American Fork Canyon Snowshoeing

When winter comes to Utah, it can be a happy and sad time for many people. This means cold, wet, dark, and no more outside activities for many people. However, this can also mean, cold, wet, dark, and more time in the mountains! There are so many different hiking trails to do in the summertime in Utah, and when winter comes, its no different. Instead, these trails turn into cross country ski trials, snowshoeing trails, and ski trails! As mentioned in the Cotopaxi event article, it is important to have the right gear while participating in any outdoor winter activity in Utah. So, if you are new to the area, be sure to get your gear before heading up the mountains!

I am an avid skier and snowshoe person. When I heard about this event, I was super excited! Be sure to note, events like snowshoeing with guides, are pretty much available from December until end of March (as long as there is still snow) just check online at any of the following resorts in Utah and you can register for a variety of snowshoeing adventures: Sundance, Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude, Canyons, Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Powder Mountain, and Snowbasin. These resorts/areas all have their own Nordic centers and you can sign up for days/times to snowshoe. Sometimes, you can also just head up the mountain and snowshoe on your own by finding a hiking trail. If you need snowshoe rentals, I highly recommend BYU Outdoors Unlimited. They are often cheaper to rent here, and anyone can rent (you don’t have to be a BYU student).

They have high quality gear and they show you how to put it on. I have found its way cheaper than renting snowshoes with the Nordic Centers most times. But check both prices before you go. They also have snowfall and snow amount information for you to decide which resort is the best for you.

I went snowshoeing up American Fork Canyon. I cant remember the name of the trail, but I definitely did the easier one towards the entrance of the canyon because it was my first snowshoe trip of the year! There are varying levels of difficulty when it comes to snowshoeing and trails. Typically, the flatter ones are easier. Just like hiking. My husband and I were the only ones on the trail for awhile.

We could tell that it was a highly used trail though because there was a lot of older snowshoeing tracks as well as cross country skiing tracks. The trail was well kept and was super easy. My husband had never been snowshoeing before, and he loved it! He also really liked how easy the trail was for snowshoeing for his first time.

The snowshoeing trip itself was super quiet and peaceful. There was several feet of snow and it was perfect weather. Beaware, you might have to buy a pass into the Wasatch forest, but we were able to get in for free since it was after business hours.