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You have a few options with this trail. You can drive up to the trailhead and hope parking is available for $8.00. You can also take a shuttle up to the TH for $5.00 per person and either take it back down, or hike down 1.5 miles to Albion Base (closed this season) or 2 miles to Wildcat Base through the Albion Meadows (this is my preferred method). Or, you can hike up the meadows, to the lake, and back down to the meadows. This is certainly the longest route, but it is free to do it that way. Today, for a first, ever, we drove to the top. The Albion Basin road, is not bad at all.
Quick Details:
Length: Despite what the sign says, it is about 8/10’s of a mile to the lake. Waking around the lake will add about 6/10 of mile for a total of 2.3 miles out and back.
Trail Type: Balloon. Out and back option, or point to point with shuttle.
Difficulty: DR3. This one is pretty easy. It is a constant climb, but not too bad.
Elevation Gain: About 480 feet.
Restroom: There are 2 pit toilets at the TH.
Dogs? No. Little Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info: Fee area. As explained above either $8.00 to park at the TH, $5.00 per person for a shuttle ride, or add 1.5 - 2 miles (one way) to do it for free.
To Get Here:
Drive to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. If you plan to take the shuttle, or hike up from Alta, normally you would go to the 2nd Alta base called Albion Base. However they are doing construction on that this year so currently you will use the 1st, Wildcat Base (this will add a half mile each way). If you want to drive up, keep going and stop of the ranger kiosk just outside the Albion Basin Summer Rd. Buy a parking pass, and take the Summer Rd up.
The mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon (PSP (Passenger Seat Photography)).
The Summer Rd (PSP). It is now mostly paved. Its not as good as the rest of the canyon, but it isn’t too bad, as far as high elevation, thin mountain roads go. In fact it doesn’t even really make me nervous at all.
Pretty up here.
Great view down canyon (PSP).
I don’t know why we haven’t driven up here until now. (PSP). Its seriously not bad.
Okay the section below the Catherine Pass TH is a little washboardy, but just slow down a smidge, you’ll be fine (PSP).
Almost to the top (PSP).
The Trail:
The trail is designated with this little flag.
Fun little log bench.
Little Cottonwood Creek.
Trailhead kiosk. It says it is only 4/10 of a mile to the lake, which is very very wrong. The Alta website doesn’t even say that either. I think it’s time to update the sign.
Into the woods!
The new overflow parking lot.
Nice little meadow.
This is an interpretive trail and there are a few informative signs along the way. This one explains there are over 120 species of wildflowers up here, and also goes on to say that it is everybody’s responsibility to leave no trace to help preserve this beautiful area.
The trail shares a space with this cabin access road for a little bit. I can only recall having to get out of the way for a car once before, but just know it can happen.
Some wildflowers.
Devils Castle is my favorite peak up here. It is just fascinating. Note the spot of snow, here in September. I wonder if it will still be there when we get our first snow storm.
Suddenly a deer went streaking by.
Oh! with a baby as well. They sure are running awfully quick. I wonder what spooked them.
Oh! This sign explained one of our curiosities we had when we hiked the Devils Castle Loop. All the random boulders up here came down thousands of years ago when a glacier cut across Devils Castle.
Devils Castle and said boulders.
Some wild daisies.
Nice little stream.
More flowers.
Third stream crossing. First that, if you don’t want your feet wet, you have to boulder hop.
I think this one comes from the spring we found towards the end of the Devils Castle Loop last time.
Cracked rock.
Eventually the trail departs the cabin road. Hang left here.
Devils Castle above a nice meadow.
This sign covers the different wildflowers up here and what animals help them propagate.
Fourth stream crossing. Well placed boulders make it easy enough to cross.
Forest.
Fifth and final stream crossing.
This sign covers the wildlife found up here. We saw 2 of the animals depicted here today.
The final section is across glacier scraped boulders then up the final switchbacks.
Devils Castle again.
This one covers the fact that 15% of our drinking water comes from up here. It also labels all the peaks you can see from here, which I find helpful.
Recreated the panoramic showing from left to right: Patsy Marley, Wolverine, Tuscarora, Catherine Pass, Point Supreme, East Castle, Devils Castle, Sugarloaf Peak.
I think just about every time I have come up here I have seen a rock climber climbing that cliff face.
The final push is these 3 switch backs. It really looks worse from down here than it is. I don’t have any issues going up and down this at all, and I am afraid of heights.
Point Supreme and the supreme ski lift.
Mine tailings.
Said mine. I didn’t get close to it today, but it doesn’t seem very deep.
The first switchback is not bad at all.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think this is a recent rock fall. I don’t remember it from last time.
The second switchback is probably the worst one, but even it is not bad at all.
Fireweed.
More daisies.
The last switchback is almost flat.
More fireweed.
I think this is mountain beebalm. Definitely something in the mint family as it was quite fragrant.
The final push, seriously almost there.
Sugarloaf peak.
Cecret Lake! It is such a beautiful lake!
Panoramic.
We decided to head around the lake. We have now done both ways, but the left side from here is worse than the right, so we decided to get that out of the way first.
They rebuilt the dam this year.
The lake again.
Sugarloaf Peak again.
Nearing the back end.
Finally saw a salamander. I was starting to worry they weren’t here anymore.
They are fascinating little critters.
Tiger Salamanders, the only species we have in Utah, are related to axolotl's so they have the similar neat looking gills when they are young that kind of makes them look like dragons.
The lake again.
Another panoramic.
The rock fall section. I think it has shifted some since last time.
More rock climbers up on the cliffs above.
A smaller elkweed.
Just managed to catch a pika. Just left of the grass patch. They are small rodents so I pulled out my telephoto lens to try and catch another one.
Well, the pikas decided to be camera shy, but we did spot this marmot up near the cliffs.
Didn’t see any columbines along the trail today, but there are some obscuring the marmots head.
Nice, got a picture of his face.
I think these guys are kind of cute.
Standing up.
Well, got some pretty decent shots of the marmot, but no such luck with the pikas. They should start being pretty active about now since they don’t hibernate.
Back to the lake.
Another panoramic.
Holy salamanders batman!
Some nice reflection.
Another panoramic.
Kind of sad looking fireweed.
Devils Castle reflecting on the lake.
Panoramic from this side.
I decided to climb up to the low ridge and got this nice view into the Albion Basin.
Not a bad view of the lake up here either.
Back down to the shore.
Nearing the front again.
The wind died down enough to offer a nice reflection.
One final parting shot before we decided to head on down.
Cute little chipmunk.
Some buttercups.
View across the basin.
Some more flowers.
Colorful section of rocks.
More fireweed.
Devils Castle again.
Reaching the forested section again.
It’s been a while since we walked out to the edge here, so we decided to do it again. It’s a super short detour.
Split rock.
The view.
Down towards the second stream crossing.
First stream crossing and the parking lot.
Information on the dam work. The old earthen dam built in the 1930’s was not functioning very well so they built a new one with cement and packed earth.
Some wildflowers down by the restrooms.
Heading back down the summer road (PSP).
On the way up I caught a quick glimpse of this sign, so I thought we would stop by real quick. I want to say it is about half way.
Short little trail out.
It leads out to this little brick wall with this etching.
Recreated the panoramic matching the sign. Peaks: Devils Castle, Sugarloaf Peak, Greeley Hill (glad to finally confirm the name of that one), and Mount Superior.
View down into Alta with Mount Superior.
There weren't any additional signs so I’m not sure what the grove is, but this seemed a good possibility, and there was another small trail out to it.
Pretty orange/red bee.
The little ring of trees has some nice stones for sitting.
View up.
More flowers.
A particularly pretty paintbrush.
A nice little patch of wildflowers.
Well, not much to the grove, but it did offer a great view, so I am glad we stopped. Time to get back on the road.
Back on the summer road (PSP).
View down canyon again (PSP).
Now on the proper Little Cottonwood Canyon Road (PSP). I love this spot with a great view directly down the canyon.
I absolutely love this trail, and all of the ways we have done it. This was the shortest route we have done and it was just as lovely as always. We saw some great wildlife, the wildflowers are starting to dwindle, but were still lovely today. Surprisingly, for a holiday, it was not as crowded as I would have expected. But the groups at the lake were, well, not following basic trail etiquette. Loosing one squirrel for that.
As for difficulty, it is petty easy going and probably the easiest to reach alpine lake other than Silver Lake. Going with a DR3.
Dogs are not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon as it is watershed. Be sure to leave Fido at home.
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