Broads Fork

A short but relentlessly steep out-and-back in Big Cottonwood Canyon, climbing about 2,100 feet in roughly 2.4 miles from the Mill B South Trailhead to a glacially carved alpine meadow and beaver ponds near 8,300 feet. The basin sits directly beneath the dramatic north faces of Broads Fork Twin Peaks, Dromedary, and Sunrise, and doubles as the standard Class 3 climbers' approach to those summits. It shares its trailhead with the Lake Blanche / Mill B South Fork trail at the canyon's S-curve.

Quick stats

Distance

4.8 mi round trip

Elevation gain

2100 ft

Time

3–5 hrs

Difficulty

Strenuous

Dogs

Not allowed

Fee

Day-use parking fee

Best months

Jul, Aug, Sep

Getting there & parking

From Salt Lake City, head up Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) about 4.3 miles to the Mill B South Fork Picnic Area at the sharp S-curve — roughly 20 miles and 30 minutes from downtown. A standard passenger car is fine. The lot is shared with the popular Lake Blanche trail and fills early on summer weekends, so arrive before 9 a.m. or come midweek. Restrooms are at the trailhead and there is no drinking water. A Forest Service day-use parking fee took effect at the Mill B Trailhead on June 1, 2026.

Forest Service day-use parking fee at the Mill B Trailhead beginning June 1, 2026: $10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 per vehicle for 7 days, or $60 per vehicle for a season pass. Pay via recreation.gov, the on-site fee machine, the Salt Lake Ranger District office, or the Salt Lake City REI. Enforced by hang-tag receipt or license-plate check. It is a parking fee, not a hiking permit.

Know before you go

No dogs. Dogs are banned outright — not even in a parked car. Big Cottonwood Canyon is Salt Lake City's protected drinking-water watershed, and the USFS Broads Fork / Mill B South page is explicit that pets are not allowed at all. Watershed violations are enforced as Class B misdemeanors.

No hiking permit required. A Forest Service day-use parking fee does apply — see Getting there & parking above.

The route

Sustained steep grade nearly the whole way up through fir and aspen, with rooty and rocky footing. The descent is hard on the knees. Distance varies by source from about 4.6 to 4.9 miles round trip.

• 0 mi · Mill B South Trailhead — Signed Broads Fork trailhead at the west end of the Mill B South Fork parking area, at the S-curve about 4.3 miles up the canyon. Shared with the Mill B South Fork / Lake Blanche trail.
• 1.1 mi · Footbridge / cascade — The trail crosses Broads Fork on a wooden footbridge beside a pretty cascade, roughly a mile up.
• 2.4 mi · Broads Fork meadow & beaver ponds — The glacial valley opens to a wildflower meadow and beaver ponds near 8,300 ft, with head-on views of Twin Peaks, Dromedary, and Sunrise. Turnaround for most hikers; climbers continue up-basin.

When to go

Snow lingers in the shaded basin into early summer. Mid-summer through early fall is best, for wildflowers in the meadow and snow-free footing. The trail is steep and avalanche-exposed; it is not recommended as a winter hike.

Big Cottonwood Canyon Road (SR-190) is plowed year-round, but from October 1 through April 30 the canyon requires approved snow tires or traction devices, and the road can close outright for avalanche control. The Broads Fork basin sits beneath major slide paths off the Twin Peaks and Dromedary faces, so the USFS does not recommend the trail in winter; check the Utah Avalanche Center forecast before any cold-season attempt.

Check current conditions before you go:

• UDOT Cottonwood Canyons road status
• Utah Avalanche Center — Salt Lake forecast

Safety & hazards

The upper basin sits beneath steep avalanche terrain on the Twin Peaks and Dromedary faces. The trail is not recommended as a winter hike due to slide paths and ice- or snow-covered steep sections. Check the Utah Avalanche Center Salt Lake forecast before any cold-season attempt.

Sustained steep grade — about 2,100 feet of gain in roughly 2.4 miles — over rooty and rocky footing. Tiring on the descent. Trekking poles help on the way down.

Snow lingers in the shaded basin into early summer; the canyon road requires approved snow tires or traction devices October 1 through April 30 and can close for avalanche control.

The trail braids into several faint use-paths in the upper meadow; it is easy to lose the main tread near the beaver ponds. Carry a map or GPS track for the meadow.

Wildlife & geology

The lower trail climbs through mixed conifer and aspen; the upper basin holds a moist subalpine meadow famous for summer wildflowers. Active beaver have built ponds in the meadow, and moose are common in the willow and pond zone. The drainage is part of Salt Lake City's municipal watershed, which is why swimming, wading, and dogs are prohibited.

Wildlife you might see: moose, beaver, mule deer.

Broads Fork is a classic glacially carved U-shaped hanging valley draining the north side of Cottonwood Ridge. The basin is rimmed by the rugged quartzite and granitic faces of Broads Fork Twin Peaks, Dromedary, and Sunrise — among the steepest, most rugged terrain in the Wasatch — and talus aprons and avalanche debris cover the upper basin floor.

Nearby hikes

• Lake Blanche — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Mineral Fork Trail — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Donut Falls — Big Cottonwood Canyon