This 2-Mile Hike In Utah Takes You Through An Enchanting Forest
By Catherine Armstrong|Published July 17, 2019
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
When you live in Utah, you don’t have to travel far to find a great hiking trail. There’s a beautiful hike that takes you through an enchanting forest, and it’s just a few miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to explore.
You'll find the trailhead for the Willow Heights Trail just past the Silver Fork Lodge, about 11 miles up the canyon. Watch for it on your left.
This pretty trail is just 2.2 miles long, round-trip, and it's got all the classic beauty of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest provides plenty of shade on a hot, summer day.
Vibrant wildflowers blanket the forest and fields in the canyon. Bring your camera to capture their beauty, but make sure to leave them where they grow so that others can see their splendor, too.
Say hello to the local residents! You'll almost always find a few ducks hanging out on the little lake, and in warm months, you might even see some darling ducklings.
The other residents you're likely to see are moose, which are plentiful in the canyon. Don't get too close to these massive forest creatures - just admire them from afar.
The Willow Heights Trail is a great adventure, and it's often quite busy, especially on weekends. If possible, hike early on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
As always, please be a good steward when you visit this place. Remember to pack out everything you bring in, and be mindful that others are enjoying this wilderness. Stay on the trail to protect the vegetation surrounding it, and leave no trace.
