See a Demolition Derby on the way to a Waterfall
In search of yet another waterfall, Farmington Canyon was one of the few that seemed to have good flow in late April.
Farmington Canyon is about 40 minutes north of Salt Lake City. The first thing to establish is whether or not the winter gate is open or closed. The gate seems to be closed from December through mid-May and when closed, adds some mileage to the hike.
There are a few different spots to park, so you may have to drive about to see what is available. It's easy to head in the wrong direction when beginning the hike, so ensure that you're heading into the canyon as opposed to up the nearly hill.
If the gate is closed, you'll simply follow the paved road and pass the stream to your level. Eventually you'll reach a bend in the road and migrate to the right up a small dirt hill.
From here you'll follow the clearly defined trail until you get to a small waterfall. Many stop here thinking this is the conclusion of the hike (and honestly with young children, this may be an appropriate end), but the trail moves further.
At the smaller waterfall, you can hike up to the left along a narrow path and see the remains of a crashed vehicle.
We made the initial mistake of trying to continue along the small path, but quickly realized that we were on the wrong path. We circled back to the small waterfall and continued along a path to the right of the small waterfall.
As you continue along the trail, you'll pass at least four more vehicle wrecks and you begin to ask yourself why there is so many.
Eventually you'll hear the roaring of the main waterfall down below the path. When just above the waterfall, you'll (hopefully) find a thin rope that allows you to descend down into the canyon by the waterfall.
Once at the bottom, you can take in the roaring waterfall. There isn't a lot of space at the bottom to set up as the canyon walls tilt inward and anyone coming down is likely to initiate some rockfalls. If you're ambitious, you can get up next to the waterfall or cross the creek and take in the waterfall at different perspectives.
Aside from the lack of space at the bottom of the falls, this is truly one of the epic waterfalls of the Salt Lake region & the wrecked vehicles add a fun extra touch to this hike!
Know Before You Go
Parking at the trailhead is limited. You may have to park at the lower parking area and add some mileage to your hike.
While there is some sun cover, hat/sunglasses/sunscreen are always recommended.
Water crossings are minimal.
In the winter, the main gate to the trail is closed. The hike can still be accomplished, but it will add some mileage along a paved road.
Descending down to the waterfall is a little tricky, so this trail is only recommended in if you are top physical shape.
Resources
Video
Location
Off the 15 North in Farmington, Utah. You'll pass through a small residential area on the way to the trailhead. The Lagoon Amusement Park is right by the trailhead.
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