Willow Heights: West Fork

 Willow Heights AKA Willow Lake is a fantastic trail near the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features a creek, a small lake, wildflowers, wildlife, and of course a fantastic mixed but mostly aspen forest that is exceptionally beautiful this time of year. I was hoping last nights big storm didn’t blow all of the leaves down, and was happy to see that it hadn’t. There are definitely some bare spots, but still a lot of color to behold up here as well. We enjoy this trail and tend to do it several times a year.

Quick Details:

Length: The west fork is about 9/10 of a mile and the loop around the lake is about 3/4 of a mile total 2.3 mile balloon.
Trail Type: Out and back, Balloon, Loop, Figure 8 options.
Difficulty: Its a bit of a climb, so DR4.
Elevation Gain: About 650 feet.
Restroom: No. Closest one is up canyon at Solitude. Or down canyon at Mill D.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info:

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.

Snow capped mountains (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

Into the canyon (PSP).

Continuing up (PSP).

Wetlands (PSP).

Pretty canyon (PSP).

Mill D was an absolute shit show today (PSP). It took a few minutes to get through the area.

Super pretty today (PSP).

Hitting the aspens (PSP).

Lovely golds (PSP).

The Trail:

On to the hike! The dedication stone is a bit washed out here though. Sorry about that.

The trailhead kiosk is set back just a little bit. It also has not been updated since the trail reroutes, but whatevs. As I understand it, there is a possible plan to update the ones in the tri-canyons eventually.

Into the woods! The aspens at the beginning of the trail appear to have all dropped their leaves, but we can see some color beyond.

Getting there.

Here we go. Wooo!!!

The old trail on the right, and the new rerouted trail on the left. That post is new. I thought for sure it was a directional marker…

But, on closer inspection it appears to be a new trail use counter. I feel like they could totally kill two birds with one stone with a very simple ‘Trail <--‘ sign. Again, whatevs.

Gosh it is pretty up here!

Just loving the pretty yellow aspens.

Trail split. Right is the east fork, which is a little easier, but slightly longer at about a mile. Left is the west fork which is a little shorter at about 9/10th of a mile, but a smidge more tough. The east fork has a section I don’t like, so, we went left today.

The lower bridge.

The creek is quite dry here.

Lots of color.

There are patches of snow leftover from last nights storm. Luckily the trail is generally free of snow.

More lovely aspens.

Closer.

The trail connects to an old dirt road. You want to go right. Left leads to a neighborhood.

This area was slated for development and expanding that neighborhood up here. Luckily Salt Lake City came up with the funds to save it for all of us. That also explains why it has the unusual neighborhood sounding name.

Bare trees with colorful ones in the background. Plus some pretty mountains.

More bare trees.

Lazy switchback.

This switchback is a little more steep and rocky.

Fun red leaf.

More color.

Another lazy switchback.

Peaks on the other side of the canyon.

Here we get a short break from the climb.

Enjoying the flat for a bit.

Snow lined trail.

Well, hello little squirrel friend.

Snowmelt coming down the trail. It wasn’t too muddy… well, a couple of spots but nothing crazy.

Another lazy switchback, and more snow.

Final switchback at the top of a rerouted section.

Back to the climb.

Another patch of color.

More snow.

Pile of fallen trees.

Another short rerouted section.

We took a short alternate route.

More fallen trees that have been cut away.

Leaf littered path.

Color.

Snow and leaves.

More color.

First view of Willow Lake.

With some great reflection.

Along the shore.

I think we hit the fall color a little better last year, but this is pretty good too!

Panoramic.

Lovely reflection.

Cute little chipmunk friend.

She found a gummy of some sort.

The lake again.

I climbed up the hillside a little bit.

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect this trail leads up to one of the neat cone shaped peaks. I am always tempted to check it out, but just haven’t done it yet.

I debated about going around the lake, but who am I kidding? LOL We already did the work, might as well enjoy the easy bit. Plus it is super pretty back there! But, due to the nature of the wetland around the lake, the trail doesn't really go around the shore of the lake like most trails around a lake do.

The lake again.

Pretty aspens.

Back of the lake with the mountains on the other side of the canyon.

Aww, someone made a cute little snow man. Fun.

With the lake.

Aspens and willows.

Again.

Into the woods.

Bare aspens in front of some colorful ones.

Again.

Definitely a lot more snow back here, but at least the trail is clear. I thought this part might be a little more wet and muddy, but it’s fine. This is where a bunch of springs and seeps come up in the spring so it can be quite muddy. I thought the storm might... activate them again.

Pretty trees.

I love it up here.

Super pretty.

Some of the new willow shoots that have come up since a lot of trees fell down a few years ago.

More color.

Looking up.

Forest.

Looking up again.

Someone cut a little seat into this log. Fun.

More forest.

Leaves and snow.

Huh. I wonder where that little trail leads.

Wet trail, but oddly enough it wasn’t really muddy.

Looking up again.

More forest. The color is starting to thin out again.

But there is still a lot to enjoy.

Side canyon.

More color.

Short section where the snow is hanging on the trail. Just a little bit crunchy.

Twin cone shaped peaks.

With the lake.

Twisted aspens.

The big clearing.

Panoramic. I appear to have picked up some schmutz, probably at Oktoberfest and I didn't have a good cloth on me today so sorry about all the artifacts.

The cross roads. Left heads down the east fork, forward the west fork. And right will take you back to the west side of the lake.

The big clearing.

Little depression that holds a small pond in the early season.

Panoramic.

Another fun cone shaped peak.

Twin cones on the other side.

Fun reds.

Back into the forest.

The upper bridge.

There is a little bit of water trickling down the creek up here. I wonder where it percolates back under ground.

Downstream.

Wall of aspens.

Mixed forest.

Nekkid aspens.

Colorful patch.

Mixed forest.

Geranium leaf.

First switchback next to the creek.

This is a fun phenomenon. The snow in the pine trees is starting to melt, and essentially making little rain showers "tree clouds". It was kind of neat.

Continuing down.

Hitting another colorful patch.

Mountains on the other side of the canyon.

Again.

Back into a bare patch.

But the color is not far.

The 2nd elbow next to the creek. Here you want to start paying attention and looking for the trail split on your left side that will get you back to the trailhead. It’s less than a 10th of a mile from here.

More color.

The small trail marker to guide you back to the main trail. If you miss it, it’s not the end of the world. Forward will take you down into a neighborhood where you can get back to Big Cottonwood Road, and back up to the trailhead. It is about 4/10ths of a mile longer than the main trail to the left.

Now the sun is almost below the ridge on the other side of the canyon.

Which sure dropped the temperature in a hurry!

Color.

More.

Silver Fork on the other side of the canyon.

Color.

The lower bridge.

Over the empty creek.

Color.

Trail split. Right will get us back to the trailhead. Left will go back up the east fork.

Color.

Back to the trail counter.

We were curious how they got it into the 4x4… oh they hollowed out the backside duh.

Continuing down.

Color.

Hitting another bare patch.

Again, the color isn’t too far off.

Back to trailhead.

Heading back down the canyon (PSP).

Silver Fork Lodge (PSP).

Some color (PSP).

Snow and color (PSP).

Nearing Mill D (PSP). I thought the leaf peeping traffic would be worse than it was coming down tonight, but it wasn’t bad at all.

This tree got a particular spotlight with the setting sun (PSP).

Little wetland (PSP).

Lit up color (PSP).

Color at Mill B South (PSP).

Mouth of the canyon (PSP).

Lower Big Cottonwood Canyon and Down Town Salt Lake City (PSP).

The Cottonwood Paper Mill or what we just call The Old Mill (PSP).

Well that was fun, as always. There is a reason we tend to do this trail several times a year. It is super pretty all year long, but there is just something magical about it this time of year. Well, I mean any good colorful trail is this time of year is magical. We passed by a few people along the way, but actually got the lake to ourselves for a minute, which is always nice. However, it would’ve been nice to have a moose sighting too. This is a good trail for that often. Anyway, 10 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty, it is a bit of a climb, and does make me have to stop to catch my breath. DR4.

Dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon due to watershed restrictions, so be sure to leave Fido home for this one.