The weather is warming up, and people are anxious to get outside and go exploring.
Weekend getaways are a popular escape from the stress of summer classes. Thankfully, the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding area offer plenty of distractions from the normal college routine.
Utah has numerous hiking trails for all skill levels. Zach Stone, a Salt Lake Community College student who works at Recreation Outlet, says that Naturalist Basin, a moderate 12.8-mile hike, is his current favorite.
“Yeah, it’s super cool. You can hike and find a place to camp out along most of the trail. It’s also a great place to go fishing, and the lake is awesome. I spend a lot of time here in the summer and it never gets old,” Stone says.
SLCC student Calle Ellingson, who spends most of her summer camping and hiking, is particularly fond of the 3.9-mile-long Lofty Lake Trail.
“It’s absolutely stunning. The hike isn’t too hard, and you have beautiful views all the way around. I also really like that that the trail is a loop, so you don’t have to hike in and out, you can just keep walking and end up where you started,” Ellingson says.
As the case with these and any other hikes, individuals should bring plenty of water and come prepared for a full day of hiking.
For those students who don’t like hiking as much, there are still plenty of options. An inexpensive road trip that won’t break the bank or take too much time is the town of Goshen in Utah County.
Goshen, just southwest of Spanish Fork, is famous for an old mine. The Tintic Standard Reduction Mill operated from 1921 to 1925, refining metals brought from other mills near Eureka. Even though the mill has been out of service for almost 100 years, it is still a tourist attraction.
“I used to go there all the time in high school. It’s a cool place to explore. Bring water if you’re going,” says education major, Colton Neil. “If you do go, here’s a word of warning: there are no trespassing signs that have recently been put up. Law enforcement will issue warnings if they catch you. Travel to the mill at your own risk.”
