Ensign Peak Park

Gorgeous view, close to town. Great thing to do in SLC if you just have a day and want an awesome view.

The views from of SLC are great. It does get very windy though so bring some type of jacket and the hike up will certainly break a sweat.

Pretty easy short hike. First part paved, the rest dirt/​rock. Beautiful views from the top and rest stops along the way. Trail clearly marked so you don’t get lost. Definitely worth the hike!

A must for anyone wanting an amazing view of the city. The hike isn’t bad at all. Deducted a star because it seemed like this place really needed some attention. The trail up seemed eroded really badly and there was a a bit of graffiti. Even with those things, I’d recommend.

I am here in SLC for only 3 days and am so glad I did this hike! It’s really short and just north of the capital building. While up there you get to see the entire city from the University, Temple Square, the airport, Antelope Island and so much more! The grade is pretty steep so watch out for loose gravel.

It’s beauty knows no equal. The vista is so stunning that words cannot do it justice and the arduous hike is quickly forgotten.
I am up here making a business call with the beauty of what God has created unfolded in front of me.
Stress begone!

What a wonderful short hike, so close to the downtown area. Located uphill right behind the State building. Definitely worth it. Breathtaking view from the summit.
Easy to find. No need for GPS. Parking on the street. No problem.

My boyfriend and I «hike» Ensign’s almost weekly just because he thinks it’s cool and he loves feeling like he’s in the mountains, but he isn’t much of a hiker. Ensign’s offers a great view of the Salt Lake Valley, especially downtown. Memorial Day was fun, because we could see all the fireworks til the point of the mountain in Draper from here. It’s more of a steep walk than a hike, and my little Chihuahua-​Yorkie mix loves the walk, and does not get too worn out from the approximate mile long «hike» the way she does with other steeper and longer peaks in the area. Great for locals and tourists alike, and a good activity for dates, family nights, or to get some solitude.

This is a great hike for beginners like me — it’s short (just under a mile, I believe) but challenging enough to make you work to reach the top because the majority of the hike is uphill.
It offers two phenomenal views:
1 — From the back, just a little ways from the very top you can overlook the Great Salt Lake and the majority of the valley surrounding it.
2 — If you hike to the very top, there is possibly one of the best views you can get of Salt Lake City, including a great angle of the Capitol building and the Salt Lake temple.
Amazing.

Ensign Peak is a classic Salt Lake City «hike». It’s just short of a mile round trip, a decent amount of uphill, and a great view of the city and valley. It takes most under an hour to get there, enjoy the view, and get back to the car.
The monuments and flags and such at the park are nice, but I can’t imagine anyone comes here for that. There are a couple geocaches around here as well, if you’re into that.
We’ve done it with kids, grandparents, everyone. It’s not a hard hike and is perfect for taking people that «really like to hike» that can’t go more than a mile.

Cool city hike with an awesome view. I was glad to go in early spring, because there was quite a bit of traffic. The dogs had fun also considering it’s fairly steep.

very interesting to read about the history. we actually accidentally found this place while looking for a place to park to take pictures of downtown salt lake. we weren’t able to complete the hike since we were not prepared and did not have the proper footwear, but we plan on returning to do it. i bet it’s a gorgeous view at night when downtown salt lake is lit up.

The iconic view on top of Ensign Peak is not to be missed, and will become a staple destination for our out-​of-​town guests. Supposedly it is the vantage point on which Brigham Young and the founding Mormon fathers surveyed the valley and planned their future city.
This is a short hike, maxing out at a little over a mile, round trip, if you swing by Vista Mound on the way up or down. It’s a great place to take a visitor, because the views of the city up here are incredible. You can see the whole valley and surrounding mountains in one shot. You could tour the Capitol building and then hike this peak to see it from above. Another great idea would be to climb up with a tapas picnic and enjoy the sunset with dinner.
While the length makes this hike easy, it is a relatively steep climb on a dirt path from 5,100−5,400 feet. Toddlers would do best in backpacks and people with asthma, heart conditions or disabilities might not make it all the way to the top. Vista Mound is on the lower half of the hike and offers a good alternative and sweeping views for those who don’t wish to go all the way up. Dogs are allowed on leashes.
We parked right off the street on Ensign Vista Drive, easy-​peasy. The only thing I’d do differently is next time I won’t hike it during the height of the noontime sun in mid-​July. There isn’t much shade to be had on the trail, though there are a few nooks under trees with rocks to sit on and rest.

The hike up to Ensign Peak is rather short, compared to other hikes, but felt a bit longer than the distance states probably because of the incline up. Once you get up there, it’s beautiful. You can see all of Salt Lake Valley, the city and all its surroundings. It was so worth it and I kind of wish we went back a second time. Great exercise, breathtaking view and an all around peaceful place to be.

A short, but pretty vertical, hike starting above the Capitol that leads you to a historical marker showing one of the first survey spots of the valley once the Mormon pioneers decided «this is the place.» And you’ll see why — views of the entire valley, of the lake, of the airport, of the mountains, of the university, of the city, of the giant streets, of the suburbs… you can see everything, and it only takes 20 – 30 minutes to get up there! It’s such an easy way to (a) get a little exercise in (b) show newcomers or visitors to the city the city’s layout and features, and give them a lay of the land, and © check out awesome views.
A few notes:
(1) In the spring or fall, or after a rain, the trail can get muddy. And I mean MUDDY. Even though this is a short, «urban» hike, you might need boots. (I’ve ruined more than one pair of shoes on the hike).
(2) It can be kind of hard to find. Take state street to up to the capitol, turn right when you have to at the capitol and go around the east side of the building. Then go straight (don’t turn on the north side of the capitol). Drive straight until you hit the gated community, then turn left onto Ensign Vista Road. Take that until you get to the park.
(3) There are lots of trails, official and unofficial, surrounding the park. Great for trail running and exploring if 20 minutes isn’t enough hiking for you. Also great for teenagers to get away from their parents. You’ve been warned. :)

Holy crap, if you are from a sea level location like me (Boston) you will be majorly sucking wind getting up to Ensign Peak. That said, once you finally do reach the top (sweaty, winded, and grumpy) it will all be worth it. On a clear day like we had, the views are breathtaking. What a fantastic way to see the city! While I cursed the hike on the way up AND down, I’m still really glad we did it.

I will admit that I am a little biased on this place. It is on my route at the top of Capitol Hill. There is a decent amount of parking on the street and in the church lot (Not on Sunday). It is a short walk to the top. Well what I consider short anyway, 30 minutes or so. There are several spots to stop along the way and take pictures and rest if you are older or out of shape.
When you get to the top there are awesome views of the SLC valley. You can see, on a clear day, from Magna to Herriman to Point of the Mountain to Cottonwood Canyon to The U of U. On the north end you can see from the airport clear past Bountiful.
It is more crowded on the weekend and pretty empty during the week. Go early in the summer to avoid the heat. Great place at sunset. Occasionally there will be a scout troop here.
The whole neighborhood has great views although some of the people get a little angry at tourists dumping trash on the curb. Clean up after yourself and it’s fine. I love delivering up here. If you see me stop and say hello.

The hike to the top of the peak might only be half a mile, but when you add that to a walk from the State Capitol, it turns into a solid four mile round-​trip jaunt, half of which is seemingly straight up the mountainside and meandering through residential streets with nary a sidewalk in sight.
That being said, this is a spot that’s not to be missed and certainly worth the extended walk to the trailhead if you’re car-​less. Just take Capitol Boulevard straight up the mountain until you see the flagpoles where the street dead-​ends. As other reviews have mentioned, there’s no designated parking, but there were plenty of street spaces available on the gorgeous Sunday afternoon I made the hike.
And what a hike it is. Short, yes, but pretty steep. I would recommend hiking boots or really grip-​y athletic shoes, as the path has significant erosion and is partially covered in fine gravel. Don’t be misled by the signs that indicate a route to the scenic vista — you want the peak. And once you make it to the peak, the panoramic views will take your breath away. You can absolutely understand why it was this view that led Brigham Young to settle this valley– it’s phenomenal.

Why does this place only have 3 reviews?!
I moved here from California about 8 months ago and since then I’ve heard at least 5 different people telling me to take this amazing hike.
A short (but steep) hike with great rewards at the top! I googled ‘ensign peak trail head’ and found easy directions. The trail head is in the middle of a neighborhood with no designated parking lot besides parking alongside houses. A well paved, but rocky, 30 minute hike up. Hiking shoes not necessary, but a pair athletic shoes would suffice!
I recommend googling when sunset is and head up a hour prior. A smart couple who were already at the top were sitting in camping chairs enjoying sandwiches as the sun came down, I’m definitely going to have to do that next time!
This hike is a great way to get an amazing view under an hour round trip (not including the 30 min spent enjoying the view and taking tons of pictures!)

Nice short hike to get great views of the city. Trailhead is easy to find, and the views at the top are amazing, especially at sunset. Expect to take a half hour up and down to walk the well marked trails.