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Put on your hiking, biking or climbing shoes. We’re walking you through some of the best places to adventure on your trip through Logan Canyon.
Written By Arianna Rees
Jay Dash
Nicknamed the “Last Unspoiled Place” by National Geographic, Logan Canyon is both the winding vein connecting Cache Valley to Bear Lake and an outdoors person’s paradise.
Though it’s quieter than most of Utah’s big canyons, Logan is spiderwebbed with a huge trail system, over 400 climbing routes, a handful of stunning alpine lakes and peaks that come summertime are bursting with wildflowers.
Here are a few of the best places to hike, bike, climb, and explore while you’re here.
Near the Mouth
Riverside Nature Trail & Stokes Nature Center
Perfect for an evening walk or leisurely bike ride, the Riverside Nature Trail stretches from the mouth of Logan Canyon past the Stokes Nature Center and alongside Second and Third Dam. It also connects to Bridger Trail, a popular spot for mountain biking. The Stokes Nature trail sees lots of foot and tire traffic and gets visitors right near the river and up close to local wildlife, including the occasional moose.
If you’re passing by the Stokes Nature Center during operating hours, make sure to check out their educational displays to learn more about the local ecosystem. More details about Stokes nature programs can be found at theirwebsite.
The Experience:Hiking, walking, cycling, educational
Length and Difficulty:Approximately 3.7 miles one way, if hikers choose to follow it to its end; easy
Family Friendly:Yes
Date Wall
Beginning and intermediate rock climbers are frequently greeted with friendly honks at Date Wall, a fun and easily approachable climbing area right at Logan Canyon’s mouth. Date Wall stretches above highway 89 and is a fun place to start if you’re a beginner and also a great place to practice lead climbing. Make sure to climb in the afternoon and early evening to avoid direct sunlight (read: Where to Climb Near Salt Lake).
The Experience:Sport climbing, lead climbing
Difficulty Rating:5.6 to 5.10
Family Friendly:Yes
Route Information:VisitMountain Project for more details
Wind Caves
Popular among locals, the Wind Caves trail north of Guinavah-Malibu Campgrounds takes hikers to the roof of a natural arch with a gaping cavern they can climb into for shaded picnicking and a beautiful window view of the cliffs on the opposite side of the canyon.
The Experience:Hiking
Length and Difficulty:About four miles round trip, moderate
Family Friendly:Yes
Hike Details:VisitLogan Canyon Hikingfor more details
Crimson Trail
Less traveled than the Wind Caves, Crimson Trail is a little more exciting. It takes hikers over the rocky plateaus of the China Wall rock formation, treacherously close cliff’s edge, up and down rolling hills, and through patches of thick woods. Crimson gives hikers a picturesque bird’s eye views of the Third Dam area and the Cache National Forest. Come when the leaves are bursting with color to see where Crimson gets its name.
The Experience:Hiking
Length and Difficulty:About six miles roundtrip, moderate
Family Friendly:Yes, though small children should be followed with a watchful eye
Hike Details:VisitLogan Canyon Hikingfor more details
Beyond the Dams
Fucoidal Quartzite
Tucked in the trees away from the highway, the fucoidal quartzite area is not only marked by one of the weirdest fossilized rock formations in the state, but the best climbing walls in the canyon. Fucoidal has forty routes, many of them multi-pitch routes, where beginners and experts alike can test their climbing prowess. It’s a great place to climb during the summer — just be warned that it’s very popular (read: Where to Climb Near Salt Lake).
The Experience:Trad, sport, and top rope climbing
Difficulty Rating:5.6 to 5.12d
Family Friendly:Varies by age and experience
Route Information:Visit theMountain Project for more details
Logan Peak
If you don’t mind your clothes and skin caked in dust, Logan Peak is a great place to take your jeep or ATV for expansive views of Cache Valley. Climb to the sheep grazing areas high above the highway, then wind your way to the top of Mount Logan where the wind tosses your hair and Logan looks like a city of ants. Travel carefully — the road to Logan Peak is often narrow, rocky, and close to big drop-offs.
The Experience:ATV, jeeping, mountain biking and hiking for the brave
Length:Logan Peak takes about 1-2 hours to traverse by vehicle
Family Friendly:Yes
For Directions:Seeherefor more details
Old Ephraim’s Grave
At over nine feet tall, Old Ephraim was one of the biggest and baddest grizzly bears in the wild west and the last to be killed in Utah. His grave is nestled deep in the canyon with a monument that stands as tall as he did. Visitors can get there by foot, or the hairier way by off-roading it.
The Experience:Off-road driving, hiking
Length and Difficulty:11 to 12 miles by foot, strenuous
Family Friendly:Yes, with the right vehicle and confidence, by car
To get There by Car:See The Trek Planner for more details
Temple Fork Sawmill
One of the easier hikes in the canyon, the Temple Fork Sawmill trail takes visitors along peaceful beaver ponds and a small creek to the remains of an old lumber yard Cache Valley settlers used to construct buildings downtown.
The Experience:Hiking
Length and Difficulty:About five miles roundtrip, easy
Family Friendly:Yes
For directions:SeeLogan Canyon Hiking for more details
Jardine Juniper Trail
Hikers who venture to the top of the Jardine Juniper Trail are rewarded with front row seating to the oldest Rocky Mountain Juniper tree in the world—it’s over 1,500 years old! Jardine Juniper is a long but pleasant shared-use trail that cuts through meadows and woods and is not only fun to hike and bike in the summertime, but enjoyable to snowshoe and cross country ski through in the winter. If you make it to the trail’s namesake, please refrain from carving into its bark. We’d like to keep it around for another 1,500 years.
The Experience:Hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
Length and Difficulty:About 11 miles roundtrip, moderate--the hike is steep near the beginning but flattens out up top
Family Friendly:Yes
To Get There:Seeherefor more details
Deep in the Logan Canyon Wilderness
Tony Grove Lake
One of the most popular destinations for hiking, fishing, and relaxing is Tony Grove Lake. Nestled high in the Wasatch Range, Tony Grove is stocked with rainbow trout and surrounded by beautiful limestone cliffs and aspens. Visitors can walk the length of the lake, rest in the woods at its southern shore, or take a canoe to its center and drop a line. Please note that a small fee is charged for parking at Tony Grove.
The Experience:Hiking, picnicking, fishing, camping
Length and Difficulty of Hike:1.3 mile loop, easy
Family Friendly:Yes
To Get There:Take the highway 19.3 miles up Logan Canyon before taking the turnoff on your left and following it all the way up to the Tony Grove parking area
White Pine Lake
Cupped between the jagged peaks of Mount Gog and Mount Magog, White Pine Lake is the stunning sister lake to Tony Grove. It takes a little more work to get to it, but the scenery is worth the trip. The trail to White Pine Lake takes hikers deep into Logan Canyon through mountain wilderness and forest. Lake visitors will enjoy hammocking, camping, and picnicking around the lake. It’s an especially beautiful hike in the summer when wildflowers are in bloom.
The Experience:Hiking, backpacking, camping
Length and Difficulty:3.8 miles one way, moderate
Family Friendly:Yes
To Get There: Drive to Tony Grove Lake and look for the trailhead north of the parking lot
Mount Naomi
Naomi Peak is the highest point in the Bear River Mountain Range, and with fields of wildflowers in the summertime and beautiful alpine scenery, it’s a popular trail for local hikers. At the top of Naomi Peak on a clear day, hikers are rewarded with wide-ranging views of Cache Valley, parts of Idaho and Wyoming, and even the Tetons to the north. Mount Naomi is also hopping with wildlife, such as beavers, deer and moose.
The Experience:Hiking, backpacking
Length and Difficulty:Approximately 3.3 miles from Tony Grove Lake, moderate
Family Friendly:Yes
To Get There:Look for the trailhead near Tony Grove Lake for the easiest access
Beaver Mountain
Beaver Mountain is a small ski resort with a whole lot of charm and the most affordable skiing in the state. While many locals can be found on its slopes during the wintertime, Beaver Mountain is also striped with looping mountain biking trails that are wicked fun in the summer. Just north of the Beaver Mountain resort area, visitors can mount a horse and explore the Beaver Mountain wilderness area on hooves for a different perspective.
The Experience:Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding
Family Friendly:Yes
To Get There:VisitBeaver Mountainfor more details
Bear Lake Overlook
It’s not a hike or a high adventure, but to punctuate your drive through Logan Canyon, pull into the parking lot of the Bear Lake Overlook for a breathtaking view of Bear Lake. You’ll quickly learn why they call it the “Caribbean of the Rockies.”
About the Author – Arianna Rees
The best place to spot Arianna Rees is in the mountains making a TikTok that won't do the view any justice. Arianna is a social media manager at the Utah Office of Tourism and a writer living in Salt Lake City. When she isn't hurriedly typing away at her computer, Arianna can be found hiking, paddle boarding, or neck deep in a good book.
What's Nearby
- Bear Lake State Park Garden City, UT Bear Lake is a 20-mile long and eight-mile wide natural lake with beautiful, placid waters that perfectly match the tranquil pace of the quaint towns that dot the shore. The northern half is located in Idaho and the southern half in Utah with the state lines dividing it.
- Brigham City Brigham City, UT Brigham City's Main Street archway proclaims "Gateway to the World's Greatest Wild Bird Refuge." Brigham City boasts a small-town feel with big-city amenities like comfortable and affordable hotel rooms, deluxe suites, and beautiful golf courses.
- Logan Logan, UT The Logan area hosted the Shoshone tribe’s ancestral hunting for thousands of years and is still home to great examples of early Mormon pioneer architecture, including the Temple and Tabernacle.
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- A Local’s Guide to Logan: Northern Utah’s Outdoor Adventure College Town Written By Arianna Rees 3 minute read Logan is teeming with some of the best arts, food and outdoor adventure opportunities in the state. Whether you’re passing through or just looking for new places to explore, here are some of the best ways to experience Logan.
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- How to Visit Utah’s Most-Visited Forest Written By Brett Prettyman The Wasatch Front mountain range offers endless amounts of recreational activity. Learning how to visit responsibly will enhance your overall experience.
- 8 Utah Hikes for Leaf Peeping and Natural Splendor Written By Austen Diamond 6 minute read When the leaves change, road trips through Utah’s mountains and forests take on a colorful new glow. Unlike their well-trodden counterparts on the East Coast, Utah’s fall foliage and trails are less well known among the broader leaf-peeping community.
- Get Your Spook On: Northern Utah's Most Haunted Places Written By Brett Prettyman 4 minute read Looking for a different kind of adventure? One seemingly outside the realms of possibility? Here are some of Utah’s most haunted places.
