 10-minute drive from campus is basically a rite of passage for students attending USU’s Logan campus. Rising quickly up the hillside from the canyon floor, this switchback-laden journey provides gorgeous views of Logan Canyon and rewards those who make it to the top an opportunity to explore a delicate triple arch and cavern carved out of the limestone rock over millennia. Known locally as the “Witch’s Castle,” the caves are part of local lore as the home of the canyon’s resident witch — Hecate. Stories of her appearing date back to the early 1900s, sometimes with her son and sometimes with her dogs that can be heard howling at night when the canyon winds funnel through the caves.
Brigham City Region — Brigham City, Tremonton, Kaysville
Mantua Reservoir & Eagle Rise Mountain Biking Trails:
Location: Mantua, Utah / Sardine Canyon
Latitude: 41.4959
Longitude: -111.9524
Activities: Kayaking, Fishing, Paddleboarding, Boating, Camping, Mountain Biking, Hiking
Cost: Free
Located just minutes from USU’s Brigham City campus, Mantua Reservoir is a quick escape and local favorite for Brigham City Aggies and residents alike. Water activities have taken a hit in recent years as rising temperatures have led to harmful algal blooms during the summer months, but nearby campsites and hiking trails still make this a popular destination to beat the summer heat. Along with beautiful lake views, the east side of the reservoir has turned into a veritable mountain bikers’ paradise thanks to the Eagle Rise trail system. These trails are mostly moderate as they climb through the hills, while the 4.2-mile Dike Trail encircles the lake and provides an easy alternative.
Adam’s Canyon Trail:
Location: Located just off North Eastside Dr. and Highway 89 in Layton, Utah
Latitude: 41.0664
Longitude: -111.9094
Distance: 3.6-mile out-and-back, 1,423-feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
Time Required: 3–4 hours
Cost: Free
Aside from the USU Extension Kaysville ponds and nature trails next to the Kaysville campus, the Adam’s Canyon trail is considered the area’s signature hike and most famous outdoor destination. Along with fantastic views of the Great Salt Lake and Davis County, the payoff at the end is a 40-foot waterfall. For those in search of extra adventure, the trail ventures past the falls, though it is largely unkempt and difficult to follow, to the Adam’s Canyon Cabin. This is a roughly 5.5-mile round trip with an intense vertical climb for advanced hikers only. The cabin itself is available for public use and is popular during hunting season.
Tooele Region — Tooele, Wendover
The Tooele “T” Hike:
Location: Convergence of Middle Canyon Road & T Buffalo Complex Road
Latitude: 40.52232
Longitude: -112.26115
Distance: 1.8 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Required: 1–1.5 hours
Activities: Hiking, Trail Running, Photography
Cost: Free
A local tradition for USU Tooele students and community members alike, the hike to the whitewashed “T” on the mountainside overlooking town is a quick and rewarding workout. The trail makes a steady climb over loose rock and gravel up the foothill through native sagebrush and juniper, offering constant overhead views of the valley floor. Reaching the “T” awards hikers with wide-angle views across Tooele Valley toward the Stansbury Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. It is a popular spot for capturing sunset photos high above campus. There’s not much shade, though, so remember to pack water and wear a hat.
Butterfield Peaks Trail:
Location: Oquirrh Mountain Range, Middle Fork Canyon
Latitude: 40.4845
Longitude: -112.1777
Distance: 3.8-mile out-and-back, 1,456-feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Required: 2.5–3 hours
Activities: Hiking
Cost: Free
Stretching along the crest of the Oquirrh Mountains which split the Tooele and Salt Lake valleys, the Butterfield Peaks Trail provides sweeping views of to both the east and west. A favorite escape for USU Tooele students, the route climbs through mixed pine, oak, and aspen groves along the high mountain ridge. From the summit ridge, hikers can look down into the Bingham Canyon Mine basin or take in panoramic perspectives of the surrounding Great Salt Lake basin. The trailhead sits at the convergence of Middle Canyon and Butterfield Canyon Road, but is currently only accessible via Middle Canyon Road due to a severe washout.
Wasatch Region — Salt Lake, Orem, Park City, Heber
Bridal Vail Falls:
Location: Provo Canyon
Latitude: 40.339145
Longitude: -111.602081
Distance: 1.3 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 30-60 minutes
Activities: Hiking, Photography
Cost: Free
The Provo River Trail is one of the most popular and easy to access in the Utah canyons. It runs right beside the Provo River starting at Vivian Park (which is also a great spot for fishing, barbecuing, hammocking, etc.) and ends at Utah Lake. The trail passes Bridal Veil Falls which is a gorgeous waterfall that can be seen from the main canyon highway. The trail is paved, and great for all ages. There is a good amount of water that puddles down at the bottom of the falls and can be played in, with more difficult trails that lead higher up towards the top of the waterfall.
Tibble Fork Reservoir & Trailhead:
Location: American Fork Canyon
Latitude: 40.48276928
Longitude: -111.6459663
Activities: Swimming, Non-Motorized Watercraft, Hiking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking, Fishing
Cost: $10/vehicle (3 days), $60/season
Located just 10 miles up American Fork Canyon, Tibble Fork Reservoir and the surrounding area are student favorites for activities like paddleboarding, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring with off-road vehicles. Parking can be limited, but the reservoir, which sits nestled in a pine forest, offers stunning mountain views. Along with the bevy of non-motorized lake activities, the Tibble Fork Loop, Tibble Fork Trail, and Silver Flat Lake Trail are all nearby options to explore the outdoors.
Wasatch Crest Trail:
Start: Guardsman Pass trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon or Big Water trailhead in Millcreek Canyon
Distance: 12.5 miles point-to-point
Difficulty: Hard/Advanced
Time Required: 5–7 hours (hiking)
Activities: Hiking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking (even-numbered days on parts)
Cost: $5 per vehicle (fee to enter Millcreek Canyon)
This iconic trail runs across the top of the Wasatch mountains, providing views of the mountains that make up Solitude ski resort and Park City. It’s extremely popular among mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners, as well as a favorite of Utah State University Wasatch Region students. “Popular” features are Puke Hill — which is exactly what it sounds like — and the Spine, an extremely technical double black diamond rock fin that overlooks Lake Desolation. Whether on two wheels or two feet, those who brave the trail are greeted with incredible views, including a gorgeous meadow with wildflowers blooming in July and August.
Uintah Basin Region — Vernal, Roosevelt
Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata:
Location: N. Ashley Spring Rd., Vernal, Utah
Latitude: 40.568879
Longitude: -109.5615161
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Time Required: Varies by section
Activities: Via Ferrata Climbing, Canyoneering, Hiking
Cost: Free for experienced self-guided climbers with gear (required); guided options available
For Aggies looking for a little more thrilling adventure, the Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata is a relatively new experience that delivers unprecedented cliffside climbing high above Ashley Creek. Climbers clip into steel cables and navigate iron rungs, suspended footbridges, and vertical rock faces along the canyon walls. Offering options for both beginner guided climbs and sustained multi-section routes for advanced athletes, it is one of the newest and most exciting world-class outdoor recreation assets in the region. Proper gear is required, and Uintah County also requires a waiver be signed prior to climbing.
Roosevelt Nature Park:
Location: 500 N. State St., Roosevelt
Latitude: 40.306385
Longitude: -109.993993
Activities: Walking, Jogging, Fishing, Wildlife Watching, Photography
Cost: Free
Located in the heart of Roosevelt along Cottonwood Creek, the Roosevelt Nature Park is an outdoor sanctuary and community hub. Features include a paved walking trail network, pedestrian bridges, cottonwood groves, and a dedicated community fishing pond and amphitheater. Just a mere 1.2 miles from USU Uintah Basin Roosevelt campus, it’s a great outdoor option for students looking for a peaceful study break or a casual afternoon walk. The park is also designed as an ecological refuge for native wildlife and monarch butterfly pollinators.
Fantasy Canyon:
Location: Uintah Basin
Latitude: 40.0578
Longitude: -109.3943
Distance: 0.6-mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 30–60 minutes
Activities: Hiking, Photography, Geotourism, Sightseeing
Cost: Free
Fantasy Canyon features some of the most intricate and delicate sandstone rock formations in the world. With names like Alien Head, Flying Witch, and Dinosaur Backbone, it’s easy to see why the fragile mineral pillars, arches, and grotesque shapes transport visitors to another world. Essentially equidistant (45 miles/1 hour drive) from USU’s two Uintah Basin campuses, the short trail — complete with interpretive markers — allows students to explore these alien-like hoodoos up close. Sunset and sunrise are especially magical times to capture photos as low light plays off the intricate stone sculptures.
Eastern Region — Price, Castle Dale
The Wedge:
Location: San Rafael Swell
Latitude: 39.09594722
Longitude: -110.7494222
Activities: Camping, Photography, Hiking, Mountain Biking
Cost: Free for day use; nearby BLM campsites $15
Roughly an hour drive from Utah State University Eastern’s campus sits the Wedge, also known as the “Little Grand Canyon.” This Emery County gem offers breathtaking views of scenic vistas and the San Rafael River 1,200 feet below. Make sure to come prepared, though, as there are no services in the area. That desolation is a big reason why outlaws like Utah’s own Robert LeRoy Parker, a.k.a. Butch Cassidy, escaped to the area and why USU Eastern students visit it now. Other nearby attractions include the Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel and various trailheads.
Gordon Creek Falls:
Start: Gordon Creek Trailhead
Latitude: 39.62151944
Longitude: -110.9535639
Distance: 2.2 mile out-and-back (to lower falls)
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Varies, 1–3 hours
Activities: Camping, Photography, Hiking, Mountain Biking
Cost: Free for day use
Less than 30 minutes from campus, Gordon Creek Falls is another popular destination for USU Eastern students. From the Gordon Creek Trailhead off Trestle Road, the lower falls is a 2.2 easy roundtrip hike. Or, a half-mile walk in the opposite direction will take adventurers to the Gordon Creek Trestle Bridge. For those in search of a longer journey, the upper falls is approximately 1.5 miles past the lower falls, and a historical cabin is a little more than a half mile beyond those. Altogether, the round-trip jaunt to the cabin and back is roughly 6.4 miles.
Southwest Region — Beaver, Bicknell, Cedar City, Delta, Ephraim, Junction, Kanab, Nephi, Panguitch, Richfield, St. George
Maple Canyon:
Start: Maple Canyon (near Freedom, UT)
Latitude: 39.5568
Longitude: -111.6872
Distance: 1.0–3.0 miles (varies by trail)
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Required: 1.5–3 hours
Activities: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Camping, Photography
Cost: $5 day-use fee; $15/night camping
Situated in the Sanpete Valley in the Manti-La Sal National forest within easy reach of students at the Ephraim and Nephi centers, Maple Canyon is internationally renowned for its unique conglomerate rock walls. Composed of cobblestones embedded in a natural limestone matrix, the canyon offers thousands of pocketed climbing routes and towering arch formations. Even for non-climbers, the canyon’s shaded loop trails guide hikers past dramatic rock overhangs, narrow slot canyons, and dense maple-oak groves. USU Southwest students frequently head to Maple Canyon for day hikes, bouldering, and overnight camping.
Fish Lake:
Location: Fishlake National Forest
Latitude: 38.54766
Longitude: -111.71232
Distance: 5.8 miles (Lakeshore Trail section/Pando Grove area)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Time Required: 2–4 hours
Activities: Boating, Fishing, Hiking, Camping, Autumn Leaf Viewing
Cost: Free for day use (campground fees vary)
Nestled east of Richfield and Bicknell, Fish Lake, the largest natural mountain lake in Utah, sits at nearly 9,000 feet in elevation within the Fishlake National Forest. This high-alpine lake offers crisp mountain air, pristine water, trophy lake trout fishing, and miles of scenic shoreline singletrack. The surrounding forest is also home to “Pando” (the Trembling Giant), a massive single-root aspen clone recognized as one of the largest living organisms on Earth. USU Southwest students head to Fish Lake for summer kayak trips, lakeside camping, and vibrant autumn foliage drives when the immense aspen canopy turns bright gold.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:
Location: Southwest of Kanab
Latitude: 37.0399
Longitude: -112.7308
Distance: Open dune exploring / 0.8-mile Nature Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Strenuous (sand hiking)
Time Required: 1–3 hours
Activities: Sandboarding, Dune Hiking, Photography, OHV / ATV Riding, Star Gazing
Cost: $10 per vehicle
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park features over 1,200 acres of wind-deposited, coral-colored sand dunes framed by red sandstone cliffs and juniper forests. Created by the natural erosion of Navajo Sandstone over thousands of years, the shifting landscape offers a playground for desert outdoor enthusiasts. Students across the region visit the park to rent sandboards and sleds, hike to the crest of the highest dunes for sunset vistas, or ride off-highway vehicles across designated open dune sections. At night, the park’s dark sky environment makes it an exceptional venue for stargazing.
Snow Canyon State Park:
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Latitude: 37.2023
Longitude: -113.6401
Distance: 1.0–4.4 miles (varies by trail)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Time Required: 1.5–3 hours
Activities: Slickrock Scrambling, Caving, Rock Climbing, Photography
Cost: $10 per vehicle (Utah residents) / $15 per vehicle (non-residents)
Located just minutes from the St. George campus center, Snow Canyon State Park showcases a striking landscape carved from red and white Navajo sandstone overlaid with capped black basalt lava flows. Popular routes like the Scout Cave Trail and Lava Flow Trail take hikers past ancient lava tubes, red rock canyons, and expansive slickrock basins. A mainstay for USU Southwest students year-round, Snow Canyon offers sport climbing, road biking along the paved park drive, and photography during golden hour. Its close proximity to town makes it perfect for a quick trail run between classes or a full afternoon of slickrock exploration.
Moab Region
Dellenbaugh Tunnel:
Start: Dellenbaugh Tunnel Trailhead (Dubinky Well/Spring Canyon area)
Latitude: 38.681923
Longitude: -109.919942
Distance: 3.9 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Required: 1.5–2 hours
Activities: Hiking, Slickrock Exploration, Tunnel Exploration, Photography
Cost: Free
Tucked away on BLM lands northwest of Moab, Dellenbaugh Tunnel is one of the region’s best-kept secrets. The trail traverses classic desert terrain—featuring open slickrock expanses, sandstone ledges, and wash crossings marked by painted blazes—as it winds toward the upper end of Spring Canyon. The headline feature waiting at the end of the route is a 150-foot-long natural sandstone tunnel carved into the rock. USU Moab students in the know can scramble into the wash and walk entirely through the cool subterranean passage, emerging onto a scenic canyon overlook that feels miles away from the typical national park crowds.
Hidden Valley Trail:
Start: Hidden Valley Trailhead (off Angel Rock Road/Rim Rock Lane)
Latitude: 38.5316
Longitude: -109.5283
Distance: 4.9 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Time Required: 2–3 hours
Activities: Hiking, Trail Running, Petroglyph Viewing
Cost: Free
Located virtually in the backyard of the USU Moab campus, the Hidden Valley Trail is a convenient and rewarding escape for local students. The hike starts with a stiff, switchbacking climb up the rocky face of the Moab Rim, gaining elevation quickly before leveling out onto a high, sheltered shelf. Once on top, the route opens into an expansive slickrock and grassy valley cradled between towering red sandstone cliffs. Hikers are treated to sweeping views of the Moab Valley floor and the distant La Sal Mountains. Dog-friendly and accessible year-round, it’s a premier spot for a quick post-class cardio workout or an afternoon exploring with four-legged companions.
Blanding Region — Blanding, Monument Valley, Montezuma Creek, Monticello
House on Fire (Mule Canyon):
Start: House on Fire & Mule Canyon Trailhead (off UT-95)
Latitude: 37.5437
Longitude: -109.7445
Distance: 1.9 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 1–1.5 hours
Activities: Hiking, Photography, Archaeological Viewing, Geotourism
Cost: $5 per vehicle (BLM Day Use Permit)
Located about 30 minutes west of the USU Blanding campus in the Cedar Mesa area, House on Fire in Mule Canyon is one of San Juan County’s most famous Ancestral Puebloan cliff ruin sites. The short, gentle hike along the sandy canyon floor winds past cottonwood trees and red sandstone cliffs before arriving at the lower ruin alcove. The site gets its distinct name from an optical illusion created by late-morning sunlight reflecting off the ceiling of the alcove, making the stone above the masonry walls appear as though it is ablaze. It is a favorite weekend excursion for students across the Blanding region interested in archaeology, desert ecology, and photography.
Recapture Reservoir:
Location: 4 miles north of Blanding off Highway 191
Latitude: 37.6681
Longitude: -109.4406
Activities: Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Swimming, Fishing, Camping, Off-Roading
Cost: Free
Just minutes north of the USU Blanding campus on the southern slopes of the Abajo Mountains, Recapture Reservoir — the largest reservoir in San Juan County — serves as an aquatic oasis in the high desert. Surrounded by pinyon-juniper hills, the reservoir is the go-to warm-weather destination for Blanding students looking to cool off, paddleboard, kayak, or fish for Northern Pike and largemouth bass. Beyond water sports, the surrounding shoreline features miles of off-road vehicle trails, primitive camping access, and relaxed spots for evening campfires.
