Gloria Falls - Little Cottonwood Canyon
Gloria Falls was a new addition to my summer bucketlist and last week seemed as good a time as any to check it off. It's only 2 miles round trip, but it has a steady climb, totally doable for littles if you take your time.
There is one catch, after the third bridge, head left. There are no signs and the path isn't clear. But you will follow the river up about 5 minutes to reach the falls.
We missed the turn and our 2 mile hike turned into an 8.5 mile hike up to Red Pine Lake instead. No complaints tho. We asked a few people on the way and they said it was worth it. TOTALLY was!
Then we caught the falls on our way back down.
This is the first bridge shortly after the parking lot.
Second bridge on the main path, keep going.
And this is the third bridge, this is where you cross the river that leads to the falls. Turn left after you cross. You can follow the path up the other side of the river but then you will be on the wrong side for the best view.
looking up river.
Like I said, it's only about 5 min walk up hill after the 3rd bridge, to reach these incredible falls.
Ice cold water. I love hiking in Chacos in the summer for this reason. These ones are on sale.
The views coming back down the mountain were so beautiful! Little Cottonwood Canyon is one of my favorites.
Know before you go - this trail accesses or travels through potential avalanche terrain. For more information and to read the daily avalanche forecast please visit: https://utahavalanchecenter.org. It is suggested that users download the route before hiking as the paths can get a bit confusing. This is a gorgeous trail with some inclines but plenty of recovery time. The waterfalls have been marked by waypoints on the map. Keep an eye out for moose!
Bathrooms available
No dogs
Length2.8 mi
Elevation gain574 ft
Route: Out & back
