Skiing through Spruces is one of my favorite winter activities!
Spruces Campground up Big Cottonwood Canyon just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah is one of my favorite places to go! It’s one of the best places for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and has lots of access to backcountry ski routes. When the snow falls, it’s one of the most gorgeous places in all of Utah (in my humble opinion). If you’re looking for a weekend activity, or something small to do during the week, check out the trails at Spruces!
Cross-Country Skiing at Spruces
The cross country ski track runs through the whole campground, and is about 4 miles in total, if you do every inch of track. There are multiple areas to loop around and redo, and you can join up with the upper and lower tracks at any time. Make sure to check out TUNA (The Utah Nordic Alliance) for all grooming/track updates! They generally will groom it every day or every other day. If you’re interested in renting cross-country skies, REI has great rates!
Snowshoeing at Spruces
Snowshoeing is also a fun activity, and is much more recommended over ‘hiking’ it without snowshoes – we fell pretty deep when we were walking through and didn’t have any snowshoes! There are also dedicated snowshoe tracks, and there’s also access to Donut Falls through Spruces Campground.
Backcountry Skiing from Spruces
Aside from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, there are plenty of backcountry skiing routes that start at Spruces, or across the road from the parking lot at Spruces. Make sure to check the Utah Avalanche Center for updates regarding closures of backcountry skiing at Big Cottonwood Canyon, and always remember to ski with a buddy or in groups. Also make sure you are beeping!
Spruces is one of the most beautiful areas! If you’re in the Salt Lake City area during wintertime, you must check it out. It’s quite the experience!
I’ll see you on the next one!
Parting shot:
Next blog: Food it is! Perhaps.
Justin Fague 