Donut Falls
Salt Lake City, Utah
Details
Distance
1.53 miles
Elevation Gain
413 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Eric Bennett
Donut Falls is an out-and-back hike to an amazingly beautiful and picturesque waterfall. This trail, located in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, is good for all seasons with easy access to the trail.
The Trail
Follow the trail for just a little bit and when it forks, stay to the left and you will arrive to Donut Falls. Once at the waterfall, climb up the rocks to get to the cave at the top, which is not visible from the bottom. To take pictures inside of the cave, you will most likely get your feet wet.
This is a really short hike, so it's great if you are short on time and want to see something amazing.
Falls Coordinates: 40.629722, -111.654722
Getting There
Coming from the I-215, turn left on Big Cottonwood Road and the parking lot will be about nine miles up the road on your right. Usually the gate is closed, so park here and follow the rest of the road on foot until you get to a trailhead with restrooms on the left hand side.
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Donut Falls Reviews
This is one of the easiest and most heavily trafficked hikes in Big Cottonwood. If you're looking for an easy hike with little vertical than this is a good choice. If you're looking for quiet and solitude this is not the place for you. Don't let the easy access and heavy traffic make you let your guard down. Two have died here since 2012. A woman fell 100 feet and a man was hit by a falling boulder. Have fun but be careful. You can often see moose in the area. This weekend while there I saw a bull moose on the trail just before the falls and a cow near the creek south of the parking lot. The best time to see moose is at dusk.
3.0
Still a decent amount of snow in the month of May, but not too much to be very dangerous. Be prepared to get your feet wet from the spring run off but the waterfall and cave are worth it.
4.0
Nice mild and accessible hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Fairly heavily trafficked trail - even on a Thursday afternoon - but still worth doing. There's still a fair amount of snow and slush on the ground so it can get slippery in some sections.
4.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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