Random Rambler: Silver Fork

Silver Fork is a beautiful little side canyon in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It features a nice mixed forest, wildflowers, a mine, and creek (earlier in the season, it’s dried up right now). What I really like about this trail is that it is not popular, so it is very quiet. We only passed by 3 other people the entire time we were up here. After our last few hikes, this was very much wanted and appreciated. We like this trail and tend to do it at least once a year or so.

Quick Details:

Length: We did 4 miles out and back, but it does keep going.
Trail Type: Out and back.
Difficulty: DR3 to the Mine, afterwards I would say DR4.
Elevation Gain: We did 830 feet.
Restroom: Kind of. There is a public restroom at the Solitude Moonbeam Lodge.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

From Wasatch Blvd. Drive 12.2 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the lower Solitude parking lot (Moonbeam Lodge) on the right. Go right to the far west end of the big parking lot. The trail is as the Southwest corner of the parking lot.

You can shave off 8/10ths of a mile by driving up Church Road from here as well. But it is a very thin road on a very steep slope. We have done it, and could probably do it again, but I am not a huge fan of it. So, we walked up today.

The mouth of the canyon (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)). The trees are starting the change.

The canyon was quite busy today (PSP). At first I thought it was due to being the last day of August, so you know, summer is ending. Eventually I remembered it was Labor Day Weekend, so yes, summer is ending, but also 3 day weekend for many.

Super pretty (PSP).

Mill D (PSP).

The Trail:

They are doing a lot of construction up here.

There was a building of some sort here, but it was severely damaged in the epic 2022-23 winter. I guess they opted to remove it rather than fix it.

Willow Heights on the other side of the canyon.

Under the ski lift.

The wide trail will swing to the left heading uphill, look for the thin offshoot to the right.

Then we are on Church Road.

Tree Stars!!! Actually, thimbleberry leaves. but they look like tree stars!

Found a geranium hanging on.

Church Road.

Well, this is new. Looks like they are adding, or working on the power lines?

I don’t love driving up it, but I do enjoy walking along Church Road. It’s super pretty.

I didn’t take a picture, but an older couple drove up and rolled down their window to ask if the road went through or not. I informed them that no, it dead ends at the trailhead and some cabins.

On their way back down they again stopped and said those are pretty cabins, and there are even newer ones, we said yeah it’s kind of crazy. They asked if we owned one of them and we said no, we just like hiking here. I sure wish we did though haha. Actually, I think I would prefer Mill D or up at Brighton.

Continuing up.

I’m pretty sure these are lodgepole pines.

Downhill.

Uphill.

This cabin has a rather steep ass staircase down to it. o.O.

Forest.

Starting to see more cabins.

I think these are rose hips.

Some fall colors. It's about that time of year where I transition from taking too many pictures of flowers, to taking too many pictures of leaves hahaha.

When the road curves to the left it means you are almost there.

New cabins.

You want to keep following the dirt road to the right.

It’s a little potholey, but it’s short and mostly well graded, so most cars should be just fine on it.

At about 8/10ths of a mile you will reach the current parking lot. It has room for ~4 cars or so.

Into the woods.

So pretty up here.

Forest.

At almost a mile you will reach what I think was the original trailhead.

Trailhead kiosk.

The creek is completely dry right now. It’s pretty amazing earlier in the season though.

Some sad looking monkshood.

Pretty forest.

Pretty asters.

Western cone flowers.

Old outhouse that was damaged in the last few years. It still has a toilet in it, but uh… I am almost certain it is no longer serviced.

Forest.

First meadow.

Continuing along.

I wonder when the last time people could drive up here was.

Some baby paintbrush.

Short section that is a little rough, but not so bad.

Geranium leaf. They always seem to be the first to change color.

Gully below. Earlier in the season when the creek is flowing there is a waterfall down there.

More geraniums.

Random side trail. Playing around on the map, it looks like this might connect to just above the parking lot.

Aspens.

So pretty up here.

Lupines that have gone to seed.

Continuing up.

Some aspens that turned early.

Aspens.

As we enter autumn, and thus, spooky season, just remember, the forest is watching you.

Some more color.

Geranium leaf.

The Honeycomb Cliffs with the moon.

Trail split. Left leads to the mine, right bypasses that if you plan to go higher up. So, we’ll go left today.

Big meadow.

Up canyon.

The sand is really loose soft beach sand here.

Mixed forest.

Panoramic.

Down canyon.

The creek bed.

Where the trail crosses it.

Geraniums.

Forest.

Up canyon.

Another little meadow.

The other side.

More changing leaves.

The last little push.

Up canyon again.

View down.

Just under 2 miles later we have reached the old mine. It’s kind of neat.

Some fall color.

Some asters.

You can only go back about 4 or 5 feet before it is walled off.

I poked my camera through the gap to see what was beyond. It’s a pretty significant mine! I wonder how far back it goes. It also looks like they have some sort of equipment of some sort in here. Possibly a weather station?

Off to the side.

View out.

Asters.

View down canyon.

The mine again.

Pretty yellow flowers.

View down again.

A paintbrush hanging on.

Some ruins of a structure that appears to have been built right into the cliff.

More of the ruins. I have no idea what the structure was. I suspect possibly a living quarters of some type, but I have no clue really.

From the back.

The cliffs above.

Back to the front.

View down canyon.

Oh! We found a happier looking paintbrush hanging on.

I like the striped cliff.

The ridge on the other side.

Alright, time to start heading back.

If you want to keep going up, take a left here (facing away from the mine, or west). The trail will cross the creek and connect with the main trail again. I haven’t gone that far yet, but I understand there are a couple more mines, but the trail gets significantly more steep after here.

View down.

Panoramic.

Another paintbrush.

I noticed this little split off and decided to check it out.

There doesn’t seem to be much to it so we turned back.

Continuing down.

East ridge.

West ridge.

Back to the big meadow.

Geraniums. I don’t often see the flower after the leaves have started to change color.

Continuing down.

Random sewer grate. I wonder if they had plans of developing up here at some point.

Morning glory plume moth on a yellow flower. What a weird and unique looking moth.

Forest.

More aspens.

We found a red paintbrush. Stunning.

Geranium leaf starting to change.

Continuing down.

Western cone flower.

I just love it up here.

Neat plant with black seeds.

Deep gully.

Hillside.

Continuing down.

Some more aspens starting to change.

Some yellow flowers of some sort.

Forest.

The lower meadow.

Forest.

Down to the random outhouse.

Forest.

We ran across a nice lady that was trying to track down some owls she said were likely mating due to their calls. Even gave us her impression of their calls. Hah, a little unexpected, but hey I get it. I get super excited about all sorts of things, including owls. I think my blog pretty much covers that.

Creek crossing.

Mixed trees.

Down to the gate.

Some of these trees have red bark. I thought they might have been redwood trees, but the shape is not right, and getting closer the needles aren’t either.

Random side trail. I think we might check that out next time we are up here. I’m not 100% sure, but I think this connects back to the main trail a little ways above. Eh, if not it will be an adventure!

More changed aspen leaves.

Down to the parking lot.

The dirt road leading to Church Road.

Random tetherball pole. It’s not often you see one of these guys outside of a playground.

Continuing down.

Back to the paved road and big ass cabins. As I said earlier, some of these were just recently built. We were talking and we have never seen people in them and half wonder if they are like.. Air B and B’s or something.

Random bell.

Continuing down Church Road.

Leaves changing color.

Neat firepit. But neither of us could figure out what the ladder was for.

All of the cabins on the downslope have crazy staircases to get down to them. This one opted to cover theirs.

Continuing down the road.

Forest.

Thimbleberry leaves.

Tree lined road.

I just really love it in here.

Looking up.

Thick forest.

Random seemingly abandoned snowmobile.

The random powerline road.

Downhill.

Lots of thimbleberries.

Robin, and where the road curves to the left or north.

Just after the curve you want to look for the dirt trail to the right. If you miss it, it’s not the end of the world, the road will get you back to the Solitude parking lot, but will add a little extra.

Heading back towards Solitude.

More asters.

Willow Heights across the canyon.

Snow machines.

The moon.

Little bit of a sunset at the bottom of the canyon (PSP).

I really enjoy that trail. It’s not about the end prize, more the entire adventure. It’s also super quiet. After our last few adventures, that really just hit the spot today. We only ran into 4 other people (2 on the trail trail). So that was just great. It’s just a really pretty and quiet trail. Even with the creek dried up I just loved it. 10 out of 10 squirrels today.