Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — If you are looking for a quick escape from downtown and an exceptional view of the Salt Lake Valley, the “Living Room” hike has you covered.
The trailhead for the Living Room is located at 319 Colorow Drive, and hikers can park on the sides of the road. The trail begins as hard-packed dirt and winds through scrub oak trees just south of the Natural History Museum and Red Butte Garden. You may feel weird hiking on a trail that runs adjacent to several buildings for the first half mile, but don’t worry— it becomes more remote eventually.
Follow that dirt trail until it hits the main service road that runs north and south near the Natural History Museum. Turn right and continue along that dirt road, moving away from the Natural History Museum. Follow that main service road until you see a yellow No. 174 sign. Turn left and follow that trail up towards the mountain in an area called Georges Hollow.
Now, this is where it gets tricky. There are no markers or signs to signify where the Living Room is and there are multiple hiking and biking trails that split off from this point. You can follow the trails that split off to the left and continue up the mountain in a steeper, more direct route. These trails eventually lead you to the top of the ridgeline and you can hike along the ridgeline for about 1 mile until you reach the Living Room area. However, this route is very steep and rocky and the trail is not always clearly defined, so I don’t recommend taking this route.
You should continue to the right and follow the main dirt trail that heads into the draw and goes into the canyon. Follow this main dirt path along the bottom of the draw and keep taking the right trail each time it forks. It eventually leads you to the spine of the ridge and comes out on top. Continue hiking along this same trail along the ridgeline and eventually the trail leads you left and you begin the steeper ascent up the mountain.
At 1.5 miles, you will have reached the Living Room area, so named because of the chair-shaped rocks that overlook the Salt Lake Valley. It is very distinct and there are several cairns piled up near the end of the trail to mark the area. There is also a lamp, fake plant, throw pillow and a TV remote on several of the “chairs.”
Sit down, relax and watch the gorgeous view of Salt Lake City from the Living Room.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 3 miles roundtrip
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours
