⚡ The Quick Scoop
The Vibe: A gorgeous, moderately steep hike through a granite canyon that rewards you with an incredibly powerful waterfall.
Spring vs. Winter: In the winter, you need spikes to navigate the ice safely. In the spring? The runoff is so massive you will be covered in mist in seconds!
Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎 (A classic Wasatch 4-Diamond adventure!)
I have posted about Bells Canyon Waterfall in the winter, and it is a very enjoyable, peaceful hike IF you have poles and spikes for your shoes (otherwise it honestly doesn't look very fun!). But I was incredibly curious about what this waterfall looked like during the spring thaw.
I am so glad I took the opportunity to hike this trail with the high spring runoff this year. It was absolutely amazing! Let's explore the beautiful reservoir, the steep granite ascent, and the roaring mist waiting at the top.
👇 Choose Your Path
The Reservoir & The Ascent
The hike begins right at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Between half a mile to a mile in, you are greeted by the beautiful Bells Canyon Reservoir. I have been on this hike a few times, and I've learned a secret: if you start at the west trailhead, you end up pretty high above the lake, and it is a little treacherous to get down the steep mountain to the shore. But if you start on the south side, I was shocked by how much I really liked the reservoir!
I was there in the evening, and the lake was still and glassy where I was. There were people fishing, and some just enjoying relaxing by the lake. It was absolutely charming. You can actually fish here, but I believe it is strictly catch and release!
Soon after the reservoir, you want to keep your eyes peeled for the sign to turn left to head up into the canyon toward the waterfall. As you hike, the trail follows what is usually a gentle mountain stream. But in June, thanks to the massive runoff? That stream is practically a raging river!
🥾 The Slush Fest & Pacing the Steep End
This hike is generally rated as Moderate (Level 2-3), taking most people around 2 to 3 hours round trip. It starts out fairly mellow, but be warned: past the reservoir, it gets incredibly steep as you climb up through the boulders and pines to approach the falls.
I originally did this hike the first week of February, expecting a nice, packed snow trail. Instead, it was an absolute slush fest! There is a hill coming down from the falls that is quite steep, and it was so crazy watching people slide all over the trail. Some adventure buffs were handling it like they were on skis, but others looked like they were scared for their lives, terrified of toppling over and hitting smack dab into a boulder! It was crazy. They were definitely jealous of me getting down without any problems with my spikes and poles.
I wore my super waterproof Salomon shoes, and my feet still got wet because there was just so much water! If I do it again in those conditions, I am bringing full waterproof boots and sliding my spikes right over the top.
The Floral Challenge
One of the best distractions from the steep elevation gain is the incredible variety of wildflowers blooming along the trail in the late spring and early summer!
As we hiked up, we spotted Lupins, bright yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Sweet Peas, and the fascinating, curvy Twining Snakelily. See if you can find them all when you go!
📱 The "Plantnet" Game
Here is a fun game I love to play while hiking! I love to spot a flower, try to figure out a name for it in my head, take a picture of it, and then use the app PlantNet to see if I was even close! It identifies exactly what the flower is. It makes for such a fun, educational challenge on a hike when you need an excuse to stop and catch your breath!
The Parable of the Quaking Aspen
As you near the top of the trail, the landscape is dominated by the gorgeous, sweeping white granite cliffs that Little Cottonwood is so famous for. Nestled beneath these giant cliffs, I found something truly inspiring.
🌳 Twisting to Find the Light
I found a Quaking Aspen tree that really caught my eye. Aspens usually grow perfectly straight, but this particular tree had so many obstacles in its way that it had had to twist and turn its trunk just to find the light in its life. It gave the tree quite the character!
May we be like this tree that didn't give up. It kept searching for spots where it could get access to the light, even though there were things in its path that kept trying so hard to block it from having access to the light of the Son/Sun. It conquered, kept pushing to grow tall, and ended up having more beautiful character than any of the others in the end.
The Roaring Mist (Upper vs. Lower Falls)
When you finally reach the waterfall in the spring, the power is unbelievable. The waterfall was roaring, and I was so wet so fast standing at the base of the falls! Getting covered with all that freezing snowmelt definitely made me so cold, but luckily it was still sunny.
Stepping out into the sunshine, it was not so bad and you could dry off pretty quickly. After the tough hike up, that freezing mist was honestly a little bit of a recharge, giving life back into my muscles to conquer the hike back down!
It is a little tricky to actually get out to the falls. Because of the steepness, most people stop right at the top viewing area. The problem with the top is that there are many trees in the way, and you can only barely see the top section of the waterfall.
🧗♀️ Navigating to the Base Safely
If you want to get down to the lower, main section of the waterfall, you need to be smart. It is steep going down to get close. Take it slow! I highly recommend taking Hiking Sticks so you can have a 4-point system to make sure each step is stable. Use the trees to hold on to if necessary.
The Secret: Watch for the large switchback that heads west. That is the easiest and safest way down! Of course, I would not take little kids down this steep scramble, but there are safe spots if you take your time and don't try to just bomb straight down.
Transport Yourself: 360° VR Tours
Experience the roaring water, the rushing river, and the beautiful reservoir in full 360 degrees! Click and drag to look around.
📸 My Hilarious 360 Camera Disaster
I have a funny confession about the 360 spheres below. I bought myself my very first 360 camera in December 2017 as a Christmas gift to myself. After Christmas, I pulled it out and tried so hard to figure out how to use it. I got frustrated, threw it in the corner, and declared I was returning it. My husband got so tired of me pulling it out and throwing it back in frustration that he started pushing me to just return the thing!
My first 360 camera had such a brutal learning curve. There were no instructions, and when I bought it, it alluded to working on the Pixel, but it didn't. I was about ready to give up when I had an inspirational thought pop into my head: "Try it again." I think someone at Google Headquarters knew I was a crazy weird person who was totally into submitting Streetviews on Local Guides! So I tried it one more time, and miraculously, it worked!
I was so surprised, but I think that is often how help from above works. If we are chasing our Passion and Purpose, and putting that work into conquering, the universe sometimes surprises us and helps us out to keep us moving forward. If you just listen to the promptings—or what The Alchemist would call listening to the Omens—you might be really surprised at how much it will bless your life and help you on your journey!
The hilarious part? Even after I deleted my bad, broken images from my first attempts, Google decided to randomly stick those awful images back into the middle of my virtual tour! So if you click far enough down the trail in these embeds, you just might stumble upon my very first, broken 360 camera attempt. You've been warned! 😂
360° Video at the Lower Waterfall
Stand right in the mist of the roaring spring runoff!
Drone Video of Both Upper and Lower Falls
The Top of Bells Canyon Waterfall (360° Sphere)
The Lower Waterfall Base (360° Sphere)
Bells Canyon Reservoir (360° Sphere)
360° Video of Bells Canyon River
The Explorer's Guide & Gear
🗺️ Adventure at a Glance
- 🏞️ Location: Base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Sandy, Utah
- 🥾 Activity: Steep mountain hiking & scrambling
- 📏 Distance: About 5 miles round trip
- 📈 Elevation Gain: About 1,500 feet
- 🥵 Shauna's Difficulty Meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Level 3/5 - A Serious Thigh-Burner! The first mile to the reservoir is easy, but the final push to the falls is steep, rocky, and slippery.)
- ⏳ Time Needed: 2-3 hours minimum
🎒 What's in My Pack?
Because Bells Canyon transforms so drastically from winter ice to spring slush and summer heat, your gear can literally make or break this hike!
Helpful Hints for Your Visit
- The Trailhead(s): There are actually 2 parking areas! The main one is right at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon on the right-hand side just as you go through the light. Backup Lot: If it's full, turn around, head west out of the canyon, turn left at the light, and there is a lot on the east side about 0.5 miles down. It heads up some stairs, through a neighborhood, and meets up with the main trail!
- Beat the Heat: The lower exposed sections can get very hot in the summer. Go early in the morning or later in the evening, and take plenty of water!
🧭 The Cottonwood Trail Tracker
Did you visit Bells Canyon recently? Is it roaring with spring runoff or locked in winter ice? 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 Waterfall Scrapbook
A collection of photos showing the beautiful reservoir, the spring wildflowers, and the rushing water.
✨ Ask the Trail Guide
Curious about Little Cottonwood Canyon, spring runoff, or plant identification? Ask our AI Guide!
Keep Searching for the Light
Whether you brave this trail in the icy winter or hike it during the roaring spring runoff, Bells Canyon always delivers an incredible adventure. I hope that twisting Aspen tree reminds you to never give up, and to always keep searching for the light no matter what obstacles are in your way.
Sending Love and Positive Vibes,
Shauna @ VRGetaway
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