Big Willow Canyon Rock Climbing

The approaches are different depending on where you are going. They all start at the parking area of the park just south of the LDS church at about 11600 S Wasatch Blvd. Park here and take the paved trail towards the mountain. One will pass a sign for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Take this dirt road/trail to the north, as it climbs towards a gate. Pass by this gate, and continue up the hill. Here is where the trails diverge. For Big Willow Quartzite, and Twilight Buttress continue on this wider trail up and into Big Willow Canyon. For Jon's Hideout, The Guardian, Big Willow Cirque, and numerous unexplored granite buttresses you'll take the well marked Sawmill foot trail about 30 feet beyond some  rocks. It is on the right well before any stream crossings. If you pass a stream on the main Big Willow Canyon trail, you have gone too far. Take this steep trail up and over. This trail climbs the hill separating Big Willow Canyon from Little Willow Canyon (the canyon south of Big Willow). It will pass by a nice viewpoint of Big Willow before it makes it's lazy traverse over to Little Willow Canyon. The trail will then enter and climb Little Willow just below the ridgeline, passing by some small undocumented granite problems. A fork in the trail will be your next landmark. The fork has an Avalanche Warning sign. Going straight will get you to a resting spot next to Little Willow Creek. Turning left and up is the correct way. This will give you your last leg-burning segment into Big Willow Canyon for good. You'll cross over into Big Willow and enjoy the shade and relative cool of the large pines on the north face. The trail will come down into the south edge of the canyon. It will cross 2 small streams feed by springs. As you make your way around this end of the canyon, The Guardian initially will come into view and Jon's Hideout will also. There is a trail that bushwhacks to these formations. As of this writing, the trail was a deer trail at best, and non-existent would be more accurate. Big willow Cirque continues up the trail. The cliffs on the south of the canyon have not been documented and could use exploring.