How to Hike Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT
Donut Falls is an easy, popular hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah. Regardless of the season, this hike is a wonderful choice. In the Summer, it is a fun and refreshing hike. In the Winter, Donut Falls is a great snowshoe trail. This hike has two different trailheads: one for the summer and one for winter or for those who want a longer hike. From the Summer Trailhead, it is about 1.4 miles round trip. The main trailhead is about 3.5 miles, starting from the Big Cottonwood Canyon Highway.
If you’re doing Donut Falls in the summer, during weekends or holidays, it is best to park at the main trailhead. There are way more parking spots, and you won’t have to worry about being stuck on a one-way road to the Summer Trailhead. The extra distance is not that bad.
Stats
Where
Donut Falls Summer Trailhead
40.639714, -111.651271
Donut Falls Main Trailhead
40.648929, -111.648109
Parking
There are two large, paved parking areas on the side of the road for Donut Falls Main Trailhead. For the Summer trailhead, there is a small dirt lot for parking.
Fee
$10/car for 1-3 days pass. You can also use the America the Beautiful Pass.
Restroom
Vault toilet at both trailheads.
Pet-friendly?
Pets are NOT allowed on the trail!
Distance
1.5 miles round-trip from the Summer trailhead. 3.5 miles from Main Trailhead
Elevation Gain
300 to 500 ft
Level
Easy
Time
1-2 hours
Ideal Time
Donut Falls trail is best in the spring or fall. In the spring, there are plenty of wildflowers. In the fall, you’ll get beautiful fall foliage. Weekdays in the morning are best if you want to avoid the crowd. This trail is very popular
Weather
Getting There
The trailheads for Donut Falls are located along Big Cottonwood Canyon toward Brighton, UT. It is about 8.9 miles once you turn onto Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. There are large parking areas on both sides of the road. The main trailhead starts here. There is a restroom and a gated road that heads toward Jordan Pines Campground.
To get to Donut Falls Summer Trailhead, you’ll need to drive down the gated road for about 0.8 miles. It is a narrow, gravel road that leads to a dirt lot. We started our hike from the Summer Trailhead because we were a little spent from hiking Albion Meadows to Cecret Lake and Gloria Falls the day before.
The Adventure
From Donut Falls Main (Winter) Trailhead
From the parking lots along the Big Cottonwood Canyon, head down the trail toward the wooden bridge. This wooden bridge stretches across the beautiful meadows and a small stream. After the bridge, the trail continues for about 0.9 miles before reaching Donut Falls Summer Trailhead. You can also reach the Summer Trailhead via the gravel road; it is a bit shorter but not as beautiful.
From Donut Falls Summer Trailhead
From the Summer Trailhead, it is 0.8 miles to Donut Falls. It is a pleasant hike with little elevation gain. If you do this hike in the right month (August), there are raspberries along the trail. Make sure to watch your steps. There are rocks and tree roots that can trip you if you don’t pay attention. Along the way, there are many direction signs so you won’t get lost. There is also one small creek crossing.
Eventually, you reach what seemed like the end of the trail. This is where the trail meets up with the creek. You’ll have to climb down a short rock face. There are ropes to assist those who need them. The climb down isn’t that bad, but it can be challenging for those who aren’t used to doing this type of activity.
The Creek and Donut Falls Area
Once you climb down the short rock face, turn right and go along the creek bed for a short distance. You can see small waterfalls further ahead. This is Donut Falls. You’ll eventually need to cross over to the other side of the creek. There is a bridge made out of fallen trees to help you cross over.
From the bottom of the falls, you could see multiple falls streaming down the boulders. Most people stay here. If you want to see Donut Hole, you’ll need to scramble up to the top. These rocks are loose and very slippery. We only climbed a short distance to the lower falls, and it was definitely tricky going back down. We didn’t go all the way to the Donut Hole. Also, since this is a protected watershed, swimming is prohibited. Once you’re done, return the same way.
If you love waterfalls, check out the Waterfalls Corridor and Trail of Ten Falls in Oregon! We also love Letchworth State Park in New York. Another wonderful waterfall is Rainbow Falls in Mammoth Lakes.
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Recommended Gear
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Adventure Gear
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- Main Favorite
- Photography
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Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Camera Gear
- All
- Biking Gear
- Camping Gear
- Canyoneering Gear
- Favorite Biking Gear
- Favorite Canyoneering Gear
- Favorite Hiking Gear
- Favorite Kayak Gear
- Favorite Road trips Gear
- Favorite Water Gear
- Hiking Gear
- Main Favorite
- Photography
- Road Trips Gear
- Travel Essentials
- Water Gear
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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