Devils Castle

 The Devils Castle Loop is an amazing trail above Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features a thick forest, beautiful mountain views, wildflowers, and wildlife. This trail is overshadowed by the much more popular Cecret Lake Trail so it is definitely a lot less busy. This is one of my all time favorite trails so we tend to do it at least once a year or so.

Quick Details:

Length: It is about a 2 mile loop, but we parked at the Catherine Pass parking lot and ended up doing about 3.2 miles.
Trail Type: Loop.
Difficulty: DR4, it is a bit of a climb.
Elevation Gain: Normally about 500 feet, we did closer to 600 today.
Restroom: There are vault toilets at the trailhead.
Dogs? No. Little Cottonwood Canyon is protected watershed.
Other Info: Fee Area. The Summer Road has a $12.00 toll.

To Get Here:

Drive to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, pay the toll and continue up the Summer Road. Ideally you would want to park at the Cecret Lake Trailhead, Lot B, or the Cecret Lake Overflow, Lot C. We parked at the Catherine Pass Trailhead, Lot A.

The mouth of the canyon (Passenger Seat Photography 0PSP)). I love the perfect U shape of it.

The toll booth (PSP). The line wasn’t too bad today, we ended up only waiting about 10 minutes to head up. I planned on walking up to the meadows today, but, due to the short line we did a last minute pivot and decided we will do the Albion Meadow Trail from the top instead.

New building being built (PSP). I suspect they will be restrooms.

Onto the Summer Road (PSP).

Heading up the Summer Road (PSP).

1st switchback (PSP).

The 2nd switchback (PSP).

Devils Castle and Sugarloaf Peak (PSP).

The 3rd switchback (PSP).

There was a ranger at the Catherine Pass Trailhead who informed us that most of the parking available was here. He then guided us into the spot for some reason LOL. My guess is people weren’t pulling in far enough because its a little high up.

The flowers in the meadows looked about done for the season, so we made a final pivot and decided to do Devils Castle. I asked the ranger if there were spots up at the upper lots and he said we might have to circle around a few times and wait for one. Soooo, we decided we have a spot, we can hoof it up.

The Trail:

Trailhead kiosk.

Heading down into the meadow.

As you can see, the meadows are looking pretty sparse.

We decided to take the Catherine’s to Cecret Connector Trail up. Where we found a nice patch of arnica.

Closer.

Western coneflowers.

Continuing along.

The meadows are definitely past wildflower prime.

Continuing along.

Devils Castle and Sugarloaf Peak.

Lupine.

Daisy like flowers.

Then we hit the service road.

Catherine Pass.

Fireweeds.

With the peaks.

Little patch of flowers.

Fireweeds.

Paintbrush.

Access gate for the service road. I am pretty sure you aren’t supposed to park there but, whatever.

Arnica.

Catherine Pass again. From here we have the option of doing the upper Catherine to Cecret Connector, or the Summer Road. I opted for the summer road. I was just looking for the quickest way.

Also, I am not 100% sure, but I think this might have been where the original trailhead was for Catherine Pass.

The peaks above.

Catherine Pass again.

Another patch of flowers.

Paintbrush.

Continuing up the road.

At about a half mile later we made it to Lot B, the main Cecret Lake parking lot. Yeah… I am not seeing any parking spots. I think we made the best choice staying where we were and hiking up. It wasn't bad at all.

Albion Basin Campground.

Alright, so from here you have 2 choices. Head up the Albion Basin Campground road to the left, or up the Cecret Lake Trail to the right. I find it easier to stay on the main trail by going up the campground first, so that is the way we went. One of these days we will try right again. One of these days.

Heading up the campground road.

Little Cottonwood Creek,

Big patch of fireweeds. This is absolutely the year of the fireweed! They seem super, super happy this year. I swear I am seeing way more of them than I normally do.

Lots of paintbrush

A really bright red one.

Lupine, starting to go to seed.

More fireweeds.

The Supreme Skilift.

One of the campsites. One of these days we will camp up here!

Continuing up. Cecret Road on the right, it is a cabin access road, but will also connects to the Cecret Lake Trail.

Fireweed.

Paintbrush.

This second cabin road, called Homestake Rd. is what you want. Just before the Albion Basin Rd. curves to the north.

You can see a little trail sign.

Almost immediately you come to another fork. I believe you can go either way, but left is new, and we haven’t done it yet. I generally tend to just go with what I know so we still always go right. Maybe one day I will try left.

Quick steep section.

Daisy like flower.

Patch of yellow flowers.

Devils Castle and Sugarloaf Peak.

Lupine.

Devils Castle.

Passing through some of the cabins.

Chipmunk.

Continuing along.

Snow cat.

Pretty forest.

Another steeper part.

Beautiful red paintbrush.

More steep road.

More paintbrush.

Final push.

Devils Castle through the trees.

Lupine.

Where the other road connects again.

It looks like it is a little less steep. I will definitely have to check it out sometime.

Fireweed.

Paintbrush.

Juts a couple feet above where the 2 roads merge is the turn off for the trail.

Here the trail is quite a bit more thin.

Paintbrush.

Still climbing a bit.

Lupine.

Pretty forest.

Continuing up towards Devils Castle.

Little white flowers.

Bumblebee on some lupine.

Devils Castle.

Sugarloaf Peak.

Nice little flat spot for a minute.

The little meadow below, with boulders that have come down off of Devils Castle.

Paintbrush.

Forest.

The meadow again.

Little baby pine tree.

Devils Castle. The patch of snow that usually persists through summer isn’t there this year. :(

Neat striped boulder.

Western coneflowers.

Lupine.

Little tree growing out of a rock.

Baby trees.

Paintbrush.

Continuing along.

Forest.

Paintbrush.

Devils Castle.

The trail is getting a little thin here, but still easy to follow.

Different shades of paintbrush.

Daisy like flowers.

Continuing along.

Devils Castle above.

Paintbrush.

The basin below.

Paintbrush.

Mine tailings.

The top! Phew.

Devils Castle above.

Western coneflower.

With a bumblebee.

There is a mine under there somewhere.

Devils Castle above.

The top of the mine tailings.

The enormous scree field below. I’ve seen it quite a few times but it still just amazes me.

Panoramic.

Catherine Pass.

The scree field again.

The 1st marmot of the day. Not the best shot though, but I got better ones eventually.

Pika.

They are so cute!

I love watching them hop across the rocks like it’s nothing.

Grouse. Wow, it has been a few years since we have seen one of these.

Looking for stuff to eat.

Looking right at us.

Then back to doing grousey things.

Such a neat bird! I’d love to see a male someday.

With it’s feeties.

Still searching for food.

The rocky slope doesn’t seem to bother her.

Alright, lets move on.

The scree field below.

Pika.

Where the trail crosses through the scree field.

Neat flat faced rock. It’s like a small half dome.

Pika.

Chomping down some plants.

Score!

Then off to add it to the haypile.

Another.

The scree fields, from the cell phone so I didn’t have to swap out lenses again haha. This is an area that I feel like as soon as I did swap lenses I would have to swap it again.

Uphill with Devils Castle. Cell phone again.

Marmot #2.

Such a cute little chunk.

standing on his hind legs.

So cute.

Pika. Running around on the rocks like it’s nothing.

One being the lookout.

Back to our marmot friend.

Bum.

Shot of his face.

He sure seems to like that thistle.

Better face shot.

Even better.

Pika with a snack.

Scree field.

Back to the pika.

So cute.

The marmot again, plus an elkweed.

Switched back to the regular lens so of course, another pika.

Scree field below.

Above.

Devils Castle.

Below again.

Catherine Pass.

We found another marmot! So back to the telephoto lens.

He’s so cute!

I wanna snuggle his face. But you know, wild animal and all. I'd rather not have my face bitten off.

The little half dome again.

Catherine Pass again.

The massive scree field again. These boulders mostly came down off of Devils Castle when the glacier receded, 14000 years ago (but still come down occasionally). Some of them can be seen as far away as Alf’s near where we started today. o.O

Cute yellow flowers.

Moss.

The little half dome again, plus some more mine tailings.

Closer. This is a popular climbing crag. I don’t often see it without climbers on it.

Getting closer.

Random rock wall.

With the flat face of the little half dome.

Devils Castle.

Back into the woods.

The big scree field again.

Devils Castle.

Another stunning red paintbrush.

Continuing along.

Last look at Devils Castle for a minute.

Forest.

The scree field just keeps going and going.

Its pretty back here.

More forest.

Another bumblebee. The bumblebees were definitely busy today! There were several spots we heard them buzzing away.

More forest.

Daisy like flowers.

Closer.

I love this forest.

Scattered boulders.

The hillside.

Curving around.

Paintbrush.

Lupine.

Trees broken against a large boulder.

Now the DOWN starts.

Trees on a steep hill.

More forest.

A nice flat section, with a bridge.

Earlier on in the season there is a spring flowing out here.

Forest.

Trail split. I think either way will get you there, but we always go forward.

Split boulder.

We saw the 4th and 5th marmot here, but they ran opposite ways, so I only got a picture of one of them.

Paintbrush.

Forest.

A deer friend.

Boulders and forest.

Forest.

T junction. Right just leads right back up, so left it is.

Marmot #6… not a great shot at all, but I mean, I got pretty good shots of some of the other ones.

Some of these boulders are the size of trucks!

Western coneflowers.

Lots of them.

Super pretty.

Paintbrush.

Trail merge. I am pretty sure this is where the previous split leads.

More large boulders.

Continuing along.

Paintbrush.

Daisy like flowers.

Another large boulder.

Catherine Pass again.

The intersection with the Cecret Lake Trail. Left leads to Cecret Lake. Forward is a thinner trail that leads to Lot C (the Cecret lake overflow lot). Right leads to Lot B (The original lot). I usually prefer the route going forward, but… it was getting later and we were running out of light so I decided to go right. 

Another large boulder.

Heading down the Cecret Lake Trail. This section is also a cabin access road called Cecret Rd. It has only happened to us once or twice, but you may encounter a car through here.

Devils Castle getting some of the last bit of light up here.

Larkspur.

Continuing down next to the campground.

Paintbrush.

Daisy like flowers.

Fireweed.

Chipmunk.

The original site of the Supreme Lift bottom. They just recently rebuilt it to correct a slight bend.

Fireweed.

Another.

With Sugarloaf Peak.

The new Supreme Lift. The bottom is now over by Alf’s.

Lupine.

Fireweed.

Bridge over Little Cottonwood Creek.

Downstream.

Upstream.

I decided we should go down the upper Catherine to Cecret Connector Trail which can be picked up right next to the restrooms at the Cecret Lake Trailhead. Between Lots B and C.

Following it down.

View down.

I feel like this side trail to the left is new. I wonder where it leads. I didn't check it out due to the low light, but maybe next time.

Paintbrush.

Bumblebee on a western coneflower.

Daisy like flowers.

Another small bridge.

Little stream below.

Bearing Tree. This was an old method of defining property borders.

People taking bridal photos.

Catherine Pass again.

One of several little pebble spots that allow smaller streams through the trail.

Paintbrush.

Here we have the choice of heading down the service road to the lower Catherine to Cecret Connector, or just staying on the Summer Road. I decided to stay on the Summer Road because I didn’t want to go down just to head back up, but honestly I don’t think it makes much of a difference, other than the connector trail doesn’t have cars driving by. But it was late enough we didn't experience any cars so.. meh.

The peaks.

Sulphur flower.

Arnica.

Skyrocket.

The peaks.

Down canyon.

Big patch of daisy like flowers.

The drainage ditches across the road have cones to warn you of the bump.

The top of the Sunnyside Lift.

Almost back to the parking lot.

The meadows below.

Roadside arnica.

Back down to the Catherine Pass Trailhead.

Heading down the Summer Road (PSP).

Well hello there!

It looks like a momma and its almost grown up calf.

Momma poked her head up for a minute.

Pulled out the telephoto lens. Hi momma! It looks like she has a tracking collar. 

Look as this cute little nugget!

So cute! Man we are having a good wildlife day, and well, a great moose year. These guys make our 9th and 10th moose sighting this year.

Back to momma.

Both.

Momma.

Okay, time to keep going.

What is this? (PSP).

A cute little porcupine to top off the day (PSP). Fun!

Okay bye! (PSP).

View down canyon (PSP).

Devils Castle above the Summer Road (PSP).

Down to the toll booth (PSP).

View down canyon.

Little bit of sunset.

Heading down Little Cottonwood Canyon (PSP).

View of the valley below through the canyon (PSP).

Again (PSP).

Near the mouth of the canyon (PSP).

The valley (PSP).

Last bit of sunset (PSP).

Well that was incredible. This has always been one of my favorite hikes, but add on an excellent wildlife day and it’s even better! Lets see, 6 Marmots, numerous pikas, a deer, a grouse, a porcupine, and a pair of moose! Plus, after we got through the campground we didn’t see a single other person until we hit the Cecret Lake Trail portion. 10 squirrels, I’d give it 11 if I could.

As for difficulty, it is a bit of a climb. DR4.

Dogs are not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon due to it being protected watershed, so be sure to leave Fido home for this one.