One of the benefits of where I live is that I have mountains all around me. There are plenty of places to go hiking without having to drive for hours to get there. This last weekend I got to go hiking with my favorite people up to a place called Primrose Overlook in American Fork Canyon. On a clear day, you can see from the high Uinta Mountains to Provo Canyon, including Deer Creek and Sundance Ski Resort. It’s a beautiful view and worth your efforts.
We’ve hiked this area in both summer and fall. If there is enough snow, it can be accessible in the winter and spring by snowmobile, however, you may want to check with the Forest Service to see what the conditions are. The road itself is closed in winter and spring. In summer, there are quite a few bugs, so wear bug spray if you don’t want bites. In fall, it can get chilly, but you don’t deal with the bugs. This area can get pretty busy on a weekend, so go early. Weekdays are much quieter.
Changing Leaves 
Primrose Overlook 
Horse Flat Trail 
Horse Flat Trail 
Horse Flat Trail 
Tiger Moth Caterpillar
Trailhead: Alpine Summit parking area
Directions: Going counter-clockwise around the loop, follow the Horse Flat Trail (it’s marked, but stay left at forks) until you reach the 3rd meadow by Horse Spring. This meadow will have a fork in the trail. Take the right fork. This will take you up one of the steepest parts of the trail and out to the overlook. The left fork takes you past Horse Spring, which is a metal trough with water flowing into it through a pipe. If you get here, you missed the trail to the overlook. You will, however, walk back this way to finish the loop. Follow this trail down to Lame Horse Trail and turn left. This will take you back to the parking area. (See map below)
Distance: 3.6 miles
Elevation Gain: about 985 feet
Difficulty: Moderate. Though mostly easy going and fairly flat, there are some pretty steep parts. Children should be fine, but you may need to let them take some breaks on the steep parts.