Hike of the week: Holbrook Trail - Davis County

From the parking area, the trail drops to Holbrook Creek, which is flowing through a thick forest of scrub oaks. The sounds of flowing water, birds singing and dogs splashing in the creek make this a pleasant hike. One thing that isn't pleasant is patches of poison ivy. The ivy is close to the beginning of the trail, so keep a watchful eye out. With the trail staying close to the creek, there are many creek crossings to maneuver. These crossings challenge your balance as you make your way over logs and hopping rocks. You come to the first one quickly. I counted 13 crossings as I hiked in 3.5 miles. I would say the best times of the year to hike this trail are spring and fall. If spring runoff is high, avoid this trail. After the fourth creek crossing, the trail leaves the creek at .78 miles. You get a nice view of Holbrook Canyon, but it doesn't last long and the trail drops back down to the creek. Lush, tall ferns are growing along the trail at 1 mile and a sprinkling of conifers make an appearance in the scrub oaks. After 2 miles, the trail becomes very overgrown to the point of pushing shrubs away from your face. The hiking group decided it had enough and didn't want to continue on. We turned around. The ridgeline is another 1.5 miles from our turnaround. The view awaits you on top!

Directions: From Interstate 15, take the 400 North exit in Bountiful. Go east where the road leads into South Bountiful Boulevard. Follow the road past the Bountiful Temple, and the trailhead is just south of it.

Destination: Trail views

Difficulty: Moderate

Round trip: 7 miles

Hiking time: About 4 hours

Elevation gain: 1,890 ft.*

Trailhead restrooms: Yes

Dogs allowed: Yes