VisitSaltLake.com and Utah.com offer detailed information for area attractions and a plethora of outdoor opportunities. Below, we highlight some of our favorites near by.
Skiing
THE GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH!!! Silver Fork Lodge & Restaurant is located one mile from Solitude Ski Resort where the average annual snowfall is 500 plus inches a year, resort size 1,200 acres, 8 lifts, ski-able vertical feet is 2,047, and a breakdown of terrain is 10% Beginner, 40% Intermediate and 50% Advanced/Expert. Silver Fork Lodge & Restaurant is located three miles from Brighton Ski Resort with the same average annual snowfall of 500 plus inches, resort size 1,050 acres, 7 lifts, 1,875 ski-able vertical feet, and the breakdown of terrain is 21% beginners, 40% intermediate and 39% advanced. Brighton Ski Resort also has night skiing and snowboarding!
Cross Country Skiing
For those that prefer groomed trails, the Nordic Ski Center at Solitude offers the best, high-alpine cross-country skiing experience on the Wasatch Front (20 kilometers of trails).
Hiking
Big Cottonwood’s glacially gouged upper canyon offers smooth, firm dirt roads and a plethora of trails, many of them left over from the canyon’s mining and logging days. Just to name a few of the outstanding trails located nearby: Brighton Lakes hiking trail winds past four different lakes and climbs over into Little Cottonwood Canyon. Lake Blanche is a well-maintained hiking trail through lots of superb rock formations to an amazing basin that contains Lakes Blanche, Florence and Lillian.
Rock Climbing
From March through November, you’ll see rock climbers in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons. They sit on tailgates in the late afternoon sun and squint up at the crags and buttresses. They are Utah’s climbers, a close-knit community of rock jocks.This little slice of Zion is a paradise on earth for rock climbers.
Mountain Biking
The Wasatch Crest Trail offers 28 miles of the best, most scenic, most grin-inducing alpine riding you’ll find anywhere in the world. Also, Solitude Mountain Resort offers excellent in-area mountain biking. Whether you’re using the resort’s chairlifts to access the terrain or pedaling up the old fashioned way, you’ll find a half dozen trails that will thrill you at this little-known mountain-bike playground.
Fishing
Utah has over 1,000 fishable lakes and numerous fishing streams. Species range from the popular rainbow and cutthroat to large mackinaw and brown trout, to striped bass, wippers, walleye, bluegill, whitefish, the Bonneville cisco and many others. Fishing is open year round in Utah.
Wildlife Watching
The Wasatch mountains are home to many species of wildlife; bear, mountain lion, coyote, red tail fox, mule deer, elk, moose, pheasant, sage grouse, chukar partridge, beaver, and raccoon. These are to name just a few of the 630 species of wildlife that are found in Utah. The Audubon Society has a good resource guide to birds that could be found in the Brighton area.
Golfing
Utah is well known for its excellent golf courses with seasonal climates and majestic views. Within a 45 minute drive you could be at several golf courses from the inner city to mountain state park golf courses. With spectacular scenery to get there and enjoy while you’re on the course.