Lake Solitude is a really pretty alpine lake located in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features wildflowers, a lake, wildlife, and this tome of year some amazing fall colors. We did this just a few months ago, but we kind of just went up the canyon and followed the color today. After dealing with the crowds at Silver Lake we decided we wanted to get away from that and headed up here.
Quick Details:
Length: About 3.5 Miles if you go around Silver Lake. You can also add about a half mile going around Lake Solitude. You can also shave off about a half mile by only doing the shorter west side of Silver Lake.
Trail Type: Out and back or balloon.
Difficulty: DR3. It’s a pretty easy climb.
Elevation Gain: About 410 ft.
Restroom: Yes, flush toilets at Silver Lake.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info:
To Get Here:
Drive to the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Near the beginning of the loop at the top you will see the Solitude Nordic Center on the right.
If there is no parking, you can park up at Brighton. This will add about 4/10ths of a mile out and back.
Trailhead sign.
More color.
Okay, I should probably just go ahead and say this post is going to be more about the color, and less about the trail. If you want a better guide check out my post from a few months ago.
Old trail sign.
This is at the normally signed 4 way split. Right is closed for revegetation, left goes to Twin Lakes, and forward goes to Lake Solitude. I noticed they tend to take these signs down sometime in late fall.
Lovely stroll through the aspens.
Looking up.
Fun rock staircase.
Giant old growth tree.
View across canyon.
With the ski lift.
There is a short, short section around the ski lift where the slope is a little steeper than I like, and my lizard brain freaks out a little. But I can manage to power through.
PS: If you are not afraid of heights like I am, you can knock a mile or so off of this hike by taking this Sunnyside Lift. It is $15.00 per adult though.
Some nice color around the disc golf course.
Some nice color now that we have popped out from behind the shadow of the mountain.
The first of three scree fields. Oh, the pika’s hay piles are pretty substantive!
Hello little cutey!
Get your munch on.
More color.
The second scree field. More good hay piles. We could hear some pikas but didn’t see any.
Pretty sure this is a red tailed hawk, but its hard to be sure when they are soaring that high.
Small patch of trees.
Looking up.
The big scree field. This means you are almost there. We often see pikas and marmots though here. But so far not today.
Just one more small patch of trees, and then we will be at the lake.
Nice burst of color.
Deer and fawn.
Lake solitude.
With some nice reflection.
Again.
Panoramic.
We decided we didn’t want to go around the lake today, so we started back down.
Back down to the big scree field.
Small patch of trees.
Nice patch of color.
Back to the middle scree field.
Some color.
Back to the lower scree field.
Pika getting a nice snack.
Another snack.
I just love these adorable little guys.
Nice color.
More.
Back to the frisbee golf course.
Across canyon towards Scott Hill.
Hrm. Maybe we should have done the other side of the canyon.
Random sticker that says ‘Please don’t kill moose’.
Some of the lovely color along the trail.
Closer.
More color.
Even though we had done this one recently, I was glad to do it again and enjoy the fall color. I enjoyed the pike and deer sightings, and the much, much quieter trail. 9 out of 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, it is pretty much a DR2. It is paved, board walked, or like paved and fairly flat.
Dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon, so be sure to leave Fido home.
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