Mount Olympus in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

, is one of the most prominent and recognizable mountains viewable from practically every location in the Salt Lake Valley

Salt Lake Valley

Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...

. Mount Olympus is not the tallest peak along the Wasatch front

Wasatch Range

The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...

, but its unusual form and location make it a popular hiking destination for locals. The mountain is situated immediately east of the center of the Salt Lake Valley (due east from Murray

Murray, Utah

Murray is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, it is the state's fourteenth largest city. According to the 2010 census, Murray has approximately 46,746 residents.Murray is close to Salt Lake City,...

 and Taylorsville

Taylorsville, Utah

Taylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 57,439 at the 2000 census...

). One distinctive feature of the mountain are its twin peaks, and other outcroppings, the highest of which is called "Summit Peak" and towers above the valley to an elevation of 9026 feet (2,751 m). Thus, the peak looms about 4800 feet (1,463 m) above the valley floor.

Hiking

Because of its close proximity, visibility, and accessibility to such a large metropolitan area, Mount Olympus has been a popular hiking destination for the residents of the Salt Lake valley for many years. Most climbers reach the summit via the Mount Olympus Trail, which is a steep climb from the mountain base and stretches approximately 3.1 miles (5 km) to the summit. This peak is also a popular winter mountaineering

Mountaineering

Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...

 route because the terrain is not as avalanche prone as many of the surrounding peaks. Hiding near the base of the mountain, unknown to many locals, lies Utah's second deepest, and Americas 13th deepest cave, known as Neffs cave

Neffs cave (Utah)

Neffs Cave is a cave in the Wasatch mountains near Mount Olympus, Utah, in the United States. Neff Canyon Cave is not a legendary cave that few have visited, located somewhere far back in rugged mountains. On the contrary, parts of the gully in which it lies can be seen from the windows of members...

.