Easy Hike to Donut Falls Utah
Donut Falls in Utah is an easy, kid-friendly hike with one of the most unique and picturesque waterfalls in Utah. This is one you’ll definitely want to add to your bucket list! The waterfall gets its name from the fact that the top of the waterfall actually descends into a cave through a donut-shaped hole before a second waterfall cascades down the mountain.
To get there, drive about 9 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon until you reach the parking lot at North Fork Trailhead. The Donut Falls Utah trailhead is located about 0.8 miles from the main road. Once you pass the Jordan Pines campground, the road becomes a dirt road and you pass some private summer homes. The trailhead is very popular and the parking lot fills up easily, and if it does the only other place to park is back by the main road. So unless you don’t mind adding another 1.6 miles to your hike, we recommend avoiding the weekend traffic.
The trail is officially rated as “easy” but be warned that if you have little kids, the end of the trail by the falls is not that easy. We hiked it with four kids ages 8 and under, including a toddler in a hiking backpack and we were fine. But once you reach the creek, you have to do a bit of scrambling down some very smooth, well-worn boulders to get to the water.
Then you have to cross the water and there’s no way to do it without getting wet. That part isn’t that bad – just be careful with kiddos. From there, you’ll be able to reach the base of the waterfall and see the “donut” from a distance. My 4-year old was disappointed that it wasn’t actually a waterfall made of all the leftover donuts like I told her it was! She’s seen Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs too many times, I guess.
The bucket list part of the hike is actually getting up inside the cave to see the donut up close, so I highly recommend doing that, if you’re able. But this is the part of the hike I would say is not kid-friendly at all. It requires scrambling up some wet, slippery boulders to get to the top of the falls. And to get inside the cave, you have to wade through some knee-deep water that is very cold. I let my kids go up about 1/3 of the way before I went the rest of the way solo.
Lucky for me, Brittany didn’t mind being left behind with the kids and they had fun watching and waving at me from the base of the falls. But I loved being inside the cave and feeling the raw power of all that water pouring down through hole in the cave ceiling. It’s a unique experience you don’t get with other waterfalls, especially in Utah! This is one hike I’d highly recommend moving to the top of your Utah bucket list because it’s one of the most unique and best hikes in Utah.
Donut Falls Utah is definitely one of the more unique waterfalls out there and we’re fortunate that it’s so easily accessible for all to enjoy.
Donut Falls is just one of many awesome hikes in Big Cottonwood Canyon, so make sure to stay and play. Big Cottonwood is also home to Brighton & Solitude ski resorts, so it’s kind of a mecca for family-friendly adventure. You could also check out some hikes in Little Cottonwood Canyon – it’s the next canyon over just a short drive away!
If you’re coming from out of town to do some of these hikes or if you’re a local looking for staycation ideas, check out the brand new Courtyard Salt Lake City Cottonwood! It’s located right at the base of the canyons and next to one of our favorite places to eat after a long hike – Porcupine Pub & Grille.
Happy trails! 🤘🏻
-JJ
Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free printable Utah Bucket List for a list of the top hikes in the great state of Utah, both for kid-friendly and more adventurous hikes.
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