.jpg)
Lake Solitude is one of the 7 Brighton Lakes at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features an amazing mixed forest, mountain views, wildflowers, A pretty alpine lake, and a good chance of seeing wildlife. This is one of our regular hikes that we tend to do often, but I usually hold onto it for the fall.
Quick Details:
Length: About 3 miles out and back
Trail Type: Out and back, longer loop options.
Difficulty: Meh, its a bit of a climb but not too bad. DR3
Elevation Gain: About 500 feet.
Restroom: There are flush toilets at the parking lot, and inside the Visitor Center.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info: Fee area, $10.00 for a 3 day pass. Our year pass expired this month so we decided to just renew it ($60 for that).
To Get Here:
Drive to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Go around the Brighton Loop and you will see the Visitor Center on the right. There is additional parking across the road on the left next to the Brighton Store and Café.
If both lots are full, you can park in the big Brighton Resort lot just about 2 - 3/10ths of a mile to the east.
Heading up the canyon (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).
After stopping by the Brighton Store to renew our yearly pass we were off!
The Trail:
The trail picks up to the right of the Visitor Center. You will have to walk partially around Silver Lake to the back trailheads.
The main platform. You can go either way, but the shortest route to the back trailheads is to the right.
Mount Millicent and an unnamed peak.
Beaver dam.
When they rebuilt the boardwalk in 2024, they shifted it over a bit. The old scar is starting to fill in.
Boardwalk.
The new bridge/dock over the outlet.
Unnamed peak.
Beaver lodge.
The outlet.
Fireweed.
A spent one. Landis was wondering what it was.
I was able to point out this one not much later to show that is what it was.
Continuing along.
Fireweeds.
Man, there are a bunch of fireweeds this year. They appear to be very happy in these drought conditions.
Pretty forest.
Silver Lake.
At about 3/10ths of a mile we made it to the back trailhead.
Into the woods!
Pretty aspens.
4-way split. Left leads to Twin Lakes. Right is a closed trail, so forward it is. You will go forward through all of the 4 way splits.
The trail with the old wooden signs.
Pretty forest.
Its a little bit rocky.
Aspens.
Some sort of critter den.
Mixed forest.
Pretty yellow flowers.
Guardsman Pass on the other side of the canyon.
Aspens.
Paintbrush.
Forest.
Galls. Google is suggesting mites.
Cute little stone stairs.
They expanded this service road for a snow machine project last year. It somehow made the trail up to Twin Lakes even more steep. o.0
It also kind of ruined the stone stairs on the other side. It looks like someone kind of made it a little better though.
Paintbrush.
Solitude has added some helpful signs to keep you on the path.
Daisy like flower.
Paintbrush.
Lupine.
Some yellow flowers that are just about spent.
Forest.
The woodpeckers appear to really like this tree.
More forest.
Paintbrush.
Pretty purple daisy like flowers.
Continuing up.
Paintbrush.
Some jerk picked flowers and stuffed them into this stump. Don’t be that jerk, leave the flowers where they are.
Yellow flowers
The Sunrise Ski Lift. This part triggers my fear of heights a bit, but I am able to get myself through it. It really isn’t even that bad! But convincing the lizard brain of that is another story.
Rational Brain: dude! it isn't that bad, stop being a pussy.
Lizard Brain: Shut up I do what I want.
Rational Brain: Well, I'm gonna keep going, so try not to fall over.
The other side.
Then we pass through a disc golf course. Keep going forward.
Another sign to keep you on the right path.
Thick forest.
Daisy like flowers.
Closer.
Different ones.
More forest.
I am guessing that these pink ribbons denote sick trees that need to be cut down.
Again, just a guess, but I assume to prevent this.
Between a set of large trees.
Lots of greenery.
Elderberry.
Paintbrush.
Another 4 way split. Left will take you up to the Sunrise Ski Lift. Right was the old path, that has been rerouted. I think it will still get you there, but in a wonky way (not the awful way that was the reason for the reroute). Forward is the new main trail. so, go that way.
The first scree field is above the split. This is normally a good spot to see pikas.
Haypiles. Pikas don’t hibernate, so they spend the short warmer months gathering food to make it through winter.
None of them wanted to come out to play today. Poop.
Back to the trail.
Pretty forest.
Very quickly we come to the middle scree field.
Now that is a good haypile!
Another one near the top.
Thistle.
A pika and his haypile.
Pulled out the telephoto lens so we can get a better view of these cute guys.
Another one.
So cute.
Gathering food. Man are they fast! It is incredible watching them bound across the rocks with ease.
On to the top of the haypile.
Off to find more food.
The upper one again.
Oh, I did get a good shot of one running with food. Hooray! Like I said, they a quick little buggers.
Running around.
Alright, back to the trail.
Paintbrush.
Lupine.
Lining both sides of the trail.
Paintbrush.
Aspens.
Another thick patch of pines.
Inside.
Its lovely.
Uphill.
Looking up.
The 3rd and largest scree field. This means you are almost to the lake.
Paintbrush.
Thistle.
The 3rd and largest scree field. We saw and heard some pikas but they were too quick for me today.
More paintbrush.
The last thick forest section.
More paintbrush.
Twisted tree.
Triple fallen trees.
Deer friend.
We made it! Phew!
Again.
.jpg)
Panoramic.
With the peak above. Normally when we get here, the sun is like, right behind that peak, and it blows it out a bit. Its a little blown out today, but not as bad as usual for us.
.jpg)
Another panoramic.
.jpg)
Another.
A mine.
View inside.
Western coneflower.
Alright, it’s getting late. Time to head back down.
The old trail climbed this rough hill at the end. The 2018 reroute is much, much better.
Forest.
Looking up.
Squirrel.
The deer friend again.
Again.
Paintbrush.
The large scree field.
Elderberries.
Forest.
Another thick patch of trees.
Some kind of bird climbing up this tree. I thought it was a bat at first.
Looking up.
Forest.
Paintbrush.
Tree silhouettes.
Bumblebee on some mint.
Lupine.
The middle scree field.
Pika.
4 Way split. Go forward.
The lower scree field.
Forest.
Looking up.
More silhouettes. Ooph, we are rapidly losing light. We gotta start hoofin it.
Passing through 2 trees.
Forest.
Cute little white flowers.
Large daisy like flowers.
Different daisy like flowers.
Lots of them.
Forest.
Scott Hill on the other side of the canyon. It is pretty easy to recognize due to the giant Mickey Mouse shaped tailings on it.
The top of the Sunrise Lift.
Trail split. Right and left are just the disc golf course, so go forward.
Signed for Silver Lake.
Heading under the Sunrise Ski Lift.
Pretty yellow flowers.
Western coneflower.
Lots of them.
Under a large tree.
Thick forest.
Back down to the maintenance road scar.
Downhill towards Solitude.
Uphill towards Twin Lakes.
The stone steps again.
Forest.
Silhouettes again.
Back into some aspens.
Looking up.
Aspens.
Another large tree.
More aspens.
Scott Hill across the canyon.
Thimbleberry leaves.
Back to the lower split. Again, you want to go forward.
Back down to Silver Lake and the crowd. Normally we would continue around the lake to the right, but, as it appears is the theme this year, we got a late start and were losing light. So, back the way we came, left.
Silver Lake.
.jpg)
Panoramic.
Mount Millicent above.
Continuing around.
The new bridge/dock over the outlet.
The lake and the outlet.
Mount Millicent.
The Visitor Center.
The Brighton Store and Café across the street.
Well, we made it back to the car before total dark! Imma take that as a win.
Scott Hill again.
More tree silhouettes (PSP).
Heading down the canyon (PSP).
The last bit of sunset (PSP).
Well, that was fun! We usually save this trail for fall to enjoy the aspens, so it was nice to get some different light. It is WAYYY less busy on the back trails than it is around Silver Lake. The pikas are fun to watch, and the wildflowers are still going. 9 out of 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, its a pretty mild climb. DR3.
Dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon so be sure to leave Fido home for this one.
