We guide the length of the Wasatch, from the Cottonwood Canyons above Salt Lake City to the bigger, quieter peaks above Provo. The exact objective is chosen on the day from conditions, weather, and how the group is moving.

Little Cottonwood Canyon

• White Pine Lake — full day, moderate. Quieter alternative to Red Pine.
• Catherine Pass — half day, beginner-friendly. Best wildflower ground in the range in mid-July.

Big Cottonwood Canyon

• Lake Blanche — full day, moderate to strenuous. Sundial Peak reflected in the lake is the most photographed view in the Wasatch.
• Brighton lakes loop — half day, beginner. Three or four alpine lakes on one circuit.
• Desolation Lake — full day, moderate.
• Twin Peaks — full day, strenuous

Millcreek Canyon and the Salt Lake Foothills

• Grandeur Peak — half day, moderate. A summit an hour from downtown.
• Mount Aire — half day, beginner to moderate.
• Dog Lake and the Millcreek ridgeline — half day, beginner.

The southern end of the range gets a fraction of the traffic the Cottonwoods do and holds bigger, steeper peaks. Provo sits under an 11,000-foot skyline that most Salt Lake hikers never touch, and the canyons on the Utah County side stay snow-free weeks earlier in spring and hold into November. If you are staying in Provo, Orem, or Springville — or you want a long day without a crowded trailhead — this is where we go.

OBJECTIVES

Rock Canyon

Half day to full day · Beginner to moderate · Year-round on the lower canyon

The most accessible mountain terrain in Utah County — the trailhead sits about a mile east of BYU campus, and the canyon walls close in within ten minutes of walking. Limestone and quartzite cliffs on both sides, a good creek in spring, and a well-graded trail that climbs steadily to the upper canyon and the Rock Canyon Campground. This is our standard half-day objective in Provo and the one we run earliest and latest in the season, since the lower canyon is usually walkable when the high country is still under snow. Continue to the summit of Kyhv Peak on the ridge above for a full day.

Slate Canyon

Half day to full day · Moderate · Spring through late fall

Rock Canyon’s quieter neighbor, two canyons south. Same low-elevation start, far fewer people, and a longer, more sustained grade that makes it a good conditioning day or a first look at what a real Wasatch approach feels like. The canyon gives access to the Y Mountain ridgeline to the north and, for parties with the fitness for it, a long back-door line toward Provo Peak. Good spring wildflowers on the south-facing benches.

Provo Peak

Full day · High fitness · Typically late June through October

At 11,068 feet, the high point of the Provo skyline and the peak everyone in the valley looks at without knowing its name. The short route starts from a saddle on Kyhv Peak Road and climbs roughly 1,700 feet in a little over a mile — no technical difficulty, but steep, loose, and relentless, with a summit view that runs from Timpanogos to Mount Nebo and out over Utah Lake. The access road is rough, high-clearance, and gated well into the season, which is a large part of why this peak stays quiet. Longer approaches from Rock Canyon and Slate Canyon are available for parties who want the full day. 

Cascade Mountain

Long full day · High fitness · Typically July through early October

The biggest single day on this list. Cascade rises 10,908 feet above the mouth of Provo Canyon, and the standard route out of the South Fork gains close to 5,000 feet over roughly ten miles round trip — comparable to Timpanogos in effort with a small fraction of the people. Steep forest low down, open limestone benches and talus high up, and a long summit ridge. For parties who want the terrain without the full day, the Cascade Cirque is a shorter objective from the same trailhead: a glacial bowl under the north face that holds snow late and stays cool through July.

Spanish Fork Peak

Long full day · High fitness · Typically late June through October

A 10,192-foot summit above Spanish Fork, reached from Maple Canyon on a trail that climbs steadily through maple and aspen before breaking into open ridgeline. Roughly eleven miles round trip and 4,300 feet of gain. The maples on the lower trail are the reason to do this one in the last week of September — it is the best fall-color hike in this part of the range and it does not appear on the Salt Lake lists. Maple Lake, partway up, works as a shorter half-day or an overnight objective for groups not going for the summit.

Loafer Mountain

Full day · Moderate to high fitness · Typically late June through early October

The southern anchor of the range at 10,687 feet, reached off the Nebo Loop Road above Payson. A higher trailhead means less total gain than Cascade or Spanish Fork Peak for a summit almost as high, which makes Loafer the best value day on this list for a group with moderate fitness and a full day to spend. Long ridge walking, wide-open views south to Mount Nebo, and genuine solitude — you can spend a Saturday up there and see nobody. The Nebo Loop Road is seasonally gated and closes with the first real snow.

Half-day (3–4 hours). A morning or an afternoon, usually a foothill summit or a lake basin close to the road. The most common first trip, and the easiest to fit around a conference or a travel day in Salt Lake City. From $75 per person. Contact us to coordinate. 

Full day (6–8 hours). A real objective — an alpine lake, a named peak, or a canyon-to-canyon traverse. Most guests who book a half day and enjoy it come back for this. This is our recommended trip type, to book: click on the date on the Book Trip calendar and proceed with Book Now. 

Overnight (2 days). One night out. We carry the group into a basin, camp, and come out over a different pass than we went in. Contact us to coordinate. 

Multi-day (3 days). For groups who want to link canyons and cover ground. Also the format for private groups and corporate trips. Contact us to coordinate. 

Who This Is For

These trips are non-technical. There is scrambling on some objectives such as hands on rock, careful footing but nothing that requires a harness, a rope, or any climbing experience. What they do require is a working aerobic base. Wasatch trailheads start at 5,000–7,000 feet and the objectives sit at 9,000–11,000, and altitude is the single most common reason a strong sea-level hiker has a harder day than expected. If you are coming from lower elevation, plan an easy first day and drink more water than feels necessary. Tell us honestly what your fitness looks like when you book and we will match the objective to it rather than the other way round.

Private Groups, Families, and Corporate Trips

Every trip is private. We guide families with kids, company offsites, wedding parties, and reunions, and we run larger groups with additional guides at six hikers per guide.

Generally late June through mid-October at higher elevations, with foothill trails like Grandeur Peak and Mount Aire opening in April or May and holding into November. Snow lingers in north-facing basins well into July in a big year. Wildflowers peak in mid-July; aspen color runs roughly the third week of September through the first week of October.

No. Objectives are matched to the group. The limiting factor is usually aerobic fitness and altitude tolerance rather than skill. These are non-technical trails, not climbs.

Route selection, permits, navigation, pacing, weather and terrain calls, and first aid. Your guide chooses the objective on the day based on conditions and how the group is moving, which is why no two trips run the same itinerary.

Six hikers per guide. Larger groups run with additional guides, up to 10 people total.

At minimum: broken-in boots or trail shoes, layers including a rain shell, sun protection, and two liters of water. The guide will provide a first aid kit, emergency communication devices, and a backpack and trekking pole rentals are available upon request. A more detailed list of what to bring and what the guide will bring will be sent upon booking. 

It depends on the canyon. Dogs are prohibited in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, which are Salt Lake City watershed. Millcreek Canyon allows dogs on alternating days

Meetup time and place will be sent upon booking. Your guide will contact you the day beforehand to confirm meetup time and location.

This depends on the trailhead and your guide will inform you.