





+ 151
Mount Wire Loop
Hiking Trail
Details
3.93 mi
2,175 ft
Quick suburban hike to a low summit.
Mount Wire, aka Big Beacon, is a prominent foothill on the Wasatch Front. From the summit, you can look down directly onto downtown and enjoy views of the skyline.
The route mapped here makes a loop of Mount Wire, tagging Red Butte along the way. It ascends Red Butte via the Living Room trail, and then descends straight off the top of Mount Wire. While you can make a more direct ascent of the mountain, turning this hike into a loop means that you’ll enjoy new scenery around every corner!
The trails up and down Mount Wire can be steep and rocky, but this is a relatively non-technical climb, and a good way to build fitness.
Spring is hands-down the best time to bag Mount Wire. "Generally, the spring flowers are in full splendor from mid-May to mid-June,” according to [RoadTripRyan]( "If you happen to time it right, the hillsides are a veritable carpet of color,” he continues.
MrWasatch concurs on []( by saying, "while Mt. Wire is a relatively low elevation peak, it is an outstanding spring hike of over 2,000 vertical feet with incredible views in every direction, rampant wildflowers, and wildlife that includes the occasional rattlesnake or mountain lion. In most years the peak can be hiked free of snow in April, and is an excellent 'tune up' for the bigger mountains."
If you want to add on a little extra challenge and about 25 more feet of vertical, there’s an old airway beacon tower on top of the mountain that you can climb.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Mount Wire, aka Big Beacon, is a prominent foothill on the Wasatch Front. From the summit, you can look down directly onto downtown and enjoy views of the skyline.
The route mapped here makes a loop of Mount Wire, tagging Red Butte along the way. It ascends Red Butte via the Living Room trail, and then descends straight off the top of Mount Wire. While you can make a more direct ascent of the mountain, turning this hike into a loop means that you’ll enjoy new scenery around every corner!
The trails up and down Mount Wire can be steep and rocky, but this is a relatively non-technical climb, and a good way to build fitness.
Spring is hands-down the best time to bag Mount Wire. "Generally, the spring flowers are in full splendor from mid-May to mid-June,” according to [RoadTripRyan]( "If you happen to time it right, the hillsides are a veritable carpet of color,” he continues.
MrWasatch concurs on []( by saying, "while Mt. Wire is a relatively low elevation peak, it is an outstanding spring hike of over 2,000 vertical feet with incredible views in every direction, rampant wildflowers, and wildlife that includes the occasional rattlesnake or mountain lion. In most years the peak can be hiked free of snow in April, and is an excellent 'tune up' for the bigger mountains."
If you want to add on a little extra challenge and about 25 more feet of vertical, there’s an old airway beacon tower on top of the mountain that you can climb.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Route and Elevation
Segments
Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
---|---|---|---|
Mt. Wire | 1.91 mi | 1,939 ft | 19.1% |
SLC Living Room Trail from Base to Y - Right Side | 0.56 mi | 463 ft | 15.4% |
Bonneville Shoreline Trail Climb | 0.23 mi | 138 ft | 11.2% |
SLC Living Room Trail from 1st Y to 2nd Y | 0.32 mi | 289 ft | 17.0% |
Overlook to Wire | 1.33 mi | 1,365 ft | 19.4% |
Red Butte to Wire | 0.49 mi | 551 ft | 21.1% |
SW wire descent | 1.20 mi | -1,703 ft | -26.8% |