⚡ The Quick Scoop
The Vibe: Escaping the depressing grey winter inversion of the valley to find bright sunshine, blue skies, and frozen caves in the mountains.
Must See: The unbelievable ice formations inside the cave where the waterfall drops through a "donut hole" in the rock ceiling.
Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎 (A classic Utah winter adventure!)
Donut Falls is one of the most famous and unique waterfalls in Utah. The river literally drops into a perfectly round hole in the top of a rock cave, crashing down into the cavern below. In the summertime, this short, easy hike can get quite crowded with families and tourists.
But if you want to experience the true magic of this place, you have to try it in the winter! The ice is absolutely fabulous, the crowds thin out, and the snow turns this entire canyon into a breathtaking winter wonderland.
👇 Choose Your Path
The Nature Fix Parable
As we got in our car after this super cool hike, I was in a fantastic mood. I had seen something really amazing, enjoyed piercing blue skies and bright sunshine, had a great adventure, met some cool people, and my spirits were definitely elevated.
There is a fantastic book called The Nature Fix that cites study after study from all around the world proving the scientific, positive effects that hiking and getting out into nature can do for your brain and body. I felt it working its magic on me that morning!
☁️ Breaking Through the Inversion
I remember driving up the canyon with my hiking buddy that morning, our faces totally gloomy because we were so sad about how ugly the hike would be in that thick, brown-grey smog. If you live in Utah, you know the dreaded "Winter Inversion." But then, all of a sudden, as we climbed higher up the canyon... we broke through. We were suddenly looking at piercing blue skies and bright sunshine!
It was amazing how both our spirits just lifted instantly. It made me realize something profound: Each and every day, Satan wants us to be stuck in places where we are surrounded by grey clouds and heavy, dark feelings. We have to actively fight it! Find ways to get to places where you feel positive. Push yourself to find the happy blue skies. The Lord wants you to have joy and happiness in this life. You just need to be creative enough to find ways to break out of the "inversion" and experience that joy.
Trusting the Stranger (A Navigation Error!)
Donut Falls is about 2/3 of the way up Big Cottonwood Canyon. If you download the Google map and put the directions in, it takes you right to the parking lot of the North Fork Road. (Note: The road is closed to cars in the winter, which adds an extra 0.8-mile walk to the actual summer trailhead!)
As we hiked up the snow-covered road, we met a man coming down. I asked him about the trail, and he confidently said, "Just follow the signs, it is very well marked!"
🗺️ When I Got Lazy
Because he sounded so sure, I got lazy. I stopped checking my trusty Gaia GPS trail app. We just kept walking... and walking... and walking.
Well, it turns out, we took the much LONGER trail! The actual turn-off for Donut Falls is right by the restroom on the left side of the trail, about 0.8 miles from the road—but there is absolutely no sign that says "Donut Falls"! By ignoring my app, we added a massive V-shaped detour onto our hike.
Honestly though? I couldn't even be mad. We got the bonus of even more awesome snowy scenery, and it just added to the adventure!
Sledding the North Fork
We hit the trail between 8:00 and 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning, and we immediately noticed that half the people heading up the trail were carrying sleds!
Because the North Fork Road is closed to cars in the winter, it turns into a very safe, incredibly fun sledding route. It was generally peaceful and quiet as we hiked, interrupted only by occasional bursts of fun laughter as people zoomed by on their sleds.
Seeing how fun and safe it looked actually gave me the false courage to try and sled down the Horsetail Falls trail later that year. Let me tell you, that ended up being quite scary, and of course, I hurt my tailbone AGAIN doing it! I think after you break your tailbone more than about five times, it just breaks quite easily! LOL. Luckily, we didn't have too many people sledding down the road as we were hiking up, so we didn't have to dodge too much traffic.
🥾 Spikes vs. Snowshoes
As we finally connected with the official Donut Trail route, the crowd thickened. We saw cross-country skiers working their hard way up the icy road, snowmobilers, and tons of people in snowshoes. We chose to wear our microspikes (crampons). Personally, I felt much safer and more agile on the narrow, icy sections of this trail with spikes rather than clunky snowshoes! But honestly, anything that can grip into the slippery snow and keep you from falling is a good thing.
Crawling Into the Cavern
The ultimate reward of this hike is, of course, getting inside the cave to see the famous "donut hole" waterfall. To actually get to the falls, you have to kind of crawl through a small, narrow opening in the rocks. It is quite the tight squeeze!
🎶 The Echoing Ice Stream
Once you squeeze through that narrow opening, you are suddenly inside a circular cavern. The falls were not running really heavy in the winter, so instead of a deafening roar, it made this incredibly cool sound of a small stream waterfall echoing all around you in that enclosed, circular cave space. It felt like a secret, frozen sanctuary.
Transport Yourself: 360° VR Tours
Experience the frozen magic of Donut Falls! Click and drag the street views and videos below to look around.
The Snowy Trail Above the Falls
Sledding Donut Falls
Check out this fun 2D video from Utah's Adventure Family showing the sledding secrets of the trail!
The Explorer's Guide
🗺️ Adventure at a Glance
- 🏞️ Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
- 🥾 Activity: Winter hiking, ice caves, and sledding
- 📏 Distance: 1.5 miles RT in summer; ~3.5 miles RT in winter (due to road closure)
- ⚠️ Gear Needed: Microspikes, warm layers, and maybe a sled!
Helpful Hints for Your Winter Visit
- The Turnoff: Don't make my mistake! Look for the restrooms about 0.8 miles up the road. The trail turns off to the left there. There is no sign!
- Entering the Cave: To actually get *into* the cave to see the falls from below, you have to scramble up a short, steep, icy bank right at the end. Microspikes are an absolute lifesaver here. It can be very slippery, so take your time!
- Beat the Crowds: Even in the winter, this is a popular spot. Try to arrive before 9:00 AM on weekends if you want to secure a parking spot on the canyon road.
🧭 The Cottonwood Trail Tracker
Did you visit Donut Falls recently? Is the cave totally frozen, or is the spring runoff roaring? Help the VRGetaway community out by dropping a quick trail report below!
📋 Live Community Trail Reports
Check the latest conditions submitted by fellow hikers below before you head out!
The Winter Scrapbook
A collection of photos from our beautiful, freezing journey to the falls.
✨ Ask the Winter Guide
Curious about Big Cottonwood Canyon, winter inversions, or what microspikes are? Ask our AI Guide!
Find Your Blue Skies
This winter hike to Donut Falls is one of my absolute favorites because it's a guaranteed way to break through the depressing grey clouds of the valley and find the bright, joyful sunshine above. I hope this VR journey inspires you to strap on some spikes, get creative, and go find your own blue skies this winter!
Sending Love and Positive Vibes,
Shauna @ VRGetaway
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