Silver Lake and Twin Lakes Trail to the Overlook

 Silver Lake is a stunning lake at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon that is a very popular tourist destination due to being an easy path around a scenic alpine lake. After our recent vacation that included a LOT of walking I wanted to do something a little on the easier side, while still getting some nice fall color in. I figured with it being a weekday it wouldn’t be so crazy. We do this one fairly often.

Note: For the end of season 2022 the north end of the board walk is being rebuilt, so we could only go about 3/4 of the way around it. Spring of 2023 they plan to work on the south end of it.

Quick Details:

Length: Normally it is about 9/10 of a mile around Silver Lake. with the closure it is about 1.2 miles out and back. With our added trip partially up the Twin Lakes Trail it was about 1.8 miles
Trail Type: Out and back. Normally a loop option, or loop with spur.
Difficulty: DR2 for the lake. DR3 up to the overlook.
Elevation Gain: About 400 feet.
Restroom: Yes, new flush toilets at the TH.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Head to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Park at the Solitude Nordic Center. Overflow parking is available a little further east at the Brighton lot.

Scott Hill from the parking lot.

Some golds. I remember reading some time that the gold color comes about when the tree gets different sugars.

The Trail:

Details of the boardwalk replacement project. I had heard that was happening but somehow completely forgot about that fact until seeing the sign. o.O

Really bright bush.

Really colorful hillsides. Look at the patches of gold.

Closer.

Looks like they have taken the signs down for the season.

Looking back towards Scott Hill. It easy to identify due to the Mickey Mouse shaped mine tailings.

Starting to see the lake.

Again.

The inlet.

Which seems to be flowing higher and faster than I can recall seeing it.

Beaver dam.

Some color across the way.

There is a beaver lodge in the lake.

Back towards Scott Hill.

A little closer. I have a wonderful app that helps me remove people from photos. It generally does pretty good.

Another inlet. I think this might be a secondary caused by beaver dams.

The lake again.

Entering the wooded section.

The lake again.

Finally a proper view of the lake.

Panoramic.

Squirrel!

Beautiful patch of color.

The Lake.

Looking towards where we are heading.

The lake.

Another panoramic.

A lot of yellow, little bit o gold.

More color.

The lake.

Another panoramic.

The beaver lodge again.

More color.

Duckies!

Clear water.

Mount Millicent.

Another panoramic.

Squirrel.

The sign is quite faded, but it is warning of the closure ahead. We will check that out on the way down.

For now, we headed back into the woods towards the Twin Lakes Trail. That is a great trail, but we’re only going to go about halfway up it today, because while I still wanted to be out in the woods, I was still a little sore from all the walking we did last week.

Some yellows and a little gold.

Yellows.

Golds.

Looking up.

4 way split. Right is closed. Forward leads to Lake Solitude. We’re gonna go left towards Twin Lakes.

It’s a good thing I am familiar with the area as they have removed the signs for the season.

More color.

This trail is a little rocky, but the first half isn’t too bad.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. To be in a nice colorful forest.

Super pretty.

Loving the color.

Loving the bright color.

Leaf littered trail.

You can just make out the lake below through the trees.

Another bright section.

Nearing our destination.

Closeup leaf.

The big scree field. Our destination.

And to the overlook. One of my all time favorite views along the Wasatch Front.

Panoramic.

It’s a little better just slightly higher up.

Panoramic.

The view again.

Closer view of the lake.

With the color.

Pica!

Another one.

Back to the first one.

Another.

The view again.

Uh, I might be crazy, but it looks like they removed the bridge over the outlet?

Another panoramic.

Yea, I am pretty sure the bridge is gone.

Whelp, time to start heading back. This view is absolutely phenomenal, however, Twin Lakes is also incredibly pretty, and worth continuing up to. However, we had just done that recently, and as I said, I was looking for easier today. The rest of the trail is UP and rocky. I was just wanting a good overlook today.

Some more color.

Trail split. I believe the trail to the left connects to the Lake Solitude trail without losing too much elevation if you want to add that. Right will lead us back down to Silver Lake.

More color.

Marssonina is a fungus that causes black spots on leaves that affects aspens, cottonwoods, and other poplars. I was curious so I looked it up.

More aspens.

You can just make out the lake through the trees.

Starting to reach better lighting.

Funky tree. It never ceases to amaze me how trees can survive extensive damage and just keep going.

Loads of yellow.

The remains of some sort of structure.

More yellow.

Starting to see some golds.

Falling leaves.

I am super glad we did this today. Its very pretty.

Nice lighting.

Good patch.

Leaf litter.

I call these fall Christmas trees. Naturally decorated pines.

I love it.

Back to the 4 way split. Right will get you back to the trailhead.

Leaf littered trail.

Looking up.

Back down to Silver Lake. We decided to keep going to where the trail cut us off due to the boardwalk reconstruction.

Mount Millicent.

Little bit of reflection.

Water so clear you can see the fish!

Nearing the outlet with Mount Millicent again.

We reached the closure. Whelp, time to turn back.

Where the bridge over the outlet used to be. Yep, definitely gone. I wonder if they will build it the same way or change it.

Mount Millicent again.

Lots of yellow, a smidge of gold.

Some pretty gold.

The lake again.

Particularly reflective panoramic.

Nice reflection.

The lake again.

Another panoramic.

Some more color.

The lake again.

Deer.

The view point we were at before.

Deer again.

The lake again.

Back into the woods.

Looking up.

Again.

The lake with one of the inlets.

Scott Hill again.

The lake again.

Just some more surrounding color.

More color. You can also see where they are working on the boardwalk.

This kind of stuff is why its being replaced. That and there are parts that are quite warped due to all the foot traffic.

Color above the parking lot.

I do love Silver Lake. It can be busy on the weekends, heck it can even be busy on weekdays during prime color peeping season. But it wasn't too bad today. I also enjoyed getting the above view by partially going up the Twin Lakes trail. Silver Lake itself is a great way to experience what our canyons offer. Going with 9 squirrels today. Losing 1 just cause currently you can't complete the loop.

As for difficulty, Silver Lake is generally flat and mostly a boardwalk. DR2. Even the half of the Twin Lakes trail was pretty easy going. DR3 for that.

Dog are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon. So be sure to leave Fido home.