Good backpacking location in SLC/Central UT

[tcope]

Looks like I'll have some time on my hands a use of my company car. I'm looking for a good place to get an early start on backpacking and use if my new gear. Any suggestions on a good place that won't be too cold at night? I'm in SLC but could go down to Central UT (I'd rather stay as close as possible to SLC area). I've camped out by the river in San Rafael before and that was a nice location.

[Scott P]

Any suggestions on a good place that won't be too cold at night?

Define what you mean by "too cold". There are plenty of short backpacks near SLC, but it would be helpful if we know what kind of trip you are after. I assume you mean right now (early April) as well?

[tcope]

I'd like it to be no less then 35 at night... 40-45 would be just fine. Yup... right now.

[Scott P]

40-45 would be just fine. Yup... right now.

The St. George and Lake Powell ans sometimes Moab areas would normally be the only possibilities. Then again, those places are going to start getting quite hot (for hiking) in the afternoons by the end of the month. Even SLC itself has an average low of 38F in April:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut7598

Of course temperatures usually vary 10-15 degrees on either side of average.

Everywhere in Central Utah is usually colder at night than SLC.

Places like the San Rafael area usually prime in April, but normally it would be cooler at night than 40-45F.

[tcope]

Trail suggestions? A place in the SLC area is just fine. I don't know of any places not in the mountains.

[jfranchow]

You could check out the Silver Island Mountains. Perfect time of year for these. 2 hours out of Salt Lake. Many places to camp. If you carried all of your water, backpacking could be an option. Link here at Summitpost

[Scott P]

Trail suggestions? A place in the SLC area is just fine. I don't know of any places not in the mountains.

There are many possibities, but I wouldn't count on the nights in the 40-45F range for any of the listings below.

One excellent backpack is to hike from Swasey Point in the Dome Pass area to Dome Canyon Pass, passing by Tatow Knob and over Swasey Peak along the way. April is usually the best time of year to do it because it is much easier to do the route when there is a little snow around for water.

Closer to the SLC area, the crest of the Cedar Mountains can make a pretty good backpack, but they aren't as scenic as say the House Range. There are still petroglyphs and caves scattered about though.

Also close is the area on west side of Onaqui Peak in the northern Stansburys is an interesting place and would make a nice backpack. It would have snow up high though, but you can still explore around the lower elevations.

The Lakeside Mountains might be another choice, but there really aren't any places in the range that can't be seen by doing fairly short day hikes.

The following places usually melt out fairy early in the Spring and you could backpack them if you wish:

Malans Peak (near Ogden)
Dry Creek (right next to SLC)-we used to backpack this a lot when we were kids and I would assume it's still legal? You could go all the way to Black Mountain
Big Beacon (excellent views of the city lights at night)
Perkins Peak from the west (some bushwhacking to reach the highest peak, plus no campsites around that part, but the northern peaks don't have any bushwhaking and some nice campsites.
Grove Creek (near Pleasant Grove)
Curly Spring from Battle Creek (melts out very early in the spring, but water is available)
Slide Canyon to the first meadow (near Provo)

In a month there would be a lot more.

Anyway, places like the San Rafael or the Labyrinth Canyon country are prime in April for backpacking and aroun 3-4 hours from SLC.

Some of the nice backpacks that come to mind in the San Rafael Swell are as follows:

Cottonwood Wash
Spring/Nates Canyon
Virgin Springs/Cane Wash
North Salt Wash/Sids Mountain
Coal Wash (ATV's have messed up some of the areas that used to be pristine though)
Eardly Canyon
North Fork Iron Wash (it's definately short enough to do as a dayhike if you just do the main part, but there is lots to poke around and explore and I've backpacked it on several occasions)
Chimney Canyon
Upper Muddy Creek
Devils Canyon

Some of the nice backpacks in Labyrinth Canyon:

Three Canyon (can be done in one long day from the bottom)
Twomile Canyon/Frog/Lower Horseshoe Loop

Closer to SLC than those listed above is the Price River Woodside to Desolation Canyon. Now is a good time of year (especially if you stay on the north side of the river), but it's kind of average scenery wise, so it's not on anyone's best hike list. It still a deep canyon and has some nice petroglyphs and a few old cabins. It also has a nice srping with good water.

Of course if you are willing to travel a little farther, for example to places like the Robbers Roost Country, Moab area, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, etc., etc. then the possibilities are endless. Now is the prime time of the year to be in all those locations.