2/1/2019: In Search of Emigration Mine

The Emigration Canyon Miner's Trail is a relatively easy year-round hike with gorgeous views, water for the pups to drink, and space for them to run.

The Deets

Name: Emigration Canyon Miner's Trail

Distance: 4.4 miles to the mine

Conditions: Packed snow, some postholing

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gained: 500ish feet

Perks: Off leash, water for the pups, great views, the nostalgic feeling of searching for treasure.

Drawbacks: No trash cans(at least in winter), no dog bags(other than the ones left hanging in the tree by some stellar fellow hiker), limited parking.

The Tails

The trail head is located 1.6 miles up Pinecrest Canyon Drive in Emigration Canyon. Parking is limited to 4-5 spaces, so you will want to make sure you're here early or on a weekday when things are less busy. Once parked, the trail begins to the left hand side of the lot. Go around the metal gate and head south on the trail paralleling the road.

A little less than .5 miles on the trail, you will come to a fork. To continue to the mine, take the right fork as it gains elevation and wraps around the south side the mountain.

The next mile or so provides great views of Emigration and parts of Parley's Canyons as you round the mountainside. I spent 30-45 minutes testing my new DJI Spark drone, as well as squeezing a little more of Duke's excess energy out as he chased it on the open hillside as we headed back to the trailhead.

At about 1.6 miles, the trail will turn north and you will begin trek to back into the canyon known as Brigham Fork. Keep an eye out for rock carvings from miners who walked the same path when it was used as a mining road.

At 1.9 miles, you will come to a running stream that was a welcome sight to the dogs. We spent another 30 minutes here playing with the drone and locating a cool little waterfall about 15 yards off the trail. It was a fun photo opportunity with the snow and ice against the rock and another nice surprise along the trail.

The last .3 miles did get slightly steeper, but was never strenuous. I crossed another stream to my left, and before I could even comprehend what I was coming upon, I saw one of the grandest Douglas Firs I've ever beheld.

This tree also protected a secret. After exploring the base of the rock formation behind its massive trunk, I located a small hole in the snow that concealed the barred-off opening to the mine.

Overall, this out & back hike took me right around 2.5 hours. Keep in mind, about half of that was time spent taking photos, videos, and letting the dogs do their thing. This is a very low stress hike to the mine, and can be made more difficult by climbing the ridge just beyond it. If you're looking for somewhere off leash, relatively close to SLC with great views, and a change to relive childhood adventure, this is your jam.