Hiking The Living Room Trail | Salt Lake City
Hiking to The Living Room is a pretty common and popular hike in this area. I went to the University of Utah (Go UTES!) and I would probably argue that hiking groups almost always include this one. It’s fairly simple and it sits super close to the Red Butte Garden and The Utah Museum of Natural History.
Why this hike?
The Living Room is great for dogs and for trail runners. It’s also great for beginner hikers and offers some GORGEOUS views of the valley. It is 2.1 miles round trip.The elevation gain, for the most part, is pretty gradual the whole way up. Depending on the year, you are either captivated by the lush vegetation or an array of orange, red, and yellow hues spreading across the mountain. I prefer the beauty of this place around October.
When consider taking the little-legged, I would recommend that little legs should be accustomed to uneven ground and large boulders before attempting this hike. I could see a lot of problems for unsteady walkers. There are two particular places that I can remember near the end where there is a steep incline, but it was short lived.
I’ve heard that when calculating the distance a child can go, take their age and divide in half and that will give you an estimate in miles. I have found that to be mostly true. I’ve also recently heard of a 4 year old hiking most of the way to King’s Peak. There are always exceptions.
Directions – When you lose the trail.
It is pretty common among first time Living Room hikers, and those of us with terrible memories, to lose the trail. The trail quickly meets up and intersects with a large dirt road (Bonneville Shoreline Trail). There are three trails and it’s the middle one of the three, and if you can’t tell there are three trails, there is also a sign labeled 174.
I’m not sure what 174 means, but it seems like a reliable enough marker. When you take that trail you will go up and deep into the canyon and up some more.
Also there are side trails that take off from this trail. I’m not sure where all those trails lead to, if they all go to the Living Room or not. If anything the side trails make you question if you are still on the right path. Here’s a tip, always choose the wider trail. The trail in a lot of places also has loose rocks and gravel, while these side trails are mostly just plain dirt. When in doubt, always choose the wider trail.
What is “the Living Room??
Once you get to the top, there are “sofas” or “chairs”. There is a visible seat and backing to the chair. I assume the “television” is the magnificent view of the valley.
Check out other photos on The Living Room Hike!
Direction to the Trailhead
You can use Google Maps to take you to the trail head.
As you drive up to both the Red Butte Garden and The Utah Museum of Natural History, you will get to a four-way stop and you will continue through it. Once you hit Colorow Rd, which is the road right before you go straight into Red Butte Garden and the Museum, the trail head is down the road some ways. Look for the section of road with lots of parked cars. There are a few cars parked alongside the road in this particular area, so that could help you too. You may think that you missed it after driving for some time, but then you’ll see a garbage bin on the east side of the road and a sign that tells you you’ve arrived to the trail head.
Park alongside the road and head up on the trail.
Tips for the Trail
- We went in the morning and found loads of trail runners. Please be courteous and give them appropriate space.
- We found LOTS of dogs on the trail too; which was great motivation for one of my twins who loves dogs, but hates to hike. Whenever we saw a dog, it seemed that his legs of lead magically transformed, and he ran pretty fast to pet the animal.
- It took my 3 year old twins, my 4 year old, and I 2 hours to get to the top and about one hour to get down. My twins just turned 3 too. A friend of mine took her 3 year old, almost 4 year old, and it sounded like they made it faster than I did and with a lot less difficulty too.
- When we went, it was very windy in some parts and my twins hate walking on uneven ground. The trail can be pretty rocky in some parts. Although there are portions of loose gravel, when I say rocky I don’t mean loose gravel but large boulders in the trail with jagged edges so my twins struggled in some parts and feared they would stumble and fall.
Hey! We are full-time
Hey! We are full-time travelers, and will be spending a week in Park City next month, followed by two weeks in Green River to visit Goblin Valley and Arches. This site has SO MANY great ideas! I wanted to ask for your must-see recommendations for either area. We have older kids (11, 13, 15) and love to hike, visit historical sites, and swim. We don't usually do expensive outings unless they are too amazing to miss. I would love any suggestions! Thanks so much!!!