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The road into Big Cottonwood Canyon begins at Cottonwood Heights' back door, which makes this small city on the southeast edge of the Salt Lake Valley a natural basecamp for the Wasatch Mountains. Granite cliffs rise directly above its neighborhoods, and within 20 minutes of leaving town you can be hiking alpine lakes or skiing world-famous Utah powder at Brighton and Solitude.
The area was settled by Mormon pioneer farmers and named after the cottonwood trees along the creeks. Granite quarried at the mouth of nearby Little Cottonwood Canyon was hauled past here to build the Salt Lake Temple, and the stone ruins of an 1880s paper mill still stand beside Big Cottonwood Creek. Cottonwood Heights only became a city in 2005.
Today most visitors are outdoors people. Trailheads such as Ferguson Canyon start right in town, the canyon byway leads to Donut Falls and Lake Blanche, and the recreation center offers a pool and ice rink. Downtown Salt Lake City is about 20 minutes north, and Snowbird and Alta are a short drive south.
A winding 15-mile road from the mouth of the canyon up to Brighton, climbing past granite walls, aspen groves and dozens of trailheads and picnic areas. Fall color peaks in late September. In winter the road requires traction devices or 4WD on storm days, and parking fills early on weekends.
The stone shell of a paper mill built in the early 1880s at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, gutted by fire in the 1890s and later used as a dance hall. The roofless walls are a striking photo subject beside the creek. View it from the edge of the property, as access to the ruins is restricted.
A popular family hike in upper Big Cottonwood Canyon to a waterfall that pours through a hole in the rock roof of a small cave. The trail is about 3.5 miles round trip with gentle climbing. The final scramble is slippery, so wear grippy shoes and avoid the falls during high spring runoff.
A demanding hike of about 7 miles round trip gaining roughly 2,700 feet to Lake Blanche, a glacial lake beneath the jagged peak of Sundial. Nearby Lakes Florence and Lillian are a short walk farther. Start early to avoid afternoon heat and storms, and note that dogs are not allowed in this watershed.
A trail starting right in a Cottonwood Heights neighborhood that climbs into a narrow canyon of granite walls and shady streamside forest. Climbers use the cliffs, while hikers often turn around at a meadow about two miles in. Parking at the trailhead is small, so come early and park legally on the street.
A Forest Service site in lower Big Cottonwood Canyon with picnic tables, a pond and an amphitheater beneath the steep quartzite walls of Storm Mountain, a popular rock-climbing area. It is just minutes from town, ideal for a shaded lunch. A small day-use fee applies and group sites can be reserved.
A busy community center with an indoor pool, an outdoor summer pool with slides, an ice rink for public skating and hockey, a fitness area and courts. Day passes are available to visitors, which makes it a good backup when mountain weather turns. Check the public skating schedule before you go.
The city's summer festival, named after the early Butlerville settlement, is held around the Pioneer Day holiday in late July. It brings a parade, carnival rides, food trucks, concerts, a car show and a fireworks finale over a city park. Entry is generally free, and parking is easiest via shuttle.
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Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Charles Roscoe Savage, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
