Exploring Cardiff Fork

Cardiff Fork is a fascinating side canyon leading from Reynolds Flat in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It remains a patchwork of private land, remnants of old mining claims. Mining relics and ruins are abundant throughout the canyon, where silver, copper and gold were extracted commercially until the 1950s.

Today, the old mining roads remain open only to private land owners, forest service and hikers on foot. A popular destination, Doughnut Falls, is a 3/4-mile hike from the mouth of the fork. A deeper exploration leads upward to Cardiac Bowl and Cardiff Pass on the Cottonwood Ridge. My brother-in-law, Steve, and I decided on Cardiff Fork for a test-run of some of our gear and pacing for an upcoming backpacking expedition. The sights were beautiful and the trail just steep enough to get us warmed up. After a pleasant evening along Vina Flat (9,000'), we day hiked to the canyon head at Cardiff Pass, winding up at about 10,000'.