Little Cottonwood Canyon is on the east side of the Salt Lake City Valley. Get there by following I-215 to the east, taking exit 6 off the interstate and heading east toward the mountains.

Follow 6200 South which becomes Wasatch Blvd for 1.8 miles to the stop light and signs for Big Cottonwood Canyon. Continue south (straight) through the light an additional 2.3 miles to a junction and light. Stay left here, reaching the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon in an additional 1.6 miles.

The trailhead is on the right at the mouth of the canyon and is signed Temple Quarry.

The upper trailhead is 2.8 miles up from the mouth of the canyon, with a dirt parking area on the right.

From the Temple Quarry trailhead, follow the wide dirt trail as it heads east and enters the canyon. This first part is sunny and can be hot. In 5-10 minutes, the trail reaches a paved road. Stay straight, on Granite Cliffs Road, then take the next right onto Power Plant Lane. Looks carefully for signs pointing the way to the trail. The path is picked up again just past the power plant.

The wide trail soon crosses Little Cottonwood Creek and begins passing boulders the size of houses! The trail is now well shaded, cool relief on a hot day.

The trail follows the creek up the canyon, always gaining a bit of elevation, but never steep. At about 2.5 miles, the trail crosses the creek again on a wide bridge. Stay right here on the main path. It passes an old, small water wheel, and continues to a major junction at about 2.9 miles. Go left here, up the hill to the Lisa Falls Trailhead if you shuttled a car.

Interested in more distance? You can continue to the Ruin in Little Cottonwood Canyon from here by continuing straight. The old power plant is about a mile up the trail.