There is nothing really too spectacular about this foothill behind Salt Lake. However, we took an afternoon to knock it off the list as part of this year’s Six Pack of Peak Challenge.
I’ve known about this peak for a while. I remember first reading about it from GirlonaHike.com while searching out routes to Grandview (from Rudy’s Flat in 2016 and Big Mountain Pass in 2018). In fact, I stood on a hilltop just across the way from Lookout in 2017 and thought, nah, maybe some other time.
Well I guess now was the time.
Limited parking for this trail is a half mile down from the actual trailhead. You have to find a spot along the road at Burr Fork, or the split between Pinecrest Canyon (left fork) and Killyon Canyon (right fork).
Once you get on the trail, it’s a nice path through the trees for the first 2 miles as you head up along Emigration Creek through Killyon Canyon.
Two miles in, hang a left at the 4-way intersection and continue on up to Lookout Peak.
Those last 3 miles to the top turned out to be a decent workout.
False summit after false summit after false summit. Finally the last rounded hilltop is your destination “peak”, 5 miles from where you parked.
We made it to the top in a little over 2 hours.
The day was clear enough to see Morgan to the north, the Salt Lake valley to the west and even Park City way out to the southeast. Grandview Peak was just across City Creek Canyon with the radar domes on Francis Peak off the distance behind that.
Final stats were 10.06 miles under 4 hours with 3,049 feet of elevation gain. This is one of those hikes you use to train for bigger and better things on your list.
After-thoughts
This trail has the appearance of being well traveled, although the parking accommodations would show otherwise. You would think this nicely paved area at the trailhead would be made available for the few who visit to this less-than-popular trail.
You can also hit the trail from the east, starting at Affleck Park. Those details to come…