Bountiful and its neighbors fill the narrow strip of Davis County between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch, just north of Salt Lake City. The foothills above Bountiful hold a run of popular canyon hikes, from Elephant Rock to the waterfalls of Holbrook Canyon. The towns below have a free art center, a summer folk festival that has run for 50 years, a pioneer parade its organizers call the second largest in Utah, and a paved trail along the wetlands.
Lagoon is up the road in Farmington, and it has its own page. Layton, Kaysville and Farmington get a page of their own too. This page is Bountiful, Centerville, North Salt Lake, Woods Cross and West Bountiful.
From Provo
By car: OpenStreetMap routing puts North Salt Lake City Hall about 50 miles and 57 minutes from downtown Provo, Bountiful City Hall about 54 miles and 62 minutes, and Centerville City Hall about 56 miles and 64 minutes, all without traffic. By train: FrontRunner runs north past Salt Lake Central to Woods Cross station on 800 West and on to Farmington station, where the Legacy Parkway Trail begins. The foothill trailheads are well east of the tracks, so plan on a bus or a car for those. FrontRunner does not run on Sunday.
Before you go
Fall is the time for the canyons. The Forest Service singles out the autumn color in Mueller Park.
Summer festivals set the calendar. Handcart Days, the Fourth of July celebrations and Summerfest all fall between early July and early August. Handcart Days' 2027 dates are already set: July 16 and 17.
Saving a parade spot has rules. For Handcart Days, chairs cannot be set out along the route before 9 p.m. the night before unless someone is sitting in them.
Fifteen things to do in Bountiful and south Davis County
1. Mueller Park Trail and Elephant Rock
The Forest Service trail starts at the Mueller Park picnic area, which sits among maple and aspen along Mill Creek at 5,400 feet, and climbs gradually through forest. Elephant Rock, also called Big Rock, is about 3.5 miles up, where benches look out over Bountiful, the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island; the trail continues to Rudy's Flat, about 13 miles round trip in all. Hikers, runners, families and mountain bikers share it, and dogs are welcome on leash. Getting there: Mueller Park Road, at the top of 1800 South in Bountiful. Cost: Free to hike; the Forest Service charges a day-use fee for the picnic area. Season: Open all year, with snowshoes needed in winter; the Forest Service singles out the autumn color. Visit Utah's Elephant Rock trail guide
2. Holbrook Canyon
Davis County describes a wet hike that begins and ends with cascading waterfalls, following Holbrook Creek deep into the Sessions Mountains through lush, shady canyon. The trail crosses the creek seven or eight times on small bridges, so water shoes help, and it turns into bushwhacking the deeper you go. The county's warning is worth heeding: it is a long day, best for older children who are strong hikers, and its burrs torment dogs. Getting there: 747 South Bountiful Boulevard, just past the Bountiful Temple. Cost: Free. Season: Summer and fall; creek crossings get harder in spring runoff. Discover Davis's Holbrook Canyon guide
3. Bountiful Utah Temple grounds
The first temple in Davis County, dedicated in January 1995, sits high on Bountiful's east bench with a view across the valley to the Great Salt Lake. A water feature cascades down the east side, beneath the plaque reading Holiness to the Lord. There is no visitors' center, and only members with a current temple recommend go inside, but the grounds are open to walk. Getting there: 640 South Bountiful Boulevard; the Holbrook Canyon trailhead is just down the road. Cost: Free. Season: All year; the view is at its best near sunset.
4. The hike to the B
A stretch of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail climbs to the big "B" on the mountainside above Bountiful. Strong hikers can keep going: Bountiful City's guided hike in June 2026 made a 7-mile loop from the B to Holbrook Canyon, with about 1,200 feet of climbing. Getting there: The B parking lot, 820 North Eagle Ridge Drive. Cost: Free. Season: Easiest from spring through fall.
5. North Canyon Trail
A moderate trail of about 3.6 miles in Bountiful's North Canyon, open all year, with dogs allowed on leash. For a bigger day, Bountiful City's July 2026 guided hike went from the North Canyon trailhead to Cave Peak, 7 miles with a stiff climb and wide summit views. Getting there: The North Canyon trailhead on Canyon Creek Road in Bountiful. Cost: Free. Season: All year.
6. Bountiful Davis Art Center
Davis County's community art center has been running since 1974 and has had its home on Main Street since 2015. Its four gallery spaces are always free, with a new run of exhibitions each year, and it holds a free Family Art Night once a month. Getting there: 90 North Main Street. Cost: Free. Season: All year; the galleries have been open Tuesday through Saturday, so check the hours before you go. The Bountiful Davis Art Center
7. Summerfest
The art center's free folk and heritage arts festival fills Bountiful City Park for two days each August, with live music and cultural performances, artist vendors and demonstrations, food trucks, family activities and workshops. It has been running for 50 years; the 2026 festival was August 7 and 8, noon to 8 p.m. Getting there: Bountiful City Park, 400 North 200 West. Cost: Free. Season: Early August.
8. Handcart Days
Bountiful's pioneer celebration runs over a Friday and Saturday in late July. The Friday brings games, food and a concert in Bountiful City Park; the Saturday starts with a race and a 9 a.m. parade down Main Street, which organizers call the second largest in Utah, then more park activities and a 10 p.m. fireworks show at Mueller Park Junior High. In 2026 it was July 24 and 25; 2027 is set for July 16 and 17. Getting there: Bountiful City Park, 200 West 400 North; the fireworks are at 955 East 1800 South. Cost: The parade and fireworks are free. Season: Late July. Handcart Days
9. South Davis Recreation Center
The recreation district's center serves Bountiful, Centerville, North Salt Lake, Woods Cross and West Bountiful, with pools (including an outdoor pool in summer), an ice rink, a gym, an indoor track, a climbing wall and racquetball courts. It also sponsors the Handcart Days race. Getting there: 550 North 200 West, Bountiful. Cost: Day admission. Season: Open all year; check the district's schedule for public swim and skate times.
10. Bountiful Pond
A small lake on the valley floor with fishing piers, a boat ramp, wildlife viewing areas, picnic spots and restrooms, ringed by a 1.3-mile path that is paved nearly all the way, with interpretive signs. Dogs are welcome on leash, and the Legacy Parkway Trail passes close by. Getting there: 1275 West 1600 North, Woods Cross. Cost: Free; fishing requires a Utah license. Season: All year.
11. Legacy Parkway Trail
A paved trail of about 13 miles beside the Legacy Parkway, from North Salt Lake to Farmington station, with no street crossings, restrooms and drinking fountains along the way, and views of the mountains, farmland and the wetlands' migratory birds. It connects to the Legacy Nature Preserve and briefly shares its route with the Denver and Rio Grande Western Trail in Centerville. Getting there: The south end is the Center Street trailhead, 1100 West Center Street, North Salt Lake; the north end is behind Farmington's FrontRunner station. Cost: Free. Season: All year.
12. Foxboro Wetlands Trail
A paved 1.5-mile loop around a natural wetland in North Salt Lake's Foxboro neighborhood, with dogs allowed on leash. It connects to the Legacy Parkway Trail for a longer outing. Getting there: Foxboro Drive, North Salt Lake. Cost: Free. Season: All year.
13. Parrish Sunset Trail
A short, steep Centerville trail of about three-quarters of a mile that stays in full sun until the top, where it opens onto the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island and, as the name promises, the sunset. Nearby, the Parrish Canyon Trail connects to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Getting there: 400 North in Centerville. Cost: Free. Season: All year; on summer evenings, bring water, since there is no shade until the end.
14. Centerville Freedom Festival
Centerville's own Fourth of July, not to be confused with Provo's: a 5K Freedom Run, a parade down Main Street, an art and quilt show, and a Party in the Park at Community Park with a concert and fireworks at dusk. In 2026 the week opened on June 30 with a children's market and the concert was Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band. Getting there: Community Park, 1350 North 400 West, Centerville; the parade runs along Main Street. Cost: The parade and fireworks are free to watch. Season: The days leading up to July 4.
15. West Bountiful's Independence Day
West Bountiful celebrates the night before everyone else, with a carnival, food trucks, live music and fireworks at City Park on July 3; in recent years a flag raising at City Hall and a parade have followed on the morning of the Fourth. Getting there: West Bountiful City Park. Cost: The fireworks and parade are free to watch. Season: July 3 and 4.
Related Guides
- Things to Do in Layton, Kaysville and Farmington, Utah, From Provo
- Lagoon From Provo
- Things to Do in Salt Lake City, From Utah Valley
- Things to Do in Murray and Midvale, Utah, From Provo
- Taking FrontRunner From Provo
- Dog-Friendly Hikes Near Provo
- The Freedom Festival in Provo
Frequently Asked Questions
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