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Bell Canyon is a fantastic canyon in Sandy. The trail features 2 reservoirs, and 2 waterfalls (so far we have only been to the lower one of each). As well as a beautiful mixed forest, and lovely valley views. It has 3 trailheads now, but since they completed the Preservation Trailhead in 2022 the other 2 are pretty much dead to me. This trailhead starts you up a little higher up on the easier trail. it has TONS of parking, flush toilets, water, etc. It is just the superior trailhead now.
Quick Details:
Length: It is about .65 miles to the reservoir, and an additional mile around the middle loop so a total of about a 2.3 mile balloon.
Trail Type: Balloon, out and back, connector options.
Difficulty: It is a bit up, but not too bad. DR4. You get most of the climb out of the way in the first 1/4 mile.
Elevation Gain: About 470 feet.
Restroom: Yes, flush toilets at the trailhead.
Dogs? No. it is within protected watershed.
Other Info:
To Get Here:
Take the 90th south exit from i15 and head east up to Wasatch Blvd. Turn right. Go about 600 feet and turn left. Head up the hill. There is a big parking lot at the top, and a smaller lot just below. Each access the trail, but the upper lot is shortest and I have yet to find it full. There is a 3rd even smaller lot, but that looks like it is more for utility/city use.
Clouds over Little Cottonwood Canyon (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).
Some lovely color (PSP).
Fun clouds (PSP).
Little Cottonwood Canyon as we head up to the trailhead (PSP).
The Trail:
Starting from the upper parking lot.
Little Cottonwood Canyon again.
Some lovely color below.
Some water damage on the trail.
This is new. It directs you to download What 3 Words. A very helpful app that tells you exactly where you are and is helpful if you need to be rescued. It has been on the news for a few years now, but this is only the 2nd time I have seen a sign suggesting that, the other one was in Layton.
Very rocky trail.
The scrub oak just starting to turn color.
View into the gully we will pass through.
Then we start the switchbacks.
The valley.
The 2nd switchback.
People coming down the switchbacks.
3rd switchback.
Valley view again.
4th switchback.
The Preservation Trailhead Nature Trail and the upper parking lot below.
Fun sun rays.
5th switchback.
6th.
7th.
View into the gully again.
More fun sun rays.
8th switchback. This one normally triggers my fear of heights but for some reason didn’t today. The lizard brain makes absolutely no sense sometimes.
More oaks starting to change color.
At about a quarter of a mile we reach the top of the ridge and get a break from the climb for a minute. Phew! The best part of this trail is that you get the worst of the climb out in the beginning. Afterwards is practically nothin.
The gully we will be crossing. We are heading towards that saddle on the ridge on the other side. The trail is just to the left of the maintenance road.
First we have to go back down the other side of the ridge.
Little bit of water damage.
The gully again.
Sun rays.
Continuing along.
Fun boulders. We will explore those a little more closely on the way down.
The hills above.
Below.
Sun rays.
Pretty purple oaks.
Again.
Big boulder at the elbow, which means now we start to climb again.
Starting the climb to the next ridge.
Orange maple.
Yellow maples.
Yellow oaks.
More climbing.
The trail we just came down on the other side.
Some lovely reds.
Rocky trail.
Colorful leaves.
The valley.
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Panoramic.
The gully below.
The valley again.
Signs of granite quarrying. You can learn more about this at the nearby Temple Quarry Trail.
More, with some grass growing in the drill holes.
More.
Continuing the climb.
More changing oaks.
Continuing up.
Some flowers hanging on.
A tale of 2 seasons.
Mountains to the north.
We made it! Phew!
If you are after the waterfall, go left. If you just want the lower reservoir, the best view is to the right.
First view of the reservoir.
Heading around it.
Better view of the reservoir.
Upper Bell Canyon. Where the Lower, Upper Falls and Upper Reservoir are.
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Panoramic.
The reservoir.
Lovely color and the upper canyon.
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Another panoramic.
The North Bell Bottom Twins Peak (As I call ‘em).
The upper canyon.
The reservoir.
Heading down into the next gully.
Pretty trees.
The reservoir.
Dry Creek heading down from the reservoir.
The reservoir again. Woo, we caught it with really good fall color.
Panoramic.
Bridge over Dry Creek. This is newish, built in 2018.
Again.
Dry Creek.
Back to the reservoir. Wow!
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Panoramic.
Dry Creek flowing out of the reservoir.
Some pretty color in this side gully. The trail down to the Boulders Trailhead comes up here.
Continuing around.
The South Lower Bell Twin (as I call it).
Color.
Its nice and flat through here.
More lovely color.
Small tree tunnel.
Little flower.
More trees.
Oak leaves.
Low clouds.
Continuing along.
More lovely color.
The south end of the valley.
Mountains to the south.
Looking back towards the South Bell Bottom Twin (again, as I call it).
The reservoir and some color.
The reservoir and the north twin above it.
Color.
Trail split. Left will lead to the middle loop. Right will lead to the upper loop. The lower loop can really only be done when the reservoir is super low.
The back side of the lake.
Lots of nice color back here.
Oak leaves.
A tree that split into 4 trees.
It actually probably started out as 4 separate trees that eventually grew into each other.
More oak leaves.
More forest.
Another bridge.
Over Dry Creek as it heads down into the reservoir.
Downstream.
The bridge again. This looks a little bit older.
From the other side.
Again.
Tree stars!!! Actually thimbleberry leaves. But they look like tree stars.
Lovely color today.
Forest.
Maple leaves.
Ferns that have changed color.
Little maples.
Pretty purples.
Google suggests it is Dogwood.
Itty bitty maples.
Fallen leaves.
Aspens and dogwoods.
Lovely purple.
Aspens.
More dogwood.
More ferns.
Aspens.
More color.
Some oaks that haven’t started to turn yet.
Closer.
Maples.
Forest.
Yellow.
Closer.
A different type of maple. Likely boxelder maple. We actually learned there are quite a few different types of maple when we did the Seattle Japanese Garden.
Closer.
More color.
Maples.
Color.
Leaf litter.
More color.
More forest. I love it back here.
A fun little clearing with boulders.
More color.
Gnarly tree and reeds.
Color.
Fallen aspen leaf.
Boxelder maple.
Forest.
Weird trees.
More granite quarrying.
It looks like they successfully split it.
Forest.
Another gnarly tree.
Lots of color.
We found a small side stream.
It must come from a spring or 2.
Maple leaves.
Some that haven’t changed color yet.
More color.
More maples.
Back to the main trail, which is the old maintenance road. If you have more energy, the waterfalls and upper reservoir are to the right. Left will get us back to the trailhead.
View up, to the right.
View down to the left. We went down.
Some color. With both Bell Bottom Twin Peaks (as I call them) behind.
Drainage pipe.
Color.
Little peek at the reservoir.
Puddle reflections.
The reservoir.
Mountains above.
Back to where we first saw the reservoir.
With the view of the valley.
Downtown.
Working our way down the side gully.
Leaves.
The valley.
Color below.
The trail heading up to the ridge on the other side.
Pretty purple oak leaves.
Continuing down.
We took the thin side trail down to some neat boulders.
Neat granite boulders.
These are great examples of granite quarrying.
Split rock.
Again.
Drill marks from where the boulders were split.
They split the granite boulders into blocks that they used to build various buildings, including the Salt Lake Temple, and even some closer ones like the Muir-Poulsen Historic Home.
They used giant drill bits that they would drive in with sledgehammers until the stone would split.
Again, you can learn more about that at the nearby Temple Quarry Trail.
More drill marks.
Rocks stuck between split boulders.
Big boulder.
Fun line of crystals.
Back on the main trail with a view of the trail heading up the other side of the gully.
A couple more flowers hanging on.
More oak leaves.
Big boulder at the elbow. So now we start the short climb up to the ridge.
Sun rays.
Color.
The big boulders we were at.
Climbing up to the ridge. It’s not too bad.
Colorful gully below.
Antelope Island across a hazy valley.
Top of the ridge.
View of the valley.
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Panoramic.
Heading back down the switchbacks along the front. Here is #8.
Which is a little awkward, and sometimes freaks me out, but I did fine on it today. Again, the lizard brain makes no sense.
The new fancy trailhead. With the Nature Trail on the left, Upper parking lot middle, and lower parking lot right.
#7.
#6.
#5.
#4.
The trailhead again.
Switchback #3.
Oak leaves.
#2.
#1.
Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Cute flowers.
After this we decided to drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon.
That was a great trail today! I love this reservoir, it is quite pretty for being one so easy to get to. Plus, the fall color was just maybe a smidge past prime, but still absolutely beautiful. It was a little more busy than I am used to, but not absolutely horrible. I am pleased with my choice today overall. 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, it is a bit of a climb up the first switchbacks, but after that it is fine. DR4.
Dogs are not allowed due to being within the protected watershed boundary.
