Trek Activity- April 30th (2nd, 3rd, 9th
and 11th Wards)
or May 5th
(5th, 6th and 7th Wards)
Please
make sure your trek family knows where and when to meet.
Ensign Peak (This hike counts toward the May Trail of
Faith goals- to go on a hike in the shoes you’ll be wearing on Trek. Please
remind your youth ahead of time!)
Length: About 1 mile round trip Difficulty:
Easy
Description: Ensign Peak is a
prominent small mountain peak at the north end of the Salt Lake Valley, above
the State Capitol building. From the top, you have marvelous views out over the
Salt Lake Valley and Great Salt Lake.
Two days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley,
Brigham Young and seven other pioneer leaders climbed the mountain to survey
the valley. From its summit they laid out in their minds the city they intended
to build. A small monument now sits on the summit.
Ensign Peak Trailhead
The trailhead is at the top of a residential area
above the Utah capitol building. From downtown Salt Lake City, drive State
Street north to the capitol, fork right and follow the road around to the northeast.
It becomes East Capitol Boulevard. Follow it up the hill to the north and then
turn left onto North Sandrun Road. Follow that road west to the LDS Church
house. The trailhead is in the back of the church parking lot, where it abuts
Ensign Vista Drive.
Ensign Peak
From the trailhead, follow the obvious,
well-maintained trail to the top of the peak. The trail swings around the
mountain and approaches the summit from the north. Return the way you came in.
Please stay on the established trail. Work is underway here to re-vegetate the
area, which has been harmed by erosion.
First Encampment Park (This would be a great place for the kids to write in
their journals.)
1704 S 500
E Salt Lake City
"First Encampment Park was created in 1997 to honor
the pioneers who arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. The first group of
pioneers to enter the valley included 109 men, 3 women, and 8 children. They
had to push their way through high grass before they found an area suitable to
set up camp for the night. The park marks the spot where they spent their first
night, and the names of some of the pioneers are inscribed on the granite
rocks.
On that night, Thomas Bullock, the company clerk, recorded in
his journal: “…We descended a gentle sloping table land to a lower level
where the soil and grass improved in appearance…The wheat grass grows six or
seven feet high, many different kinds of grass appear, some being 10 or 12 feet
high – after wading through thick grass for some distance, we found a place
bare enough for a camping ground, the grass being only knee deep, but very thick;
we camped on the banks of a beautiful little stream (Parley’s Creek) which was
surrounded by very tall grass...”
Parley’s Creek still flows underground through the neighborhood
that stands there now.
The next morning the company moved to the place where it was
decided they would plant crops, two miles to the north at City Creek.
Even the layout of the park is symbolic of the pioneers and
their journey. The granite boulders on the east side of the park represent the
Wasatch mountains. The path through the mountain rocks represent Emigration
Canyon, which is the canyon the pioneers passed through to get to the valley.
The dry streambeds represent Emigration and Parley’s creeks.
The park was dedicated on July 22, 1997 by Elder M. Russell
Ballard exactly 150 years after the group of pioneers camped here. It was
presented as a city park to the people of Salt Lake City and to all who honor
the pioneer heritage.
