Temple Quarry and Little Cottonwood Creek Trail is a 7.1 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Sandy, Utah that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October.
kid friendly
birding
hiking
mountain biking
nature trips
snowshoeing
trail running
walking
river
views
wild flowers
rocky
no dogs
There are three bridges. Lots of fun kickers for bikes. A rock garden and steep climbs. At the top there is an old structure that looks like it was an old mill back in the day.
Starts at the temple quarry parking lot. I did not spend time on that loop, but it looked interesting with all the signs explaining some of the history. The first 1/2 mile of the hike was not very scenic, but that quickly changed once I passed the power plant (just walk through the parking lot & around the gate. There was abundant foliage for most of the trail providing ample morning shade. The majority of the trail follows the river, which is swollen with runoff this time of year. Once you cross the 3rd bridge, stay to the right. Trails going off to the left lead to other parking areas along the road. There were a plethora of mountain bikers on the trail & several runners as well. I imagine it would be packed on a weekend.
A great trail for runners! Note: its steep, so not for beginning runners!
I can't wait to do this again! New to hiking and thrilled that I was able to make it to the end and back without tears! :)