This summer my kids and I have a goal to go on a hike every week. Our kids are quite small (2, 4 and 6) so I have chosen hikes that will help them work up their stamina without me having to hear too many “are we there yet?” complaints. My goal with the children is to get them to be comfortable with a few miles in the mountains and perhaps go on a mini backpacking trip with dad. On each hike the children have to carry a small pack with their water and a snack.
This is really easy when their favorite character is on the pack. My 2 year old wouldn’t part with is Buzz Light-year pack. This week we started off with a short hike with a big “bang” at the end called Rocky Mouth Falls.
This hike is such a little gem. It starts in a neighborhood and then takes you to a wonderland with small “caves,” water and a beautiful waterfall at the end. The parking lot is located at 11250 S Wasatch Boulevard in Sandy City, Utah. To get to the trailhead, take the stairs to your left. You will come into a little neighborhood. Take a right and walk along the sidewalk a few hundred yards to the actual trailhead. It is clearly marked and easy to find.
From this point the trail is fairly steep. There are several stairs to climb, but it was no big deal, even with three kids. I would suggest that you wear decent shoes for this trail as it is steep and slippery for those with flat bottom shoes. When we went, I read that the kids could play in the water at the base of the falls so I put them in their crocs. That was a mistake. My daughter was the only one with tennis shoes and she was, in turn, the only one to play in the freezing cold water, and the only one without slipping problems on the trail.
There are two little “caves” (or crevasses in the rocks that you could call a “cave”) that are quite fun for the kids. Before you know it, you are at the falls. We walked up to the base and saw what looked like confetti on the ground. As we walked closer, the confetti flew away. There were the most beautiful little blue butterflies all over. My daughter was in heaven.
You can take a shower in the falls if you are okay with spring runoff water (freezing!). The kids loved throwing rocks into the creek and walking through the water. The trail wasn’t very crowded, but we did run into a few families and some teenagers enjoying the falls. The hike took us a little over an hour, maybe more, but purely because we stayed and played at the top. It’s about 1 mile round trip, fairly steep, but doable with little ones. I would suggest this hike to anyone, anytime you want a spectacular view, a little nature, and not a lot of work.
