The Lower Mill B North Fork Trail begins with beautiful Hidden Falls (0.25 easy miles) and continues up to a lovely overlook of the canyon and view of the Salt Lake Valley.
This trail begins at the S-curve part way up Big Cottonwood Canyon. The Mill B South begins with a short nature walk and then continues up to Lake Blanche, Lake Florence and Lake Lilian.
Mill B North Trailhead
The Mill B North heads the opposite direction past Hidden Falls, up to the overlook and beyond towards the Desolation Trail and other intersections with Millcreek Canyon. For this post, I am only including the 2.2 moderate miles to the overlook. From the parking the steps head up and you have to cross the road. To detour to the falls is only about 0.1 miles. For the falls head to the left of the sign.
The flow isn’t super strong by the fall, but it’s still a beautiful waterfall and a big reward with little effort.
To continue, return to the sign and head up the stairs.
This first part of the trail has a lot of switchbacks as you gain elevation quickly.
Keep a close eye on the trail here and you might see a lizard!
Looking east you can see striking Sundial Peak. Lake Blanche is at the base of it.
Soon you come to the top of the hill and the trail heads further north. The first photo is looking ahead on the trail and the second is looking back.
This area has a lot more trees and is nicely shaded most of the day! This first photo looks down at the creek below above Hidden Falls and the second photo shows the trail ahead.
The trail continues green and shaded. There is a tiny bit of water along part of the trail, but it’s easy to avoid by stepping on the rocks and not deep anyway.
This is such a pleasant hike with the beauty and shade!
Soon you will come to a sign that points the way to a sharp right, heading up through the pines.
There were a couple signs of fall, but not much. The second photo is looking back behind at the view.
This area had a bunch of beautiful Stellar’s Jays, but unfortunately I couldn’t get a clear photo.
When you reach the top of the hill, you can see the overlook rocky spot to your right.
Around the corner there is a sign that clarifies to turn right to the overlook or left to continue on the Mill B North Fork Trail. Head off to the right and climb up to the viewpoint.
As you get closer you start to get better views. You can look down, but I didn’t get very close to the edge.
Here are the spectacular views!
If you look further to the right you can look down into the Salt Lake Valley. Unfortunately there were wildfires impairing the visibility that day.
Stats: Distance – 2.2 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 1-3 hours
Elevation gain – 895 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – well maintained trail of dirt and rocks
Bathrooms – At the Mill B South trailhead
Seasons to hike – Year round (microspikes necessary in winter)
Permits needed – None
Dogs Allowed – No
Other hikes nearby are Donut Falls, Granite Flume Trail, Ledgemere Cave, and Lake Blanche.
