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Salt Lake City, Utah Brighton Lakes Trail, Big Cottonwood Canyon With 10,000-foot peaks within 20 minutes, Salt Lake City may very well be the easiest major American city to get out of, which is why it attracts a large population of outdoor-minded folk. (Depending on the season, you’ll see skis, bikes, or kayaks on top of those Subarus.) One beloved local hiking area is Big Cottonwood Canyon, 30 miles from downtown. Get Hiking: From the Brighton Ski Resort, follow the Brighton Lakes and Lake Mary trails to some of the wildest scenery near any American city: high-altitude wildflower meadows, three serene alpine lakes, a ring of ragged peaks surrounding the valley, and, if you make it just more than five miles to Sunset Peak, views over the canyons surrounding Salt Lake. Après Hike: Squatters Pub is a downtown favorite. Wash down locally made bratwurst with a pint of Captain Bastard’s Oatmeal Stout. More Info: Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (fs.fed.us) and Squatters Pub (squatters.com)

Photograph by Mike Schirf, Aurora Open/Alamy

Best U.S. Hiking Cities

America's Best Hiking Cities: With wild hikes within an hour, these 15 cities have some of the best outdoor access in urban America—and the only prerequisite for exploring is a pair of sneakers.

August 2, 2011