Heughs Canyon Waterfall

A hike that goes up and up to see a waterfall

After leaving an extremely dry Southern California, I quickly wanted to seek out some waterfalls in Utah. Before long, I had found several to the east of Salt Lake City and Heughs Canyon became my first selection.

Not wanting to be too aggressive to start off, I selected this one due to its ease of access, good water flow, and fairly limited mileage.

Surprising to me was that the trailhead was on Wasatch Boulevard in a residential area. In fact, the first portion of the hike traverses up a steep hill through a neighborhood. Not your typical start to a hike, but we quickly got into the wilderness after roughly 0.3 miles.

The trail hugs a small stream and the hike takes you on a pretty steady incline the entire way. At one point, I turned and could easily see the Oquirrh Mountains towering in the distance.

View of the Oquirrh Mountains from the Heughs Canyon Trail

Eventually the trail crosses two small foot-bridges on your way to the falls. You know you're at the end once you encounter a large rock slide. This is probably the toughest part of the hike as there is no specific trail and your steps are very uneven.

At this point, you're hearing the roar of the falls and it almost appears as if you've hit a dead hit. At the end of the rock-pile, against the canyon wall, you'll find a small passage that leads to the waterfall. Here, you're likely to get your feet wet as there are not many above-water rocks

Hopefully at this point, there are not many others around. The base of the falls is a small canyon, so there isn't a lot of space to move about. In person, the falls appears much larger than in photos and and on a bright day can be partially in the sun as well as the shade.

Of to the opposite side of the canyon, you'll find a small cave. Without a headlamp, I wasn't feeling to ambitious to check it out, but would be curious what is down there.

Overall, I was very pleased with this initial hike. The incline was a bit more than I expected, but the payoff at the end was fantastic.

Know Before You Go

Parking at the trailhead is limited. We actually parked down the street at the Park & Ride.
While there is some sun cover, hat/sunglasses/sunscreen are always recommended.
Your feet are likely to get wet, be sure to pack a change of shoes/socks.
The rock pile at the end could be a little challenging for less-experienced hikers. Take it slow and avoid a fall.
The trail is a rather steep incline most of the way. It's a bit tougher than the mileage would indicate.