Bell Canyon
Distance: 1.5 miles RT to lower reservoir / 4.7 miles RT to lower falls, climbing ~1443 feet
Difficulty: Easy to reservoir / Moderate-Advanced to first waterfall
Available: year-round
Dogs ARE NOT allowed
One of my favorites! I've already been up a handful of times this year alone. We love to start at the "Bell Canyon GRANITE Trailhead." There's another trailhead called "Bell Canyon Trailhead," that I've heard is more tricky, so my advice is to stick to the one that has "GRANITE" in the title. :) It's found on Little Cottonwood Rd. This hike is a perfect family-friendly hike. I've even seen three year-olds do this hike to the lower reservoir. It starts a little bit steep, with some switchbacks, but levels out on top of the first peak, and takes you around the mountain to the prettiest reservoir. There, you can watch the ducks, there's plenty of space to walk around and have a picnic somewhere, and you can even bring your fishing rod for some catch-and-release fun.
If you want to get to the lower falls (which I HIGHLY recommend), you can continue left (East) up a wide path once you reach the reservoir, and continue on until you get to the falls. It's a moderate/advanced hike, but worth the climb. The waterfall is amazing, and FEELS amazing after you've been sweating to get up there.
For those who want to snowshoe in the winter, I've heard the trails near the reservoir are fantastic. There are bathrooms at the trailhead, and limited space for parking, so try going at a time when there won't be too many crowds. If the parking lot does get full, there's overflow parking to the west of the light of Wasatch Blvd. and Little Cottonwood Rd.
Give it a try!! Hope to catch you on my next M O M S T R O N G hike!
