There are at least three Mount Olympuses in the world. There's the fabled 9,750-foot high Olympus mountain in Greece, so-called home of the deities of ancient Greece; there's the 7,954-foot high Mount Olympus, centerpiece of Olympic National Park, in Washington State; and there's Utah's own Mount Olympus (9,026 feet), located east of Murray and about 53rd South, between Mill Creek and Big Cottonwood Canyons.

Utah's Mount Olympus isn't anywhere near the highest peak in the area, nor is it the most rugged hike along the Wasatch Front but it does offer majestic views and pristine scenery to hikers who are willing to endure the long trail to the top.For newcomers to Mount Olympus, the toughest part of the hike may be in just locating the trail head, especially since bulldozers are working in the foothills near the trailhead, altering many of the traditional landmarks of the hike in what may be a prelude to residential development in the area - dominated by private land at the bottom.

In any event, hikers probably need not worry since the Mount Olympus area (about 16,000 acres) has been designated a wilderness area and is closed to motorized vehicles and mountain bicycles. Despite development in the area, trail access will most likely be preserved and could even lead to a trailhead that's easier to find than the one today.

To begin the hike, travel on Wasatch Blvd. south, past the Olympus Hills Mall to about 5000 South. Look for a large boulder on the west side of the road. Begin your hike there on any of several footpaths that head up the steep slope on the north side of Tolcats Canyon.

There is room to park cars on the west side of the highway. Some hiking books list the total one-way distance to the top as four miles, but a more reasonable estimate would be closer to 5.5 miles since the hike takes all day for most hikers.

There is no drinkable water on the trail (The famed "Mount Olympus" springs are further north at the base of the mountainside), but there are runoff streams found in the spring and early summer.

Mount Olympus is a very steep hike with a total ascent of about 4,200 feet. Hikers should also be aware that the final half-mile is more of a rocky mountain climb than it is a hike. Any hiker who is uncomfortable climbing rocks will have difficulty completing this hike-scramble.

Early on in the hike, don't take the spur trail that continues directly up the canyon, but take the switchback that goes north.

Surprisingly there's a lot of shade available in the morning hours but be cautious of rattlesnakes in the summer who seem to prefer the various rock formations found along the trail.

One portion of the trail up is called "Blister Hill" where things get really steep. Then, the trail follows below the ridgeline through a lot of heavy vegetation - oak brush and juniper until it reaches a pocket of evergreens, a perfect picnic location just below the saddle. There are also several spots that would be suitable for camping along the trail.

From there, a short side trail offers some wilderness views of the top of Heughs Canyon and toward the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Leaving the pines, the trail becomes a scramble that goes half-a-mile over a faint trail that requires slow and careful footing and handholds.

It is possible to reach the top, but any person afraid of heights should not attempt this section.

Climbers should be wary of loose rocks and carefully survey the area to find the best area to climb to avoid being trapped on isolated rock ledges. This part of the climb can be tricky and no hiker should attempt it alone.

The faint trail reaches the south Olympus Peak. The northern version is separated by a several hundred-foot deep divide.

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The top of of the Peak is extremely rocky but provides spectacular views on a clear day of the Oquirrh Mountains, most of the Salt Lake Valley and even Francis Peak in Davis County and Ben Lomond Peak in Weber County. Pollution usually prevents much of a look into Utah Valley, however.

Looking east, Mount Olympus pales in comparison to Mount Raymond (10,240 feet) or Twin Peaks (11,328) but Olympus offers a view from near the exact geographic center of the Salt Lake Valley.

Climbing down the "scramble" rock area is slow going, but the rest of the hike takes less than half of the time it required to hike up it.

It took one hiking group about seven hours to reach the summit but only slightly more than two hours to get down.

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