Alien Tower Trail

The Alien Tower rewards you with 360° views of both Utah County and the Salt Lake Valley from a beautiful spot in Draper. It’s 2.5 miles roundtrip and a steady incline on the way there, but not too steep. It’s a wide trail; totally doable by kids young and old, depending on how quickly you need to hike. It’s wide enough that an all-terrain stroller could probably manage it with a little help in a couple of rocky spots. There is no shade, so it’s best to hike this trail in the cooler months or in the mornings or evenings when it’s not quite so hot. We hiked it for the first time the day after a big thunderstorm and it was breathtaking with stunning clouds and views for miles. In the summer you can also see lots of wildflowers. The Alien Tower itself if a pyramid-shaped structure that was obviously built by aliens (according to our kids). I honestly don’t know what it’s for; maybe for surveying? Or an art installation? The trail starts at at the end of Deer Ridge Rd; way up Suncrest in Draper. If you’re using Google Maps or another GPS app to get you there, enter “Deer Ridge Offleash Dog Trailhead” into your search On the trail itself, there are a couple of forks in the trail; stay to the left on the way to the tower and you’ll go the most direct route. Turning right will bring you back to the original trail, but it can be a little steeper.