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

Jordan Smith

Donut Falls

06/10/16

Donut falls is awesome! Be prepared to scramble up to the falls at the end. Do not hike this on Memorial Day, haha. I did and it was slammed. I didn't even attempt to get up to the falls , but earlier spring, late fall, or during the week, you'll have a great experience. Unique waterfall and beautiful trail.

5.0

Explorer

Eric Harris

Explorer

Donut Falls

05/30/16

This is an awesome hike in the winter. Snowshoes aren't essential but we brought them and were glad we had them. The entrance to the cave was dug out of the snow and it was easy to crawl in. The waterfall is beautiful with snow and ice surrounding it! There were still some crowds on the weekend but it was much quieter than the summer months.

5.0

Nick Wrzesinski

Donut Falls

05/30/16

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

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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Backcountry Ski Cardiff Fork

Kessler Peak in Utah's Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Big Cottonwood Canyon Astrophotography

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