Where: Little Cottonwood Creek Trail up Little Cottonwood Canyon
Distance: 3.5 miles total, but may walk any distance and turn around at any time
Hiking Time: Varies
Little Cottonwood Trail starts at the entrance to Little Cottonwood Canyon and follows Little Cottonwood Creek east. Primary activities on the trail include hiking, trail running, and mountain biking but dogs are not allowed. Parking is free.
We started in the middle of the trail and walked west along the creek trail for about 45 minutes then turned around. Below is a description of the section we "hiked".
Directions: From the large parking area at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, follow the Little Cottonwood Canyon Road up the canyon for 2.7 miles. Before the road enters a bend to the right, turn into the small turnout parking area on your right. Across the road to the north is the trailhead for Lisa Falls. After you park, walk down the hill to where you join the east-to-west Little Cottonwood Trail. You can head east or west, it's your choice.
If you decide to start at the bottom of the trail, park in the parking lot at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon where the paved road veers to the right (at the stop sign). This is the same parking lot as the Temple Quarry Trail.
The trail is mostly wide and smooth. There are also smaller trails off the main trail that lead down to the creek. It was fun to explore the creek and see the flowing water and throw some rocks into the creek. Towards the end of our walk we stopped at a bridge that spanned the creek. Great picture spot and area to view the red berries and changing leaves on the trees. After we turned around, it was a bit tricky finding the spot where we leave the trail and head back up the hill to our cars. At least 6 adults walked right past the turnoff without noticing. I would recommend leaving something bright at this point so you know when to turn back to your cars. There was a small cairn set up that we didn't notice at first. If you head to the east end of the trail, there is a historic mill you can view.
...
I don't know what it is babies in backpack carriers, but it's adorable! Love seeing her little face riding behind me.
We took a short side trail down to the creek to feel the water. It was fun to see the creek up close.
At the part where we turned around there was a bridge that spanned the creek. We walked across it and saw these beautiful red berries growing on the trees.
These little friends holding hands while hiking just about killed me it was so cute.
I loved the parts of the trail that opened up wide and you could see the large granite canyon walls.
A great little hike on a rainy cloudy day! Luckily we only felt a few sprinkles.
