Standing high on a mountain peak you feel like you’re on top of the world. From the summit of Ensign Peak in 1847, Utah’s founding pioneers gazed down on a green valley that would become Salt Lake City. To the west, they looked all the way to the horizon, over the Great Salt Lake and past the ridgelines of Antelope and Stansbury Islands.
Welcome back to “Sunday Drive,” where every Wednesday in The Park Record I’ll take you on an adventure around our great state and beyond. I have vivid memories of the Sunday drives I took as a young boy in Wisconsin. Here I’ll provide you with a guided outing where you can pack the family into the SUV and head out onto the road for a hike, museum or an off-road adventure.
Ensign Peak is a signature Utah family hike just a half-mile journey up to the top, where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views high above Utah’s Capitol. Though it is a touch steep in places, the trail is solid and it’s a great hike for all abilities.
The mountain plays a significant role in Utah’s pioneer history. Two days after assembling in the valley on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young led a group of eight men to the top of the peak to survey the place they would call home. Using field glasses, they studied the mountains, streams and other highlights of what would become the Salt Lake Valley.
As a notable peak presiding over their new land, it was a fitting place to raise a flag, or ensign, hence the name Ensign Peak.
The current Ensign Peak Nature Park was dedicated in 1996. From the trailhead along Ensign Vista Drive, the route wanders up a hillside with an abundance of wildflowers and a good likelihood of wildlife sightings, such as deer. It’s an easy-to-follow pathway, that brings you around the backside of the peak, where it also connects to the extensive Bonneville Shoreline Trail network.
Spring is a gorgeous time to hike Ensign Peak. The hillsides are bursting in color with yellow mountain daisies in full display.
The trail follows a route so that you don’t really get panoramic views until you round the final corner onto the rocky spine to the top. Westward, you are treated to an expansive view out over the Great Salt Lake and the Oquirrh Mountains range to Utah’s West Desert. And when you crest into the plaza at the top, the entire Salt Lake Valley and ridgeline of the Wasatch comes into view.
It’s a mesmerizing scene as you look down the length of State Street, out to the foothills of the east benches and to the west with aircraft quietly descending into Salt Lake International.
Soon, though, it’s time to go bringing only memories back down the mountainside.
DETAILS
Getting There: From the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, continue uphill on E. Capitol Drive to Ensign Vista Drive. Trail parking is on the neighborhood street.
When to Go: Ensign Peak is open from daylight to dark. Sunset is an especially popular time.
Trail Use: The trail is open to dogs on a leash. It is also connected to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail for mountain bikes, with primary access coming in from the north. The half-mile hike up to the peak will gain around 400 feet, a lot of climb for a half mile. But the trail is solid with steps in some places. Avoid the renegade shortcut trails. Allow about an hour for the round trip, maybe a bit more if you linger at the top. There are excellent interpretive display boards that provide historical and nature insights.
What to Bring: As always, bring water and sunscreen.
Dining: If you go on a Sunday, just know there’s not much open for food in the neighboring areas of the valley. While there are no specific picnic sites at Ensign Peak, the concrete stools all along the trail are nice spots to stop for water or snacks. Or, you can drive down to 900 South for an ice cream or gelato.