Place: Rail Trail or Union Pacific Rail Trail

Location:  Just East of Salt Lake City, you can get on anywhere from Park City to Echo Lake

See map:   best map and tons of other Park City biking trails:

http://www.utah.com/parkcity/bike_hike.htm

What to do:  Bike Ride – level of difficulty – easy/medium depending on how long you make it.

Time of Year: spring thru fall

Fees: none

Camping: echo lake

Picnic area: there are places to stop along the way and a picnic table here or there. You can start at Park City or  Wanship, or just off I-80 past Park City  and head to Echo, eat there and ride back makes a great ride.

Great Link with directions and information:

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/railtrl.htm

another great resource:

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/archives/1011.html

Caveats:  Bring water and sunscreen and whatever else you will need along the way (first aid kit is good.. see story below).

This is a great family ride as you can make it as long or easy as you can handle. The trail is wide and meandering through beautiful country scenery flanked by the mountains and hills on both sides as it follows I-80 from Park City to Echo.  There is very little elevation and what there is is very gradual. There may be some wind on the long Park City stretch before you go under the overpass and onto the main part of the trail.

You can see some wildlife (fox, birds, woodchuck, deer and more), beautiful scenery, trees, flowers and enjoy a wonderful day. 


     We have done this ride several times as a family and with me and some of my girls and friends.
The first time we did it we got a late start from the I-80 stop. We hadn't gone too far when my youngest daughter, trying to keep up with the older ones, crashed on a loose gravelly place and got some pretty good cuts on her elbow, arm and leg. She cried a bit, left some blood on the trail (its not there anymore), probalby could have used some stitches but she didn't want to quit, we patched her up, tied a bandana around her elbow and she rode the rest of the way to Echo Lake, and back in the dark! We arrived at Echo to watch the sunset and then headed back in the dusk. My husband used his cell phone as a light in the tunnel (it was ultimately dark and pretty scary) we nearly hit a waddling woodchuck in the dark and walked behind it until it got off the trail. It was quite an adventure and amazingly beautiful as the full moon bathed us in silvery light as it rose above the rocks. We got back to our truck around midnight. It was quite a memorable and fun trip.
     The next time was a girls only trip and we started at Wanship, went back to the gate and then on to Echo Lake. It was early in the day and we had a wonderful ride. We ate at a burger place in Echo and then rode back the short flat scenic distance to our car.

Little Sahara Sand Dunes

Place: Little Sahara Sand Dunes

Location: 115 miles southwest of Salt Lake, about an hour and a half or a little more

What to do: ATV, hiking, wildlife, digging in the sand, picnic, campfires, meditating, sledding, snowshoeing, photography, family parties

Time of Year: all year

Fees: yes

Camping: yes

Picnic area: yes

We have enjoyed Little Sahara during all seasons for all of the above mentioned activities.  It is a good place to go and have a lot of fun.

Not a lot of services there so make sure you bring what you need as far as food and water, gas and equipment. Camping is great. If you stay late you will see some night wildlife such as fox and owl.

Some areas have more ATV crowd and some are a little quieter. It’s a big place so I am sure if you are out to climb sand mountain or sit quietly and read you will find what you need.

handy link:  http://www.duneguide.com/sand_dune_guide_little_sahara.htm

One time we were here riding, hiking and playing as a family. Around dusk a couple of foxes started to hang around. My son went out and sat quietly and they came really close to him.They were pretty used to people but they would only come close to him. We called him "the fox whisperer".

Arches National Park

Place: Arches National Park

Location:

Just outside of Moab Highway 191 North

from Salt Lake City about  230 miles - about 4 hours

What to do: Hiking, Photography, People watching, Relaxing, Wildlife,

Time of Year: all year although it gets hot in the summer so hiking is better in the early hours

Fees: National Park fee (we’ve found a year pass is a good investment if you like hiking and camping)

Camping: yes – in the Park and in surrounding areas are great. Reservations recommended.

Most popular hikes:

Delicate Arch – medium level hike. Bring water, maybe snacks and sunscreen or a hat, but pretty much everyone can, and does, do it.

Great Photo Op!

Devils Garden Loop – has an easy and a longer loop. Take water and snacks and sunscreen or a hat.

My favorites:

 Fiery Furnace – not for the faint of heart – you need to register and take a mini “class” in order to get a permit to go in.  It is amazing, but it is like a maze, you may wander around so pay attention to where you are going, and going to come out.

Devils Garden: Filled with many beautiful arches and you can make the hike as long or short as you want.  Lots of side trails that you can see. Would be amazing to view some of the arches at sunrise!

Devils Garden:           http://climb-utah.com/Moab/devil.htm

Best Arches Hikes:      http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-arches-national-park

Caveats: It’s a desert so it can be really cold and really hot. Sometimes its windy, which means your eyes and food will be full of sand. Also, the sun is intense, cover up and bring sunscreen! Stay on the trails, its easy to get lost!