Hiking to Heugh's Canyon Waterfall, Salt Lake City

Hiking to Heugh’s Canyon Waterfall

Heugh’s Canyon Waterfall is a short, dog-friendly hike in Salt Lake City between Big Cottonwood Canyon and Mt. Olympus. The trail is heavily forested, follows Heugh’s Creek, and ends at a beautiful waterfall, making it a great after-work hike or family-friendly adventure close to the city.

Contents hide

1 Share the love!

2 Directions

3 Trail Info

4 Hiking Heughs’s Canyon Trail – What to Expect

4.1 Winter Hiking

5 Trail Map

6 Nearby Hike

7 Save me on Pinterest!

7.1 Share the love!

This is one of my favorite after-work hikes because it feels surprisingly lush and wooded for the Wasatch Front. In spring, wildflowers bloom along the trail, and the canyon feels more like the Pacific Northwest than Salt Lake City. At around 2 miles round trip to the falls, it’s also a great option for families and visitors.

Directions

Head south on Wasatch Blvd from 4500 South.

Park in the dirt pullout on the east side of Wasatch Blvd near Canyon Cove Drive.

Do not park in the neighborhood, as public parking is not allowed there.

Walk up Canyon Cove Drive.

Turn left onto Oak Canyon Drive.

Turn right onto Canyon Winds Lane.

Cut through the driveway area to reach the dirt trail.

There are no official trailhead signs, so use the map below if needed.

See map below. Driving map

Trail Info

Distance: 2 miles RT (from the TH, not parking area)

Elevation gain: 1,042 ft

Time: 1-2 hours

Dog friendly? Yes, off leash

Kid friendly? Yes

Fees/permits? None

New for 2019

Parking has moved locations for the Heugh’s Canyon TH. Here’s where you need to park, then walk up.

Parking for the Heugh’s Canyon Trailhead has changed. The new parking area adds about 0.4 miles before reaching the actual trailhead, making the hike closer to 1.4 miles each way to the waterfall. Dogs must remain on leash until you reach the dirt trail.

Hiking Heughs’s Canyon Trail – What to Expect

Go around the gate (yes, its public access).

Dogs need to be leashed on the road, but are allowed off leash once on the trail.

Walk through the neighbor’s drive way to the dirt path. This is where the trail starts, but you won’t see any official TH signs.

In the first few minutes, you’ll hear Heugh’s Creek rushing beside the trail. The hike starts climbing right away through low shrubs.

This is a great hike for dogs since they can drink out of the stream. Please be a responsible dog parent and bring doggie poop bags with you (and carry them out!).

There were TONS of yellow Glacier Lilies.

The trail starts to open up a little. This is my friends dog, Ted!

You will see the trail split left for the Bonneville Z Trail, which is another great hike but no water and very exposed. For now, keep hiking straight.

Cross the first bridge.

Cross the 2nd bridge. Right after this bridge, the trail gets even steeper.

Once you get to the boulder field, look to your right (where my arrow is pointing) and you can start to see the top of the falls.

Heugh’s Canyon Waterfalls looks cool from a distance, but you can also get to the base of it. Simply cut down and across the boulder field, to the left of the falls. Be careful on which rocks you step on – they aren’t always in a solid position. After a rain, they may be slippery too.

Once at the bottom of the boulder field, just follow along this rock wall. If you hike here after a big rainstorm (as I did), there’s no place to step on that will keep you dry. Either bring water shoes or be ok with your hiking shoes getting wet.