Aspens and oaks bring majestic fall color to the Wasatch Range. Take these easy autumn foliage drives from Salt Lake City to see spectacular mountain and canyon scenery.

Brilliant fall color is right on Salt Lake City's doorstep, in the canyons and mountains of the Wasatch Range. See the best autumn color and scenic routes on these fall foliage drives from Salt Lake City.

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Big Cottonwood Canyon

Location: 25 miles east of Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City, take I-215 to the 6200 South/Canyons exit. Follow the signs to SR 190 which runs up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Brighton.

Big Cottonwood Canyon is 15 miles long and a designated scenic byway. The drive takes about one hour round-trip. Formed by an ancient glacier, it is surrounded by the beautiful alpine scenery of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

During the mid-19th century, prospectors looked for silver and gold here. Look for the ruins of old mines dotted around the slopes. Today the canyon is a prime recreation area for hiking, camping, picnicking, rock climbing and fishing.

At the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon are two ski resorts, Solitude and Brighton, which are open year round. From Brighton, there are easy trails leading around Mary Lake, Twin Lakes and several others. These open areas make good spots to take in the surrounding fall color.

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Guardsman's Pass

To continue a fall foliage drive from Brighton, follow the Guardsman's Pass road from just below the village. This route goes over the mountains to either Park City or Midway and Heber City.

Much of the road is paved, but the central section is maintained gravel. A high-clearance vehicle is not necessary, but the road is steep and has washboard surfaces in some spots. This road is closed during the winter, and is not advised during heavy storms.

The elevation at Guardsman's Pass is 9,700 feet. At the top there are spectacular panoramic views, with autumn color in all directions backed by mountain peaks.

The road is well signposted, and the scenery is well worth the extra hour to the popular resort of Park City. Another option is to follow the fork to Midway, which passes through the beautiful Wasatch Mountain State Park and continues to Heber City. You can return to Salt Lake City from either point on main roads.

To follow this road from Park City, take Prospect Street into the mountains, where it becomes Highway 224.

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Little Cottonwood Canyon

Location: 25 miles east of Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City, take I-215 to the 6200 South/Canyons exit. Follow the signs to SR 210 which runs up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta.

Little Cottonwood Canyon lies south of and roughly parallel to its bigger brother. This 7-mile-long canyon is also a designated scenic byway and is about an hour's drive round-trip. Although it's shorter in length, the steep canyon and rugged mountains make it an equally dramatic drive.

Notice the quarry site at the mouth of the canyon. This is where the huge granite blocks came from to build Salt Lake City's Mormon Temple and the Conference Center.

Little Cottonwood Canyon is home to two popular ski areas, Snowbird and Alta ski areas. At the top of the canyon, Alta, an old silver mining town, became Utah's first ski resort in 1938. It is surrounded by the magnificent Albion Basin, famous for its wildflowers and a great spot to view fall foliage.

For more autumn color and fall foliage drives in central Utah, click here.