As a special Memorial Day Weekend treat, Trib Trails is bringing you a trio of hikes we’re calling our Waterfall Collection. After warming up with Wednesday’s hike to the falls along the Mount Timpanogos Trail and challenging yourself to make it past the falls to the meadow atop the Battle Creek Trail that was featured Thursday, treat yourself to the easily reached but still stunning Lisa Falls. Happy hiking!
Sometimes you need a good dose of nature but just don’t have the energy or time to make a big production of getting to it. For those days, you need Lisa Falls.
Lisa Falls sits just .15 miles from the shoulder of Highway 210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon, but feels like a world away. The trail is rocky but shaded and opens to a tall water feature so neatly carved, it looks almost synthetic. Be sure to turn around and catch the view across the canyon as well, which can be captivating especially around sunset. The quick, toddler-friendly out-and-back hike can be used as a warm-up for a bigger trek elsewhere in the canyon or just enjoyed on its own after dinner or whenever you need a quick getaway.
(Julie Jag | The Salt Lake Tribune) Even young kids will have no problem hiking to Lisa Falls, a beautiful, almost synthetic-looking spill just a .3-mile round-trip hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon.
The Hike: The shady, dirt trail ascends the north side of the canyon through high-reaching greenery, with a rock-strewn stream bed to your left. Don’t let its dry looks fool you — the hike quickly lives up to its name. After you pass a large boulder on your right, the trees open up to the rocky base of the falls. Once you’ve taken in the splashing spectacle, simply head back the way you came.
Getting There: The trailhead is 2.7 miles into Little Cottonwood Canyon, between mile markers 6 and 7 on the north side of the road. There is a small turn-off on the north side of the road to park your car.
Former Tribune reporter Michael McFall contributed to this report.
Lisa Falls
Region: Wasatch Canyons
Destination: Waterfall
Distance: 0.3 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Elevation Gain: 121 feet
Dog Allowed: No
Restrooms: No
Biking: No
Difficulty: 1
