Mineral Fork Trail

A strenuous out-and-back up an old, eroded mining road into a glacial hanging valley on the south side of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The rocky doubletrack climbs about 3,480 feet over roughly 9.9 miles round trip, passing the Wasatch Mine ruins near 8,800 feet before topping out at the Regulator Johnson Mine — over 5,500 feet of combined tunnels — near the cliff-walled head of the canyon. Snowfields linger into summer, moose are common, and the tread is famously loose and rocky, like hiking up a dry cobbled riverbed. Big payoff, low crowds, and a real climb for the central Wasatch.

Quick stats

Distance

9.9 mi round trip

Elevation gain

3480 ft

Time

5–7.5 hrs

Difficulty

Strenuous

Dogs

Not allowed

Best months

Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Getting there & parking

From Salt Lake City, take I-215 to the Big Cottonwood Canyon turnoff and follow SR-190 up-canyon roughly 6 miles to the Mineral Fork pull-off on the south (right) side — about 20 miles and 35–40 minutes from downtown. Parking is roadside shoulder at a gated mining road, not a developed trailhead, so it is easy to overshoot; watch your odometer past the more obvious Lake Blanche lot. A standard passenger car is fine in summer. From October 1 through April 30 the canyon road requires approved snow tires or traction devices, and avalanche control can close it outright.

No dedicated day-use fee station is documented at the Mineral Fork pull-off — it is roadside shoulder parking at a gated mining road. The Forest Service does charge day-use parking fees at several other Big Cottonwood Canyon trailheads through recreation.gov, so confirm current per-trailhead status before visiting.

Know before you go

No dogs. Dogs are banned. Mineral Fork lies entirely within Salt Lake City's Big Cottonwood Canyon protected drinking-water watershed, where pets are prohibited everywhere — not even allowed in a parked car at the trailhead, per the Forest Service. Swimming and wading are also prohibited. Violations are Class B misdemeanors. Note: this is not the dog-friendly canyon — the dog-friendly Dog Lake hike is over in Mill Creek Canyon.

No hiking permit required.

The route

Sustained climbing on loose, rocky doubletrack — average grade around 13% with steeper pitches. Turning around at the Wasatch Mine (~3.1 mi) makes a ~6.2-mile half-day; continuing to the Regulator Johnson Mine is the full ~9.9–10.4-mile day. Budget extra time for slow footing on the descent.

• 0 mi · Mineral Fork Trailhead — Roadside shoulder ~6.1–6.3 mi up Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) on the south side; gated old mining road, ~6,700 ft.
• 1 mi · Creek crossing / lower aspens — Trail crosses Mineral Fork and climbs through aspen on rocky tread.
• 3.1 mi · Wasatch Mine ruins — ~8,800 ft; surviving timber structure and tailings — a common turnaround for a ~6.2-mile round trip.
• 4.5 mi · Upper basin / switchbacks — Steep loose-scree switchbacks above 9,000 ft into the cliff-walled cirque; snowfields linger.
• 5.2 mi · Regulator Johnson Mine — ~10,120 ft near the head of the canyon; old compressor and rail remnants. The pass just above offers Mount Superior and Lake Blanche-drainage views.

When to go

Best from mid-summer into fall once the upper switchbacks melt out; aspen color peaks in late September and October. Snowfields can persist in the upper bowl into mid-summer, and the upper basin offers little shade — start early to beat afternoon thunderstorms.

This is serious avalanche terrain in winter and spring — steep, snow-loaded slopes and the upper cirque can slide; check the Utah Avalanche Center Salt Lake forecast before going. Big Cottonwood Canyon also requires approved snow tires or traction devices on SR-190 from October 1 through April 30, and avalanche control can close the canyon road outright.

Check current conditions before you go:

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

Safety & hazards

Open adits, shafts, and decaying structures at the Wasatch and Regulator Johnson mines. Do not enter — risk of collapse, bad air, and vertical drops. Look, photograph, and stay out. Old mine workings are unstable and can hold pockets of oxygen-poor or toxic air.

Steep snow-loaded slopes and the upper bowl present serious avalanche risk in winter and spring/early summer. Check the Utah Avalanche Center Salt Lake forecast. Snowfields in the upper basin can linger and slide well into early summer.

Rocky, scree-laden tread and steep switchbacks above 9,000 ft make footing unstable. Sturdy footwear and trekking poles help; the descent is as rough on the legs as the climb.

Sustained climb to roughly 10,200 ft with little shade in the upper basin. Exertion, sun, and afternoon thunderstorms are all concerns. Start early, carry water and sun protection, and be off the high ground before storms build.

The road is legally open to motorcycles and ATVs, though use is light. Yield and stay alert on the doubletrack; expect mountain bikes climbing and descending.

Wildlife & geology

Lower slopes hold aspen groves and mixed conifer; the upper basin opens into alpine meadow and scree. Moose are commonly reported in the drainage — keep your distance. The entire canyon is a protected municipal watershed, which underlies the strict no-dogs and no-swimming rules.

Wildlife you might see: moose, mule deer.

Mineral Fork is a classic U-shaped glacial hanging valley on the west slope of the Wasatch Range, hanging above the main Big Cottonwood Canyon trough. The upper drainage is a steep-walled, cliff-rimmed cirque that holds snow late. The area sits in the Big Cottonwood Mining District; mineralized veins here carried silver, lead, gold, and copper — the reason for the 1880s mining.

History

Named for Mineral Fork, the mineralized tributary of Big Cottonwood Canyon, reflecting its silver, lead, and gold mining history in the Big Cottonwood Mining District.

An old mining-access road serving the silver and lead operations of Mineral Fork, developed beginning in the 1880s (the broader Big Cottonwood district saw mining from the early 1870s). The Wasatch Mine and the higher Regulator Johnson Mine — the latter named for the miner who became the canyon's dominant operator after returning to the Wasatch in 1885 — drove combined tunneling exceeding 5,500 feet, though overall production was modest. The roadbed is now Trail #154.

Nearby hikes

• Lake Blanche — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Donut Falls — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Broads Fork — Big Cottonwood Canyon