Hike of the week: The Living Room — Salt Lake County

At the trailhead, the trail heads east into scrub oaks toward the Shoreline Trail. There are small patches of poison ivy before the Shoreline Trail, so keep a watchful eye out. At .25 mile you arrive at the Shoreline Trail; go right. Follow the trail south and watch for a trail split. Both trails are wide and well-used. Take the left split. Not very far along the trail you see another wide trail on the left; take it heading north. This trail leads into Georges Hollow. At the mouth of Georges Hollow are many trail splits and it's confusing as to which one is correct. All you really need to do is stay on the trail to the right, which follows the drainage of Georges Hollow for a while, then veers left for the ridgeline. At .85 miles the trail opens on the ridgeline to views of the valley. From here the trail follows the spine of the ridge to the Living Room junction. The junction isn't posted. You arrive at the junction at 1.15 miles into the hike, then go left. The trail smooths out as you traverse the mountainside to the Living Room. At 1.28 miles you arrive at the Living Room. Stone chairs invite you to sit and relax. Kick back and enjoy the view!

Directions: From the intersection with Foothill Drive, head east on Sunnyside Avenue. Go left onto Arapeen Drive to Chipeta Way. Go right on Chipeta Way, turn right onto Colorow Drive. Follow Colorow Drive around to the trailhead by the side of the road.

Destination: Valley views

Difficulty: Moderate

Round trip: 2.5 miles

Hiking time: 2 hours

Elevation gain: 1,010 ft.

Trailhead restrooms: No

Dogs allowed: Yes, on leash

e-mail: sbaker@desnews.com