Someone stacked rocks into chairs and a sofa on a ridge above Salt Lake City. People have been hiking up to sit in them ever since. That’s the Living Room Trail, and it’s one of the better ideas the Wasatch foothills have produced.

The Living Room Trail climbs 1,000 feet over 2.3 miles round trip through the Foothills Natural Area above the University of Utah campus, ending at a collection of natural sandstone formations arranged over decades into what genuinely resembles outdoor furniture. The view from the living room looks west over the full Salt Lake Valley, the Great Salt Lake, and the Oquirrh Mountains. It’s one of the most popular evening hike destinations in the city for a reason. Sunrise is exceptional. Sunset over the Great Salt Lake from those rock chairs is one of the better views per effort ratio in the state. My brain finds the short, punchy gain of a foothill trail more useful than a longer gradual climb. Two miles of switchbacks at this pitch clears things out efficiently.

Here’s what you need to hike the Living Room Trail.

Quick Facts

How to Get There

From downtown Salt Lake City, head east on 400 South, which becomes Foothill Drive. Turn right onto Wakara Way and follow it to Colorow Road. The trailhead is at the end of Colorow Road, near the Natural History Museum of Utah. Drive time from downtown is 10 to 15 minutes. The trailhead shares access with the Big Beacon (Mount Wire) Trail, so the parking area serves both.

Parking Information

Street parking along Colorow Road and nearby side streets. Free, but limited. The area is shared with the Natural History Museum and Red Butte Garden so midday weekend parking is competitive. Arrive before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to avoid the crunch. No restrooms at the trailhead. The museum and garden facilities are nearby. Check posted signs for time limits and residential restrictions before leaving your vehicle.

Cell Service and Navigation

Cell service is generally solid at the trailhead and lower sections given the urban proximity. It can weaken on the upper exposed switchbacks. Download your map offline through AllTrails as a backup. The trail is well-marked. The Living Room rock formations are the obvious destination and visible from the ridge before you reach them. Weather on the exposed upper section builds faster than the short mileage suggests. Check the forecast. Afternoon thunderstorms in summer develop quickly on this open terrain.

What to Expect on the Living Room Trail

The Switchbacks

The trail starts from Colorow Road and immediately climbs through scrub oak and sagebrush on switchbacks. The views open within the first quarter mile. Salt Lake City spreads below. The Wasatch peaks rise behind you. The switchbacks are well-graded but consistent. There’s no flat section to recover on. Wildflowers hit the lower meadow margins in spring and early summer. The trail is fully exposed in the upper sections, so sun and wind both make their presence known.

The Living Room

The rock formations appear at the summit ridge. Flat sandstone pieces have been arranged over time into chairs, a couch, and a coffee table configuration that hikers have maintained and added to for decades. The formations aren’t marked on any official map. You’ll know them when you see them. Sit down. The view west is the full Salt Lake Valley panorama with the Great Salt Lake and Oquirrh Mountains beyond. Sunset turns the lake surface gold. That’s the shot most people come for and it earns the hike every time.

Trail Difficulty and Length

The Living Room Trail is 2.3 miles roundtrip with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Moderate is the accurate rating for fit hikers. The gain is steady and the exposed switchbacks make it feel more demanding than the mileage suggests on warm days. Budget 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The descent is faster but demands attention on the rocky upper sections. This is a good trail for building foothill fitness before tackling longer Wasatch hikes.

Dog Friendly?

Yes. Dogs are welcome on leash throughout the Foothills Natural Area. The exposed switchbacks heat up fast in summer. Bring more water than you think your dog needs. Start early to beat peak heat. The rocky summit area requires some management with a dog on the formations but nothing that makes it impractical for a trail-experienced animal.

What to Bring

At least 1.5 liters of water per person despite the short distance. The exposed gain drains you faster than valley walks. Sunscreen and a hat for the open switchbacks and summit. Trail shoes with grip for the rocky upper sections. A camera for the summit views, specifically the westward valley panorama and the living room formations themselves. A wide-angle lens handles the full valley spread. For sunset photography, a tripod captures the Great Salt Lake as the light drops. A wind layer for the summit ridge even on warm evenings.

Best Time to Hike the Living Room Trail

Spring (April through June) and fall (September through October) are the strongest windows for the overall experience. The lower trail wildflowers are excellent in May. Fall brings clear air and sharp valley views. Summer works best early morning before the exposed switchbacks heat up. The Living Room is also a popular sunset destination year-round. Winter keeps the trail accessible in most conditions but ice on the upper rocky sections requires microspikes for safe footing on the descent.

For photography, the two best windows are sunrise and sunset. Sunrise catches the first light on the Wasatch peaks from the summit. Sunset from the living room formations, with the Great Salt Lake turning gold to the west, is the signature shot. A wide-angle lens handles the full panorama. A polarizing filter cuts glare off the lake surface. Arrive 30 minutes before your target light window to get positioned.

Rules and Regulations

The Living Room Trail is in the Salt Lake City Foothills Natural Area, managed by Salt Lake City Public Lands. No fee, no permit required. Stay on designated trails to prevent erosion on the steep switchback terrain. Shortcutting switchbacks is prohibited and causes serious hillside damage. Dogs on leash. Pack out everything. The rock formations at the summit are not officially managed but have been maintained by hikers for decades. Leave them as you find them. Check the Salt Lake City Public Lands website for any current trail closures or fire restrictions before heading out.

Where to Stay Near Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has full lodging coverage within 10 to 15 minutes of the trailhead. For hotel points check Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards, and Hilton Honors. The University area and Avenues neighborhood have boutique lodging within walking distance of the trailhead.

Camping Nearby

No camping in the Foothills Natural Area. Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, 20 to 30 minutes south, have established campgrounds through recreation.gov. Redman Campground in Big Cottonwood and Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood are the closest established options. Both fill fast in summer.

Nearby Adventures

The Foothills Natural Area has strong options clustered around the same trailhead zone. Big Beacon (Mount Wire) Trail shares the Colorow Road access and climbs to the Mount Wire summit at 4.5 miles and 2,100 feet of gain, a step-up from the Living Room for hikers ready for a harder day. Jack’s Mountain is 2.5 miles with 1,300 feet of gain in the same Foothills Natural Area. Avenue Twin Peaks (4.0 mi / 1,600 ft) and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail offer additional foothill mileage from access points along the same ridge system.

The Natural History Museum of Utah is literally at the trailhead and worth a post-hike hour. Red Butte Garden is adjacent with maintained botanical gardens and good valley views that make for a solid recovery walk. The University of Utah campus is walkable from the trailhead with coffee and food options close to the parking area.

Plan This Hike

AllTrails has the Living Room Trail with a downloadable map and recent user conditions. Checking recent reports is useful for understanding current parking availability and trail conditions on the upper rocky sections, particularly in winter and early spring.

View on Alltrails

AllTrails Pro is worth it for offline maps and the broader foothill trail network if you’re planning to extend the Living Room into a longer ridge day via the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Chase the Quiet

Someone took the time to arrange rocks into furniture on a ridge above the city. That detail is funnier and more human than most things on the Wasatch Front. Sitting in a stone chair 1,000 feet above Salt Lake City at sunset with the Great Salt Lake going orange behind the Oquirrhs is one of those moments that earns the repetition. I’ve been up there more times than I can count. It’s still good.

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Theo Maynard is a landscape photographer and adventure blogger based in Salt Lake City. He chases remote desert and mountain light across the American West, documents it all solo, and shares the journey through Unicorn Adventure. He’s on the autism spectrum, and that’s not a footnote, it’s the whole story. He creates to inspire others to get outside, chase what lights them up, and live the