March 21, 2026 Hiking Club - March

 Jungle Trail

Grandpa & Nana's March hiking club

hikers: Grandpa & Nana, 3 parents, 9 grandkiddos, including our new 2 month old Brooks!

distance:  1 mile

elevation gain: 131 ft.

This is such a fun hike for kids. And doable for all ages. You hike uphill half a mile and cross the creek and you are at a play area, then you hike back on that side of the creek and it is just a 1 mile loop.

We started at the Carolina Hills Trailhead. Lucky for us there was enough parking spots.

Things are in bloom! It is such a pretty time.

Snacktime. They start asking for a snack about 1 minute in to the hike but we delay until about half way.

Hiding.

Climbing.

Playing.

Hiking.

What a great day for a hike!!!

February 26, 2026 3rd Suspension Bridge hike

 Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

3rd time this year

distance:  2.16 miles

elevation gain:  437 ft.

hikers: Lecia and Mark

We've hiked up to the bridge 2 times already in February. 3rd times the charm. We have decided we'll do it every week! It doesn't take long to get here, there is more elevation gain than a walk around the neighborhood, and it doesn't take long to do this enjoyable hike! win, win, win.

Unfortunately with strava you can't tell which direction we went on the loop. Today we took Ralph's trail up to the bridge and came down the other trail. I think it is the Orson Smith trail.

Mark ready to head up Ralph's trail.

There's the bridge. The mountain is still brown but we'll see it green up over time.

The Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

Someone's rock collection! I don't know if it was abandoned or is waiting for the owner. It looks like a good rock collection.

February 16, 2026 Suspension Bridge Hike with our Neighbors!

 Draper Suspension Bridge

2nd time this year

hikers: Mark and I started out on this hike and we ran into some of our neighbors!

distance:  2.11 miles

elevation gain: 418

hiking time:  1 hour 2 minutes

This is our 2nd hike to the suspension bridge in Draper this year. The weather is so mild, with no snow, this is a good place to get in a hike.

We started at the Orson Smith park.

Headed up the stairs.

Got to the Aqueduct trail and headed up the switchbacks. As we were going up the switchbacks we ran into some people we knew! A neighbor and her son and his wife and their dogs. We stopped to talk to them, hiked with them, and ended  up hiking together the entire way!

Arriving at the bridge.

We had someone to take our picture!

We headed down Ralph's trail to complete the loop.

What an enjoyable surprise to run into these friends. It really was fun to hike together! 

Saturday, February 14, 2026 February Hiking Club: City Creek

 #2 Hike for the Hiking Club

Lower City Creek

Hikers: 5 adults and 8 little hikers!

Distance:  1.45 miles

Elevation gain:  139 feet, surprising because there was a lot more down hill than up hill!

Time:  47 minutes of moving and a lot of rest time!

Mark and I did pretty much the same hike a week ago to try it out. Today was the day we all did it together-Grandpa & Nana's Hiking Club. We started at this sign on City Creek Canyon Road. Luckily there was plenty of parking.

Here are some of the hikers:

We went up from the sign a ways and then we came back down, crossed the road and headed on down lower City Creek. There were lots of dogs and interesting things to see along the way. Rock throwing into the creek and stick collecting were highlights.

When we got to the bottom we took a trail that went up the side of the hill. It felt like we were in a forest and we ended up at the capitol.

On the grass of the capitol grounds we had some snacks and passed out our cool hiking tokens!

Saturday, February 7, 2026 Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

 Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

hikers - Mark and Lecia

distance - about 2 miles

elevation gain - about 400 feet

The weather is warm, no snow on the foothills and this seemed like a good hike to do.

At the edge of the Orson Smith Park the stairs lead to the trail.

Up some switch backs and you are at the Aqueduct Trail. The Aqueduct Trail is mostly flat.

We continued on the Aqueduct Trail to Ralph's Trail this time for our hike. 

There are some switchbacks on Ralph's Trail before you get to the bridge.

It's definitely uphill.

We made it to the bridge.

View of the valley from the middle of the bridge.

On our way back down. You can see there is no snow and it is brown and dead. Not as pretty as it will be later but it was great hiking weather and the trails were good.

 

February 5, 2026 Lower City Creek Trail

 Lower City Creek Trail

hikers: Mark & Lecia

distance: 2 and a half miles

elevation gain: 312 feet

   Today we were on a quest to check out the lower City Creek Trail. We think we'll do our next Grandpa & Nana's hiking club hike here but we wanted to scout it out before doing it with the grandkids. We were in Salt Lake and it was a lovely day so this was a good opportunity. We drove to the City Creek Canyon trailhead and found there is a parking area right before the hair pin turn and parking along City Creek Canyon Road. There were some cars and this was a weekday morning. But still plenty of parking. It could be full on a weekend.

We crossed the road at the Trailhead sign and headed downhill. 

We walked down the paved trail/road for a ways and when we came to a bridge we crossed and on the other side of the creek it is a natural are with a path and you feel like you are in the mountains. You are, but you are just above Memory Grove and there are lots of walkers and dog walkers. It is a well used area. We walked to the bottom and then thru Memory Grove. We walked back up the hill but we realized our grandchildren could probably make it down, but not back up the hill. 

After we got back to where we started, we took the trail next to the City Creek Canyon trail head sign. When we came to a bench and a fork, we turned north and went up that trail for a ways to check it out. It could have been fun to go further but we turned around there. Now we just need to figure out how we'll do this with grandchildren.

I didn't take a lot of pictures but this was next to the parking area.

Saturday, January 17, 2026

 Tunnel Springs

The first hike for Grandpa & Nana's hiking club

Hikers: 7 grandkids, Grandpa, Nana, and Daniel.  There would have been more adults but the kids said it was only for kids, no adults allowed. Since Daniel had Jane, he was required to be there! Besides he was the one that had been on this trail before so we were glad he came.

Distance: a mile or mile and a half? not sure since Strava quit because my phone battery was dead.

Elevation gain: 61 feet. This was a good, flat trail. Part of the Bonneville shoreline trail.

 

   We started at the Tunnel Springs park and followed the trail south.  After a while there was a fork in the trail and we went to the right where it was flatter. 

The trails might have joined up again but we turned back shortly after that so we never found out.

Where we turned around we were able to have a good view of the valley so we stopped there to take it all in. One of the highlights for the 10 year old was the flight radar app on my phone. We were near 2 airports so there were lots of planes. Checking that out was what caused my battery to die! We had fun with it though. 

On the way back we stopped at an area where there were some big trees where you could go underneath and explore. There was a path that went through the "wheat", actually the weeds, and looped back to the tree hideaway. The kids had a lot of fun there. 

Grandpa and Nana would have gone further but this was about the right distance for the grandkids. At the end we had time for the playground and some snacks. Our first hike was a success!