Waterfall Canyon is located in Ogden, UT and is a gorgeous 200 ft waterfall. This short but sweet hike will definitely get your heart pumping – the trail climbs just over 1,000 ft in 1.25 miles. Waterfall Canyon is accessible year-round, but I find it prettiest in the winter when the waterfall is frozen. I can’t help but sing to myself, “Let it go! Let it go!” from the movie Frozen.

The last 3/4 mile of this trail is rocky and steep, so hiking poles are very helpful, especially for hikers with bad knees or hips. It’s also advised that you don’t climb any of the surrounding cliffs – a few people have died in the past attempting to do so. In summer this trail can get pretty hot, but the stream does flow year-round and dogs can easily drink from it.

Directions

From SLC, head north on I-15 then follow HWY 89 north. Turn right on Harrison Blvd. Drive another 4 miles, and turn right on 30th street, left on Polk Ave, and an immediate right on 29th street. Drive to the very end of the road and turn right into the large parking lot. There are no restrooms. Here is a driving map.

Trail Info

Via 29th Street TH

Distance: 2.5 miles RT

Elevation gain: 1,083 ft

Time: 1-3 hours

Dog friendly? Yes, off leash

Kid friendly? Yes

Fees/Permits? None

 

Via 27th Street TH

Distance: 4 miles RT

Elevation gain: 990 ft

Time: 1-3 hours

 You’ll know you are at the correct TH when you see this little pavilion marked, 29th Street TH. After hiking under this, immediately turn left following the signs for Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST).

 Continue following the BST signs uphill.

 Once on the BST, you’ll hike for another few minutes and hike under/past The Guest Ranch sign. You are now on private property so please be kind and follow Leave No Trace rules, just as you would anywhere else outdoors. If the vandalism continues or too much trash is left behind, I can see the owner easily closing off the gates to hikers/runners. Let’s keep it pristine 🙂

 Eventually the trail turns East and you’ll get your first view of Waterfall Canyon. The waterfall itself is still tucked around the cliffs.

 Cross bridge #1. This is also the first spot where dogs can easily get a drink of water from the stream.

 Right after bridge #1, take an immediate left. Don’t miss the sign – otherwise you’ll hike in the wrong direction.

 Cross bridge #2 – just after this bridge is where the trail begins to get even steeper. Have your 4 Must Have Items for Winter Hiking with you!

 Copper, a Blue Tick coonhound, leads the way.

 Don’t forget to look back down the canyon – you will have a great view of Ogden, UT.

 Ahh, the first view of the waterfall!

 Charlie and I strike a pose in front of this massive frozen waterfall!

As you look around the waterfall area you’ll see a bunch of cables hanging across each side of the canyon walls. These are for the newly developed zip line. In my opinion, this is probably contributing to the vandalism and crack-down on rules in this canyon. My vote is to take down the cables and leave the canyon in its natural state.

This photo was taken February 2015 – it shows just how dry of a winter we had that year. Crazy the difference!

December 2019

This time we took the BST from 27th Street to see the Christmas Tree, then continued on to the waterfall. 

 Love this in Winter!

These pups love exploring together!

Trail Map

 

Both routes you can take. My track via Gaia GPS – the best tracking app! Get your app here for a discount.

Nearby Hike

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