Bowman Fork Trail

Bowman Fork Trail is located in Millcreek Canyon just east of Salt Lake City. This is secretly one of the best wildflower hikes in northern Utah. It may not match the vast fields of flowers at Alta, but the variety of species here is incredible. There are several nice lookout spots along the way that allow views up the canyon toward the backside of Gobbler's Knob and Mount Raymond. The trail forks at the end, and you can continue to Alexander Basin or all the way up to Baker Pass and eventually to Gobbler's Knob. The trail is shaded along most of the journey, and because it is on the south side of the canyon it is a great hike for hot summer days. Lots of hummingbirds and butterflies can be seen darting around in the summer months. It is a steep and steady trail just like most in the Wasatch, but not unusually so. The trail starts off with a fork off of the Terraces hike in Millcreek, and it can be accessed from the same parking lot. Both of these hikes are less traveled than many others in this canyon, and both are nice options on busy weekend days. The parking lot is located a short drive up a side road, but it can still fill up quickly, so the lots along the main road are for overflow. The walk up adds a quarter mile each way and 200 feet of elevation gain. Dogs are allowed at all times, and they can be off leash on odd-numbered calendar days.