Day hike up Mount Olympus in the Wasatch Range

A scenic work out with a fun scramble to the top where you'll be rewarded with fantastic views over Wasatch Valley and Salt lake City.

Overview

Route: AllTrails

Distance: 7.8 miles

Elevation: 4,156' gain

Highest Elevation: 9,277'

Route Type: Out and back

Difficulty: Hard

Best for: Day hike

Season hiked: mid-April

Tails of the Trail

Paws Up Rating: 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 (4/4)

Doggy Hiking Level: Hard - there is a scramble at the end to get to the summit, make sure that your pup can handle climbing on rocks, or that you can carry him/her up, or you are prepared to leave the summit behind to stay with your dog.

Water Source: There are several stream crossings, but we brought enough water for the day.

Things to Note: Do your research before going and make sure you are prepared for the weather, snow conditions (avalanche territory), and/or heat advisory (over summer). There are several reports on rattlesnakes over the summer months so make sure your dog is trained to avoid snakes and keep them close to you.

Trip Summary

Lunatic, Alex, and I did this as a dayhike in mid-April 2021. We didn't have to worry about snow too much, nor did we have to worry about heat. It was the perfect time to go! We did our research and learned that snow was still present on 1/3 of the trail, so we brought microspikes and hiking poles. They proved to be helpful on the way down.

Trailhead Info

We slept at the trailhead parking lot the night prior, in order to get an early start the next day. Seemed like the trailhead was a popular party spot for locals, but no one bothered us throughout the night. There were several other cars parked overnight as well. There's a restroom at the trailhead.

While the trail itself is well maintained, the elevation gain is not mild. The trail almost immediately starts going up at an average of 1,000' per mile, and even more the last mile to the saddle.

The trail is pretty exposed and weaves alongside the mountains, so it's definitely worth getting an alpine start to minimize exposure in the sun.

There are several cool viewpoints to stop and take breaks along the way. One of the best lookouts was up at the saddle where the views open up and you can see the surrounding mountains.

From there on up, the scramble starts and it's a fun time! It was a great change of pace to the trail, and we all had a blast. Luna didn't have any issues, but I think this section would prove to be an issue for shorter/smaller dogs. I would say it was a class 2-3 scramble, with need for hands free in some sections. The trail had melted down enough under the sun, but we still had to be careful with ice patches.

DOG TIPS: I would be very mindful about bringing your dog on this trail if he/she does not have experience climbing rocks or isn't very agile.

The views on the summit were incredible, looking over Wasatch Valley and surrounding peaks, and Salt Lake City. It was a very cool feeling to know we were so close to SLC, yet on top of a mountain. We ate some snacks, and headed back down.

The descent was fine, though definitely grueling on the knees. I can't imagine doing this over the summer with the heat. Bring PLENTY of water for you and your pup if you are hiking this over the summer and watch out for rattlesnakes.

Overall, I thought it was a super great day hike option near SLC - involved a good workout with constant elevation gain, views and look out points, fun rock climbing scramble section, and awesome summit reward.

Happy Tails & Trails! 🐾