Everyone
Mill Creek Canyon hiking, picnic sites and dog friendly trails
Mill Creek Canyon climbs east from the Mount Olympus bench of Salt Lake City into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. A $5 daily vehicle pass provides canyon access, and Salt Lake County manages 10 group picnic areas and a winter yurt. Dogs run off leash on odd numbered days and stay leashed on even ones. From March 16 through December 14, 2026, the road, picnic areas and trailheads from Terraces east to Upper Big Water are closed to driving, walking and biking.
About the Millcreek Canyon
Mill Creek Canyon, listed on Google as Millcreek Canyon, cuts east into the Wasatch Range from the Mount Olympus bench of Salt Lake City. The road leaves Wasatch Boulevard at 3800 South and climbs past picnic grounds and trailheads into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The Salt Lake Ranger District manages the canyon, and Salt Lake County books its 10 group picnic areas and the winter yurt.
As of August 2026, entry costs $5 per vehicle per day, or $3 for seniors. An annual pass is $50, or $30 for seniors. Passes are sold only at the canyon tollbooth and no cash is accepted. Interagency and forest wide passes are not valid here. The tollbooth is staffed 10 am to 10 pm in summer and 10 am to 6 pm in winter, and picnic areas open at 8 am and close at 10 pm.
Seasons decide how far up you can drive. The winter gate above Maple Grove closes the upper road to vehicles on November 1, and the Forest Service map marks that stretch closed to vehicles from November 1 to July 1. Foot traffic continues, and the road is groomed weekly for cross country skiing and fat bikes. For 2026 the upper canyon is closed outright. Forest order 04-19-25-677 shuts the road, picnic areas and trailheads from Terraces east to Upper Big Water from March 16 to December 14, 2026, to walking and biking as well as driving, while a federal project rebuilds the upper 4.6 miles. Lower canyon trails, including Pipeline, stay open.
Dogs are welcome here, unlike Big Cottonwood Canyon just over the ridge, and the rule runs on an odd and even calendar. Dogs may be off leash on trails on odd numbered days and must be leashed everywhere in the canyon on even numbered days, with leashes required every day in picnic grounds, parking lots and on roads. Dogs and horses are barred from the protected watershed. Bikes take even numbered days on Big Water, Little Water and Great Western, ride Pipeline any day, and stay out of the Mount Olympus Wilderness.
The canyon includes several documented hiking routes. Grandeur Peak gains 2,299 feet over 3.4 miles, Pipeline runs 5.5 miles with 800 feet of change, and Desolation reaches 17.8 miles for a full day. Roadside picnic tables are first come, first served, and camping is backcountry only, at least half a mile off the road.
