Donut Falls

Salt Lake City, Utah

4.1/5

based on 44 reviews

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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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Features

Photography

Hiking

Bathrooms

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Scenic

Waterfall

Wildlife

Reviews

Danny Pehrson

Donut Falls

05/14/16

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

Anna Redbond

Donut Falls

05/12/16

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

Dan Warner

Donut Falls

05/04/16

This is one of the classic day hikes in Salt Lake City due to its short length and easy difficultly level. It's a fun hike to do with kids, but the falls area can be a little difficult with smaller children. The trailhead is easy to find, but be careful about when you go - the pull-out from Big Cottonwood Canyon road fills up quickly because of the popularity of this hike. The beginning of the trail passes along private property on either side of the road, so please be respectful of those who live along this very popular trail. If you're looking for a hike with solitude, this probably isn't the one, but it's definitely worth the hike in spite of the traffic you might encounter.

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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Donut Falls

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Nearby

Backcountry Ski Cardiff Fork

Kessler Peak in Utah's Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Big Cottonwood Canyon Astrophotography

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