Big Cottonwood Canyon has the famous hikes. Lake Blanche gets the crowds, Donut Falls gets the families. Lower Mill B North Fork is the one that gets you mostly to yourself.

The Lower Mill B North Fork Trail sits in the Mount Olympus Wilderness inside Big Cottonwood Canyon, about 4.5 miles up from the canyon mouth. The trail covers 2.2 miles round trip with 900 feet of gain through dense aspen and pine forest alongside a creek, ending at a point where the canyon narrows and the terrain gets wilder. It’s a short hike that earns its gain and keeps you in the trees and creek noise the entire way. The shaded creek terrain is genuinely restorative for a brain that runs loud. No dogs, no swimming, no crowds on most days. That combination works for me.

Here’s what you need to hike Lower Mill B North Fork Trail.

Quick Facts

How to Get There

From Salt Lake City, take I-215 south to exit 6 (6200 South). Head east on 6200 South, which becomes Wasatch Boulevard. Follow Wasatch Boulevard to the Big Cottonwood Canyon entrance and continue up Big Cottonwood Canyon Road (UT-190) for approximately 4.5 miles. The trailhead is on the right side of the road just past the S-curve, signed for Mill B North Fork. The drive from downtown Salt Lake City takes about 30 minutes.

Parking Information

A small lot sits just off Big Cottonwood Canyon Road at the trailhead. It fills on weekend mornings, particularly from late spring through early fall. Arrive before 8 a.m. on weekends. Overflow parking runs further up the canyon at designated pullouts. The Mill B South Fork Trailhead, a short walk away, has additional parking when the North Fork lot is full. No restrooms at the trailhead.

Cell Service and Navigation

Cell service in Big Cottonwood Canyon degrades as you go further up from the canyon mouth. At 4.5 miles in, coverage is unreliable on most carriers. Download your map offline through AllTrails before leaving Salt Lake City. The trail is well-marked and the creek is a consistent navigation reference, but having a track loaded saves uncertainty at junctions. Flash flooding in canyon creek systems is possible during heavy rain. Check the forecast before heading in.

What to Expect on Lower Mill B North Fork Trail

The Trail

The trail starts at the canyon road and descends briefly to the creek before climbing steadily through the canyon. Aspen, pine, and maple form a dense canopy that keeps the trail shaded and cool even on warm canyon days. The creek runs alongside or nearby for most of the route, audible when you can’t see it. Rocky sections add to the footing challenge but nothing technical. The trail narrows as you gain elevation and the canyon walls close in, making the upper section feel more enclosed and wild than the short mileage suggests.

The Upper Canyon

The trail pushes into the tighter upper canyon section where the terrain gets rougher and the creek crossings become more frequent. This is where the hike earns the moderate rating. The footing on wet rock near the creek requires attention. The canopy opens in spots to show glimpses of the surrounding peaks and cliffs. Turn around at whatever point feels right or push to the end of the maintained trail. Either way the return through the aspen and stream terrain is as good as the ascent.

Trail Difficulty and Length

Lower Mill B North Fork Trail is 2.2 miles roundtrip with 900 feet of elevation gain. Nine hundred feet in 1.1 miles is a genuine climb and earns the moderate rating. Don’t be fooled by the short distance. Budget 1.5 to 2.5 hours and treat the return with respect, particularly on wet rock near the creek. Good traction on your footwear matters.

Dog Friendly?

No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is a protected municipal watershed and dogs are prohibited throughout to protect water quality. No exceptions. If you want to hike with a dog in the area, Millcreek Canyon allows dogs on odd-numbered calendar days with a leash required. It’s one canyon north and has solid trail options at multiple difficulty levels.

What to Bring

Water, at least 1.5 to 2 liters per person despite the short distance. The canyon stays cool but 900 feet of gain drains you. Trail shoes with solid grip for the rocky creek sections and any wet terrain near the water. A light layer for the shaded upper canyon, which stays noticeably cooler than the valley. Poles help on the descent if your knees are a concern. A camera if you’re there for the creek and aspen light, which is the primary photography draw on this trail.

Best Time to Hike Lower Mill B North Fork Trail

Spring (April through June) and fall (September through October) are the strongest windows. Spring delivers the creek at its fullest on snowmelt and the canyon vegetation is vivid green from the runoff. Fall turns the aspen and maple canopy gold and orange, and the creek light through fall foliage in Big Cottonwood Canyon is excellent for photography. Summer is manageable given the shaded trail but the canyon can feel humid on hot days. Winter keeps the trail accessible on most days but ice on the creek sections and rocky terrain requires microspikes for safe footing.

For photography, overcast days are best for the creek and forest interior. Diffused light eliminates harsh shadows on the water and renders the aspen trunks and canyon walls evenly. In fall, mid-morning on a clear day catches the low sun filtering through the golden aspen canopy from the east. A wide-angle lens handles the canyon walls and a macro lens picks up detail on the creek mosses and wildflowers in spring.

Rules and Regulations

Lower Mill B North Fork Trail is in the Mount Olympus Wilderness inside the Big Cottonwood Canyon watershed, managed by the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. No dogs, no swimming or wading in the creek, no fee, no permit required for day hiking. Leave No Trace applies fully. Stay on the established trail to prevent erosion and avoid shortcutting the rocky sections near the creek. Check the Wasatch-Cache National Forest site for any current closures or fire restrictions before heading out. Wilderness regulations prohibit bikes and motorized equipment.

Where to Stay Near Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has full lodging coverage within 20 to 30 minutes of the Big Cottonwood Canyon entrance. For hotel points check Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards, and Hilton Honors. Cottonwood Heights, about 5 minutes from the canyon mouth, has chain options that eliminate most of the morning drive.

Camping Nearby

Redman Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon is a reservable established campground about 14 miles up the canyon from the mouth. Book through recreation.gov. It fills fast in summer. Dispersed camping is not permitted inside the canyon watershed. The Uinta foothills east of the valley have dispersed BLM options if you want to camp without reservations.

Nearby Adventures

Big Cottonwood Canyon has serious hikes in every direction above the North Fork trailhead. Lake Blanche is the marquee objective: a 6.2-mile round trip with roughly 2,800 feet of gain to one of the most scenic alpine lakes in the Wasatch, with Sundial Peak rising directly above. Donut Falls is the family-friendly option further up the canyon, a short hike to a unique waterfall that pours through a hole in the rock.

One canyon south, Little Cottonwood Canyon has Red Pine Lake (7.5 mi / 2,109 ft) and White Pine Lake (10.7 mi / 2,716 ft), both alpine lake hikes that commit to a full day. Mount Olympus in the adjacent wilderness offers the Wasatch Front’s most iconic peak hike at 6.9 miles and 4,000 feet of gain.

The Snowbird and Alta resort areas sit at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon and run summer aerial tram and hiking access. The Natural History Museum of Utah at the U is one of the better natural history institutions in the West and worth an afternoon post-hike.

Plan This Hike

AllTrails has Lower Mill B North Fork Trail with a downloadable map and recent user conditions. Checking recent reports for creek levels and trail conditions in spring snowmelt season is useful for understanding what you’re walking into on the wet sections.

View on Alltrails

AllTrails Pro is worth it for offline maps and GPS in Big Cottonwood Canyon where cell service is unreliable. Download your maps before you lose signal near the canyon mouth.

Chase the Quiet

The sound of a creek in a shaded canyon is one of the more reliable resets I know. Lower Mill B North Fork isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t end at a waterfall or a summit with panoramic views. It ends at a tighter section of canyon with water and rock and trees and quiet. Some of the best hikes don’t need a destination to justify them. The terrain is the point. Two hours in the North Fork canyon on a fall morning when the aspens are gold, with the creek running alongside and nobody else in it, is exactly enough.

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