Adam’s Canyon is a popular hike, and for good reason. The easy access and photogenic waterfalls of Adam’s Canyon make it a great family destination, including your dog. At 3.8 miles roundtrip, this hike has a little bit of everything.
Adam’s Canyon Hike Details
Distance – 3.8 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 3 to 4 hours
Elevation at trailhead – 4823 feet
Elevation at highest point – 6186 feet
Elevation gain – 1363 feet
Difficulty – Moderate – Switchbacks for the first 0.5 miles, no shade. Shade for last half of the hike.
Trail – well maintained trail of dirt, sand, some gravel and rock, will require rock hopping through stream bed.
Amount of water recommended – 2 liter
Bathrooms – None
Seasons to hike – Best in the Spring, Summer, and Fall
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Yes
How to get there:
If coming from Salt Lake City, take I-15 north. At Farmington, keep right at the fork to continue on US-89 N, follow signs for I-84 E/South Ogden. Take US-89 North for 6.2 miles, then turn right toward Eastside Drive. At the stoplight, turn right onto Eastside Drive. In 0.4 miles, the Adam’s Canyon Trailhead will be on your left.
If coming from Ogden or points north, take I-15/I-84 south. Keep right at the fork to continue on I-84 E, follow signs for Cheyenne for 7.2 miles. Then take exit 87 for US-89 toward So. Ogden/Salt Lake. Turn right onto US-89, and stay on US-89 for 4.9 miles. Turn left toward Eastside Dr. At the stop sign, you will turn right onto Eastside Drive. In 0.4 miles, the Adam’s Canyon Trailhead will be on your left. (See the Google Map for this trail at the end of this post)
First off, what should you bring?
For this hike, I recommend wearing lightweight shoes with good traction and water drainage. My wife wears her Keen Newport H2 Sandals on this hike.
Hitting the Trail!
From the parking lot, the trail starts along a chain link fence, for the first one hundred feet or so. The sandy trail then starts to climb up the switchbacks to reach the foothills and the ancient Bonneville Shoreline. Once you’ve cleared the switchbacks the trail will straighten out and gently climb toward the mountains. This part of the hike has no trees so it can get extremely hot in the summer time. If hiking this in the summer, we would advise hikers to get an early start to avoid the heat on the way back. This trail is very popular for hikers and their pets as well as morning trail runners. Along this part of the trail you’ll see where a portion of the trail has washed away. The trail is wide enough to pass by the eroded part of the trail.
One of the drawbacks of very popular trails, like Adam’s Canyon, is that you will have several side trails that meander away from the main trail and don’t lead anywhere. Too many side trails can confuse a new hiker and damage a wider area of vegetation. This can lead to increased erosion and deface the natural beauty of the trail. We acknowledge that walking single file is not always as much fun, but strongly encourage all hikers to stick to the main trail. Let’s all be good stewards of the wilderness Nature has provided for us.
While walking east along the barren foothills, there is one official trail, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, that will come in from the left (north) and merge with the Adam’s Canyon trail for a short time before breaking away and heading south. Once again, stay on the main trail that continues straight (east) to head up into Adam’s Canyon.
These small falls are just a little taste of what is waiting for you farther up the canyon
About the time that the Bonneville Shoreline Trail breaks away from the Adam’s Canyon trail, you’ll enter into some trees that will bring welcome shade after hiking through the open foothills. You’ll also hear and see the stream that is the run off from falls up Adam’s Canyon. Continue to follow the trail up the canyon. The trail will generally mirror the course of the stream from the falls. Once again, you will see several side trails as you enter the canyon. They will all eventually converge. We encourage you to stay on the one that is the most well-traveled. Luckily, since this is such a popular hike, you’ll most likely see fellow hikers along the trail if you do get a little confused.
You’ll follow the stream for most of the trail once in the canyon
The shaded part of the trail up Adam’s Canyon will consistently gain elevation the entire way. However, the shade helps make the incline of the hike a little more enjoyable. It’s a beautiful hike along the stream in the shade. When you’re about a half mile from the waterfall, you’ll cross a footbridge over the stream. Shortly thereafter you’ll see a place where the trail splits. One trail follows the stream along a rocky bench, which could be slippery when wet and lead to a fall. The other option is to hike up and bypass this part. It’s a little steep, but we recommend going up and around, which is the safer option. You will have to be the judge. Not long after you pass this section of the hike you will reach a small but very photogenic waterfall. There are several big rocks that the waterfall runs over and it makes for a nice spot for a short break.
This photogenic waterfall is found along the trail, and is less than half a mile from the larger waterfall
While we consider this hike family friendly, we wouldn’t recommend this hike for your very first family hike. There are other easier hikes that would be better hikes to start with. As with any hikes you take your family on remember that research is the key. So many problems can be avoided when proper research is done and preparation is made for each hike.
You are now 1.9 miles from the trailhead. Time for your final push to the waterfall in Adam’s Canyon. It’s about 40 feet tall and is best photographed in early to mid morning when the falls are in shadow. Here you may get a little wet as you rock hop across the 3 inch deep stream to see the waterfall. This is a very photogenic waterfall, that all will enjoy.
This waterfall makes for a great reward at the end of Adam’s Canyon
As always, be safe while on trail by not climbing the falls or climbing any of the rock faces nearby. Back in September 2013, a boy died when he slipped and fell 50 feet near the falls. Stay on the trails and exercise caution when hiking. We would recommend sturdy hiking shoes or boots for this hike for the added grip as well.
After you’ve taken time to relax and enjoy the waterfall and snapped some pictures, you’ll just return the way you came.
Enjoy the hike!
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Some of my favorite hiking gear:
