Our trip to Utah/Wyoming in June of 2022 was amazing! Being from the East Coast, we were very excited to visit this part of the country. Our first and last few days were spent in North-Eastern Utah. Below is a short guide, and an overview of our experience!
We stayed at the Snowbird Resort for most of the trip. This view from our room was just a taste of what would come.
Our first expedition took place the on our first full day of the trip. An old friend picked us up from the resort, and we set off for Mill Creek Canyon. This area is just outside of Salt Lake City suburbs, and has a ton of options for outdoor activities. There were plenty of hiking trails. We saw a lot of pets and people preparing to camp during our trek to the top of Mt Aire. The path to Mt Aire is moderate in difficulty, but the view at the top is worth it.
The canyon is managed by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest service. Make sure to check their website for camping regulations.
The next task was to find a place to camp for the night. We landed on Dog Lake, as we were told it would have plenty of flat area for a camp site. To get there we parked at the end of Mill Creek Canyon Road, and followed “Dog Lake via Big Water Trail” on Alltrails.
The trail was easy to follow, with plenty of signage along the way. Upon arrival we discovered a lack of flat, clear land for tents, and an abundance of friendly dogs. Once we found a spot we were able to enjoy all of the dogs, (and their owners), who visited the area until sun-down.
After this our friend dropped us off at a local U-Haul location so we could pick up our flatbed rental. We recommend renting with U-Haul as opposed to a traditional rental service if you are under 25. This will save you hundreds on additional fees!
We spent much of the trip backpacking in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, find that post here.
The last two days of the trip were spent back in the Salt Lake City area. Downtown has plenty of unique restaurants and activities. The Tracy Aviary and Botanical Gardens was a lot of fun, and totally worth the price of admission!
We visited soda shops, the aquarium and the BYU campus as well. Our last activity was to visit the Great Salt Lake. We advise that you temper your expectations if you choose to visit. The closest access for us was through Antelope Island State Park. The park itself was unique, and had space for RV parking, camping and other activities. If you go here you may even catch a glance at some buffalo!
The lake itself was not what we had expected. There has been a serious drought in the area, meaning that water levels were much lower than normal. The water smelled severely of sulfur, and the top layer of mud had an almost cotton candy like consistency. There were also brine shrimp surrounding us at all times, and very persistent flies dive bombing. While the views were nice, be prepared for the smell, and a less-than- experience in the water.
Finally, our friend dropped us off at the SLC airport, and we said goodbye to the American West. The environments of Utah and Wyoming were truly jaw-dropping, even to simply drive through! We hope to pick up where we left off in the near future, stay tuned!
Aaron and Kate’s Adventures 
Leave a comment