Ogden Canyon Waterfall Overlook

Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Welcome to the trail!

It’s a special treat to hike on a new-to-us trail, and this one did not disappoint. I have led the Tyke Hike group on the Birdsong Trail in Ogden (a tyke hiker favorite and coming soon to a newsletter near you - stay tuned!) every summer, but have never ventured down the left fork on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail till last weekend. I had heard that it was possible to view the Ogden Canyon Waterfall from a trail in this area, and not finding any directions specific for that location, I decided to figure it out myself. This is how we discover a lot of our favorite trails: word of mouth and exploration. Normally I like to share trails that I have hiked and loved for a long time, but we were so delighted with this one, I just couldn’t wait to share the love! I hope you, too, enjoy your hike to the Ogden Canyon Waterfall Overlook on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail from the Rainbow Gardens Trailhead. (Good grief, that’s a mouthful!)

How to get there

The parking lot for the trailhead is located here, in the Southwest corner of the Rainbow Gardens parking lot at the mouth of Ogden Canyon on 12th Street. There is plenty of parking here, but no restrooms are available (maybe in a pinch you could find some inside the store/restaurant, but I have never needed to check that option out).

Trail at a glance

Total distance: 1.25 miles one way (2.5 miles round trip out and back) (note: this is one of our longer hikes, but my 4- and 6-year-old tykes rocked the distance, and I think yours can, too!)

Elevation gain: 340 feet (note: you’re walking uphill on this trail, but it is a super mellow climb)

Destination: overlook with view of Canyon Waterfall, Ogden Canyon, Ogden City

Tyke perks: shaded switch backs, old rusty cars, wildflowers, big rocks, pulling weeds, overlook

Notable flora: blossoming trees in spring, maples, scrub oaks, spring wildflowers (including arrowleaf balsamroot, hoary cress, forget-me-not, Indian paintbrush), sage brush, dyer’s woad

(Note: Let’s just take a moment here to talk about the woad, shall we? Dyer’s Woad is considered a noxious (aka “bad”) weed in Utah, so while we’re out hiking, our family likes to play a little game where we remove as much of it as we can along any trail. You can play too! Just pull it out (ideally before it goes to seed) and then drop it on the side of the trail. One plant can produce hundreds of seeds, so your effort in pulling what you can will help to reduce the spread!)

Fascinating fauna: songbirds, chipmunks

Watch out for: mountain bikers, runners, hikers (Note: we hiked on a sunny Saturday morning in early May, and while there were more cars in the lot than I have seen on a weekday morning, we didn’t have many mountain bike encounters. However, I do know it’s a popular biking trail, so be aware that on another day or time you may see more. We always like to make sure an adult is in the lead of our group for visibility and to alert the bikers to slow down if necessary. Trail etiquette says that bikers yield to hikers, but in our experience, that is a rare occurrence, so keep your eyes peeled!)

While you’re hiking

Start your hike by walking under the big sign that says “Rainbow Trail” near the Southwest corner of the parking lot. Walk toward the big trailhead sign covered with posters and notices and then turn left. Follow the trail a few feet (you’re only 0.03 miles from where you started at this point) till you see a fork; take the left path, following the sign for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

The lower portion of the trail zigzags (note: some of these switch back areas are a little exposed and washed out, so just be cautious as you walk through here) through maple and scrub oak trees and blooming balsamroot (they look like little sunflowers) till about mile 0.7 when you’ll see a short fork off to the right. This is a fun, quick tyke detour off the trail to check out some rusted-out cars that are parked under the trees. I wonder how they got there? (Note: maybe your hikers are done want to make this their destination? That is awesome! Think of it as a warm-up for the full thing next time!)

After your visit to the automobiles, head back to the main trail and continue gradually climbing out of the treed section and into the sage brush section. (Note: It’s sunnier here, but if you go in the morning it shouldn’t be too hot. There’s usually a canyon wind in the morning, too, so that helps with heat. Maybe you’ll even need a jacket?) You should be able to glimpse the pipe and even the waterfall up and to the North (left) as you come out of the trees. Look for little pockets of bright red Indian paintbrush (my favorite flowers!) near the sage brush. (Note: there are numerous unofficial trails crisscrossing through this area - follow the signs and stay on the main trail to avoid continued erosion!)

At about mile 0.9 you’ll come to a sign and another fork in the path; turn left and upward here, staying on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. In another 0.2 miles, take the upper service road toward Ogden Canyon. You’re almost there! Walk another 0.1 miles past the fences and equipment (be respectful of the no trespassing signs) toward the big rocks forming a little half circle. These boulders make a great seat to take in the view of the canyon, waterfall, and pipeline. Looking to your left, the view of the city and beyond is pretty spectacular, too. See if you can find your car in the parking lot way down below, or can you spy the Great Salt Lake in the distance?

After your snacks, water, and little rest and/or scramble on the rocks, you can follow the trail back the way you came to your car. You did it! I’d love to hear what you and your family thought of this one! If you loved it, share it with a friend. Happy trails!