Fodor's Expert Review Millcreek Canyon

Running parallel to and just north of Big Cottonwood Canyon, this lush, steep-walled mountain canyon east of Millcreek and run by the Salt Lake County Parks office and the U.S. Forest Service is a wonderful destination for hiking, picnicking, camping, and mountain and road biking, and the meandering 9-mile drive up into the canyon is itself beautiful. There's also an inviting restaurant, Log Haven, located less than halfway up Mill Creek Canyon Road. Certain trails are open to bikes only on odd- or even-numbered days, and dogs are welcome but can only be off-leash on odd-number days. There are about two-dozen well-maintained trails within the Millcreek Canyon system, ranging from shorter (3 to 5 miles) scrambles to challenging 13-mile round-trip adventures, but even the relatively quicker jaunts entail elevation gains of at least 1,000 feet. Good bets if you have only two or three hours include the 4.4-mile loop to Dog Lake and the 3-mile round-trip trek from Elbow Fork to Lambs Canyon Pass—wildflower viewing on these trails is especially dramatic from mid-June through mid-September. Although accessible on foot year-round, the upper section of the canyon closes to vehicles from November through around mid-June, depending on snowfall. Note that the upper half of Mill Creek Canyon Road is expected to be closed to road bikes due to road construction from 2024 through 2026.