Bells Canyon Boulders Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

This is part of a public watershed, so no dogs and no human waste near the reservoir or the streams. There is no restroom at this trailhead, but there is one at the regular Bells Canyon Trail trailhead.

This trail starts at a nice parking lot that looks a little out of place among the enormous houses along Wasatch Boulevard. After leaving the parking lot, the trail ascends along a fence near some of these houses, and the trail at this point is well maintained and nicely stepped as you parallel one of the neighboring roads. Pretty soon, however, the trail leaves the road and the houses behind, and shows its true colors. "The Boulders Trail" is not a misnomer, and pretty soon the trail becomes a steep series of patches of dirt mixed in between patches of boulders and cobbles and occasional wooden steps.

About 1/5 of a mile into the trail, there is a slight decline to a bridge over the creek that exits Bells Canyon Reservoir, which is a really pretty spot in early spring when the runoff is large and rapid. After this brief respite, the trail again becomes steep and rocky until you get up close to the reservoir. Luckily, the trail is only 0.5 long, and so just about anyone can enjoy the beauty of the creek and the reservoir at the end of the trail. For some additional views, one can run around the reservoir from the end of this trail, or meet up with the Bells Canyon Trail to head further up the canyon towards the waterfall or the upper reservoir.