Gloria Falls Trailhead — Attraction in Cottonwood Heights

I thought Gloria falls was a solid 5/10 but it turns out that’s because I was stopping the WRONG FALLS. I thought the waterfall was the tiny little fall right at the turnoff for Red/white pine. Imagine my dismay when we kept hiking, crossed the river, hiked a bit more and ended up at a WAY cooler waterfall. 10/10 easy. Once you cross the river over the bridge, take a sharp left and make your way up through the trees for a bit. There is a trail but you have to want to see it. After 5 ish min or choose your own adventure hiking, you’ll see the falls! WAY bigger than the ones below the bridge. Touching the water is like touching a polar ice cap but technically you can make hike up the falls a bit? You’d def get wet but if it was a hot (and I mean HOT) day, it would feel nice. I can’t recommend enough. But it’s really important to make sure you are seeing the correct falls. I have not been. *oh also the hike is pretty easy! And...

This was such a beautiful hike, and the falls were stunning! I went up after work and came down just as the full moon was rising. But that was in summer. So it started getting dark a little later than it does now in the winter or fall. Just a note on the hike to the falls, there is a sign that points to the trail going to the left of the river. But it's best to cross the river and go up towards the falls on the right side. I initially went on the left side of the river heading towards the falls, and it was a bit difficult and I encountered a large steel gully that was impossible for me to cross unless you go all the way up and around it. So I went back down to where I came from and crossed the river, and went towards the falls on the right side. so much easier, and there are pink ribbons around the trees to guide you there. ...

Gloria Falls is a beautiful, short hike that’s well worth the effort. The trail itself feels moderate — enough to get your heart rate up but manageable for most hikers. The path is ample and easy to walk, but finding the falls can be a bit tricky since there are no direct signs for Gloria Falls. You’ll need to follow the Red Pine Trail to get there, so having a map or GPS is helpful. Once you arrive, the falls are stunning and make the adventure completely worthwhile. Perfect for a quick escape into nature!

Parking: we got there at 7ish and the parking lot was already full and we had to park on the side of the road.

Dogs: unfortunately, not allowed.

Restrooms: clean toilets at the head of the trail with lots of toilet paper. No running water to wash your hands or...