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Willow Heights is a fantastic trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features a stream, canyon views, wildflowers, a pond, and a beautiful aspen forest which is absolutely spectacular this time of year. This trail is particularly pretty in fall, but it is lovely every other time of the year as well, so we tend to do it often, usually several times a year.
I had decided that we were not going to do anything in Big Cottonwood Canyon on a weekend day during prime leaf peeping time, buuut.. it just looked so amazing passing by it last Thursday. In the end, I am glad I decided to break my rule today.
Quick Details:
Length: The west fork is about 9/10 of a mile. The east fork is about a mile, and the loop around the lake is about 3/4 of a mile total 2.65 mile loop. We uh… had some fun detours today and ended up doing 2.5 miles out and back.
Trail Type: Loop, Figure 8, out and back, your choice.
Difficulty: It is a bit of a climb, DR4.
Elevation Gain: About 650 feet.
Restroom: No. Closest would be at Solitude, or Brighton. Or if heading back down, Mill D is the next option.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info: Be aware: Big Cottonwood Canyon can be absolutely bonkers on a weekend during prime leaf peeping season.
To Get Here:
Head up Big Cottonwood Canyon about 11.6 miles up from Wasatch Boulevard. It is just past the Silver Fork Lodge. About halfway between mile marker 13 and 14 there will be a boulder on the left (north) side of the road. If you reach Solitude you went too far, but don’t worry. the canyon ends at a loop that will easily turn you around.
The mountains look great (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).
Again (PSP).
Into Big Cottonwood Canyon (PSP).
Patches of color (PSP).
Lone tree (PSP).
More color (PSP).
Color up on the hills (PSP).
Well, traffic was moving up okay (PSP). But just below Mill D it slowed to a crawl and we started to kind of regret our choice.
I can see why Mill D is so busy (PSP). It’s pretty in there right now.
Traffic (PSP). Oh boy, what have we gotten ourselves into?
The hills above (PSP).
Oh boy (PSP). Well, I mean we’re already stuck in it, might as well keep going.
Pretty aspens (PSP).
Just waiting to flip to the other side of the road (PSP).
The canyon above.
Busy trailhead.
Roadside color.
Somebody got married somewhere up canyon (PSP).
The Trail:
The dedication Stone.
Starting the trail. Look how colorful it is!
Super pretty.
The trailhead kiosk is just a smidge back. It also hasn’t been updated since the trails were rerouted several years ago.
Fallen trees.
A thatching ants dome. They build these domes out of twigs, pine needles, and grasses.
Closer.
More fallen trees.
Trail counter.
Lovely forest.
Beautiful golds.
T-junction. Right will lead to the east fork, which is slightly longer at about a mile, but is a little easier. Left is the west fork, which is about 9/10ths of a mile, but is a little tougher. However, that is my preferred route, so left we go.
Lower bridge.
The creek is currently dry.
Lots of yellow.
I just love the aspens.
But my absolute favorite is when they go gold and red.
I love this time of year.
This spot still has some green.
The woodpeckers sure seem to like this tree.
First switchback.
Lovely color.
A couple of wildflowers still hanging on.
Some golds.
So pretty.
We hit it at just about prime color.
2nd switchback.
Here we get a nice break from the climb.
More color.
Another short rerouted section.
I love sun kissed aspens.
3rd switchback.
With a creek overlook.
Pretty mix.
4th and final switchback at the top of the reroute.
More color.
Leaves decorating the pines like Christmas Trees.
Looking up.
Then down at the leaf littered trail.
Stunning aspens.
Looking up again.
More color.
Nearing the top.
More color.
Small clearing.
Pretty aspens.
Thick patch.
Looking up.
We prefer to take a smaller fork up. It is a thinner trail, but it is obviously still being maintained, someone is cutting the fallen trees away.
More pretty forest.
Continuing along.
Last time we came through here there was a momma moose and her baby and well, it was a bit of an intense experience. So, I was absolutely keeping my head on a swivel.
More color.
Another little clearing.
Whoa… a lot of trees are gone. What the heck?
Oh… it looks like the beavers have been quite active.
I let out an audible gasp here. What the hell??? Where is the lake? This is nuts! I have never, ever seen it this low. I know we had a really crappy water year, but dang.
More beaver damage. I mentioned to Landis that I would really love to one day get a chance to see a beaver nomming on a tree.
The fall color is absolutely spectacular, but I am really struggling with the state of the pond.
A geranium hanging on.
I managed to get a little bit of reflection.
More felled trees.
The beaver dam with access holes I have never seen before. But I mean, I think they are normally underwater.
The pond is so low. :(
The back end.
The dam again.
Oh my! Look at that!
Lets get the telephoto lens on….
A beaver! Hello cutey pie!
Ahh!! look how cute it is!
Swimming. This is generally about the extent of what I normally see of beavers.
Coming back up.
Hello cutey!
Swimming towards us.
Ahh! So cute.
Face.
And body. It’s crazy, it doesn’t seem like there is enough water for them to be able to swim like this. But, more on that in a minute.
I loves it!
Coming up out of the water again.
Well, this is neat.
Ahh!!! Look at those little hands!
I wanna take her home.
Wet beaver. Control the 6 year old brain snorts.
Swimming.
Climbing up on shore.
The infamous beaver tail! So cool to finally really see.
Again.
Into the bushes
Chewing on some wood.
I did say I would love to see a beaver nom on a tree one day, and well, here we are! Although, I was thinking a still standing tree, but this is still neat.
Just enjoying the beaver sighting.
Another one coming over.
Again.
This one is quite a bit smaller than the other. I was not sure if this was a parent/offspring situation, or maybe a male/female size difference. After coming home, I did a little research and learned that beavers do not have sexual dimorphism so, this must be a juvenile. Fun!
So cute!
Back into the water.
Swimming.
Well, I forget which one I am looking at now…
Swimming.
Chewing.
Look how cute it is! Ahh!
I just wanna take it home, but you know, wildlife should remain wild.
Chomping.
Look at that cute face!
Swimming away.
Swimming.
Quick video. In slow motion cause I hit a wrong button haha.
They are working on building a new lodge. I suspect because the water is so low. It took me a minute to pick up what was happening here.
Amazing color behind the pond. I was a little enamored with the beavers and forgot that we were here for fall color today. But hey, here it is for a second….
We decided to cross the dry pond bed to the other side.
Moose tracks.
Last time we were here we got to see the beaver scare the moose off. It was absolutely incredible.
Working on the new lodge.
Swimming.
Quick video.
Working.
Another quick video.
Swimming.
Into a canal.
Today we learned that beavers dig canals! More on that in a bit…
Back out… with a stick stuck to it’s head.
Alright.. I managed to peel myself away from the beavers.
The colorful trees again.
Fun cone shaped peaks.
Amazing color.
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Panoramic.
The old beaver lodge is now high and dry. I guess that explains why they are busy building a new one.
Color behind the lake again.
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Another panoramic.
The old beaver lodge again.
Color again.
I am a little torn between the pretty color, and the interesting beaver lodge haha.
Back to the lodge.
One of the entrances.
A little closer.
This is really freaking neat! It’s not everyday you get to explore an abandoned beaver lodge.
Another entrance.
Closer.
Another entrance.
Color behind the lake. Normally we would continue the loop through back there, but we are running out of light.
Color towards the front, plus another beaver canal.
So yea, I suspected these canals were dug out by the beavers, and reading about beavers on the good ol Wikipedia I learned that is indeed a thing beaver do. Neat! I love when a hike has a curiosity that leads to me learning something new.
Neat cone shaped peaks.
One of the canals leading to the lodge. Which kind of solidifies the fact that they were dug out by the beavers.
More canals.
Back towards the lodge.
Color.
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Panoramic.
Looking back towards the dam, with more beaver canals.
More color.
More canals.
The dam.
The new lodge being built.
Now that I am fully understanding what is happening here, I am very concerned about these beavers. I really hope that there is enough water to keep them safe through winter. I also hope we get enough moisture to refill the pond to it’s regular levels.
Openings in the dam.
Okay, time to head back down.
Beaver cut trees.
The very sad state of the lake. :(
Beaver.
On land.
One last view of the lake.
A geranium flower hanging on while the leaves start to turn. That is neat.
Pretty color.
Where the main trail crosses the currently bone dry creek.
More color.
Geranium leaves. They tend to be one of the first to change colors from what I have seen.
More color.
Continuing down.
It was about here that Landis noticed I didn’t have my hiking pole. Crap! Well, luckily we didn’t get too far down. I need to start using the darn strap.
Back to the lake.
Beaver cut trees.
Geranium.
Beaver on the lodge they are building.
There is my hiking pole, right where I sat down to watch the beavers work LOL. Again, luckily we had not gone too far.
The new lodge again.
Alright. Heading Back Down Part 2: Electric Boogaloo.
The lake again. Plus, look at all of the beaver canals! Crazy to know those have been under the water for who knows how long.
Beaver cut trees.
Color.
Well, my oops meant we got to see a beaver come harvest some willows. Neat!
Color.
I love aspen trees.
Color.
Back to the little clearing.
Color.
I took way too many pictures of the beavers today, so the battery in my camera died. So, the rest of these photos will be from my phone. I hate relying on my phone to take pictures, but I do appreciate the backup option.
We are rapidly losing light, but it is still super pretty.
Leaf littered trail.
Pretty forest.
Pretty hillside.
Continuing down.
Color.
Orange. I am not sure what kind of plant this is.
Silver Fork on the other side of the canyon.
Continuing down.
The 3rd switchback.
Lovely color.
Color.
2nd switchback.
Continuing down.
The 1st switchback (4th on the way down, 2nd next to the creek) here is where you want to start paying attention for the split to take you back to the trailhead.
Color.
Yellow leaves.
Look for these twin pines.
The trail split is right after them, with a very small sign. It’s not the end of the world if you miss it, but it will take you down through a neighborhood, then you have to hike back up Big Cottonwood Road to the trailhead.
Continuing down.
Silver Fork again.
It so pretty up here.
Down to the lower bridge.
The the trail split. Left will head back up the East Fork. Right will get us back down to the trailhead.
More forest.
Trail counter.
Forest.
Back to the trailhead and … holy crap! I was afraid of that! Just a bumper to bumper crawl as far as I can see.
Well, some nice person let us in, but now we have the long crawl down (PSP).
Well, we were stuck in it for about 15-20 minutes, down to Mill D, then it started to flow properly again for the most part. Not the worst that we have experienced, but you know, still not fun.
Todays path.
That was an amazing adventure today! The color was just about prime, it wasn’t too busy, and the beaver sightings, WOW!!! But, I do feel bad for the reason it was so great today. I hope we get enough moisture for them to be able to thrive in the area going forward. No moose sighting today, but that’s okay. I had a wonderful time, but I am going to remove a squirrel due to the traffic situation. So 9 out of 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, it is a bit of a climb, DR4.
Dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon due to it being protected watershed.
