All three trailheads are fairly close together. The hike starts on the southeast side of the Salt Lake Valley in Sandy.

Take I-125 to exit 6 and go east. This is the same exit to get to Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Follow Wasatch Blvd past the mouth of Big Cottonwood. 2.3 miles past the entrance to Big Cottonwood, turn right to stay on Wasatch Blvd. About 1.2 miles from this junction is a major junction with Little Cottonwood Canyon Road / UT-209. This 4-way intersection is the starting point for getting to the 3 trailhead.

Boulders Trailhead
Continue straight through the stoplight, staying on Wasatch Blvd about 0.7 more miles to the trailhead that is signed on the left side of the road. It is fairly small and often fills up quickly.

Preservation Trailhead
Continue straight through the stoplight, staying on Wasatch Blvd. Take the first left after the stoplight that is signed for the Preservation Trailhead. Follow it to the top and park near the top if possible. There are restrooms at the trailhead.

Granite Trailhead
Turn LEFT at the stoplight and head up toward Little Cottonwood Canyon. In just 500 feet, the Bells Canyon Granite trailhead is on the right side of the road. It is small and often fills up quickly on weekends.

From the Boulder Trailhead to the Reservoir (0.6 miles)
From the trailhead, follow the well-used and well-signed trail as it winds through the neighborhood, crosses the creek, and climbs a short, steep boulder section to the Lower Reservoir. This is a good stopping point for those looking for a short hike. From the Lower Reservoir, views of the upper section of Bells Canyon come into view. Stunning!

From the Granite Trailhead to the Preservation Trailhead (0.1 miles)
From the Granite Trailhead, simply follow the trail uphill for about a tenth of a mile to where it joins the trail from the Preservation Trailhead.

From the Preservation Trailhead to the Reservoir (0.6 miles)
The trickiest part of our visit is finding the start of the trail! On our visit, it wasn't marked. Leave the east side of the upper parking lot. Head east, as the trail begins to narrow, with the Granite Trailhead trail joining just a minute from the trailhead. The trail climbs via a handful of switchbacks heading east. Once up on the ridge, it begins a sweeping curve to the reservoir that is over the next ridge south. You can see the Bell Canyon Reservoir Access Road down below the trail along the way.

From the Reservoir to the Lower Falls (1.6 miles)
Follow the left side of the reservoir on an old jeep road. Once around the reservoir, a signed trail junction is reached. Go left here, turning off the old road and onto the single-track trail. A sharp eye up canyon will reveal the Lower Falls in the distance along this section of the hike.

The trail becomes more shaded as it winds up Bell Canyon. It crosses a bridge, then enters the Wilderness Area. Once in the wilderness area, the trail begins climbing in earnest and becoming steeper. After a particularly steep, rocky section and crossing a small side stream, keep an eye out on the left for a major side trail. This is hard to miss, but some groups do. At this junction, the main trail goes left for about 4 minutes to the Lower Falls. The right branch is less traveled and continues to the upper falls.

From the Lower to the Upper Falls (0.7 miles)
From the junction with the lower falls, continue climbing up the right-hand trail. This is rocky and a bit less traveled than the section below. Not far above the lower falls junction (5-10 minutes or so) a side trail goes off on the left. This goes over to Bells Towers on the north side of the canyon and is used by climbers. Stay right!

The trail meanders up past a bit of a meadow to the top of a small cascade. This is not the upper falls, keep going. The obvious upper falls will be on the left not far above with a granite slab to view the falls from and hang out on.

From the Upper Falls to the Upper Reservoir (1.8 miles)
Above the upper falls, the trail continues to the Upper Reservoir. 15 or so minutes past the Upper Falls is another excellent waterfall.

Above there the trail crosses a wooden log bridge, then begins a steep ascent to the reservoir. The scenery is magnificent!

Return the same way.