Ensign Peak at Dawn: Best Short Hike in Any City

Less than a mile from the trailhead on Ensign Vista Drive to the summit. Ten minutes from downtown. 400 feet of gain through scrub oak and sagebrush. Best view-to-effort ratio of any urban hike in America. I'll stand by that.

South: the grid of Salt Lake City, temple spires catching first light, valley stretching forty miles. West: the Great Salt Lake, flat and silver, Antelope Island rising from it like a mirage that committed. East: the Wasatch Front, granite and snow, turning pink at dawn in a way no filter can touch.

Go at dawn. The light show on the Wasatch is the reason. The trail is empty at six; by noon the lot is full of people who missed the point. Spring and fall ideal. Free, dogs welcome on leash. The elevation (5,400 feet) and dry air dehydrate you faster than expected — bring water even for a short hike.