Donut Falls is open - again.

[Iceaxe]

Treat time: Donut's for all
Canyon landmark reopens to public

Donut Falls is open - again.

Now the Wasatch Mountains landmark - where Big Cottonwood Creek rushes through a hole in the granite mountainside - belongs to the public.

Stealing away on a hot summer afternoon for a romantic cool-down in the mist of the shady falls no longer requires trespassing.

One of Big Cottonwood Canyon's most recognized features, Donut Falls was put off limits to the public in November 2004 by property owners who feared legal liability.

But Tuesday, Salt Lake City purchased 144 acres in lower Cardiff Fork that include the falls, from Honolulu-based Sierra Partners.

"That's amazing. I'm so excited. I'm just ecstatic," said Lisa Smith, of the environmental group Save Our Canyons, upon hearing the news Thursday.

For many Utahns, Donut Falls is synonymous with the Wasatch Mountains. From the trail head near Big Cottonwood Canyon's "S" curve, the gentle climb to the falls has made it a favorite for family outings.

"Almost everybody is familiar with Donut Falls. It's the first hike I did as a kid," Smith said. "It's a fun thing to do that's not strenuous, but is visually rewarding."

Salt Lake City purchased the ground for $1.284 million. The property was listed in 2000 for $4.2 million.

"This is part of Salt Lake City's Department of Public Utilities watershed-purchase program," said director LeRoy Hooton. "The city has historically acquired watershed properties since 1885."

But it was the department's 1986 master plan that again emphasized watershed-land purchases. That led to a 1991 Salt Lake City ordinance that defined a surcharge on water bills and earmarked those funds for acquisitions.

"This is a means of protecting our valuable watershed resource area," Hooton said.

And along with public ownership comes public access, said Jeff Niermeyer, the department's deputy director.

"At the end of the day, the people who had acquired it really wanted to get it back in public hands," Niermeyer explained. "That's fortunate, because they had offers that were higher."

Salt Lake City hopes to forge an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to manage the area along with federal forest lands in the canyon.

[basilone0331]

I'm glad this is finally settled with the county buying the land

[Iceaxe]

To anyone interested..... this is an awesome winter snowshoe that is suitable for beginners.

Route info here:
http://climb-utah.com/WM/donut.htm

[Scott Card]

Ahhhh the memories. Donut fall, the only place I ever got frost bite. Nothing like having scout leaders tell you there will be no snow or very little snow at the falls (where we were to camp), then wearing jeans and boots that are too small and hiking in snow that was thigh deep. I had a nasty large blister that formed all the way around my two big toes. I still remember pulling off my wet boots, pealing my socks away and picking ice from between my toes. After we built a fire and kinda dried off I spent the night in a tube tent. Lucky to have my toes I think. And people wonder why I am now such a gear junkie.

[Iceaxe]

I got some new mountaineering clothing and wanted to test it out. It was the middle of winter and really snowing hard, so late at night I decided to hike up to Donut Falls to test my new gear. I mean it was a really nasty night.... about as bad as weather can get.

Anyhoo.... I get to the falls all toasty in my new gear and hang out for a while before starting down. Just after leaving the falls I meet a lost hiker with no coat wearing tennis shoes, Levi's and a sweatshirt. It is now about midnight and the guy was going hypothermic......


.....so I just left him to die.....


Just kidding, I had to drag his sorry ass down to the truck and save his butt. Still not sure what he was doing up there at that time of night in that weather. I asked but at the time he was shaking to hard to get an intelligible answer.

[Scott Card]

It was probably someone in my Troop having a flashback.

[accadacca]

It was probably someone in my Troop having a flashback.

I cant believe some of those scoutmasters.