The Y Trail is Provo's classic short-but-steep workout, climbing the foothills east of Brigham Young University to the huge white letter painted into the slope. It is only a couple of miles out and back, but the switchbacks gain elevation quickly and leave the city spread out below you.
Go early or late in warm weather, because shade is scarce and the gravel path reflects heat. The payoff is the view: Utah Lake, the grid of Provo, and the Wasatch ridges all line up neatly from the benches near the top of the Y.