Note: The trailhead described here starts in Albion Basin. If you’re trying to go in mid-July (when the wildflowers are in bloom), plan extra time to get to a parking spot. If you are riding during the peak wildflower season be sure to watch for the other hikers and bikers in the area who may not be looking for you. It started to get dark so we headed back to the car but this is a hike I’d love to do again and try to find the lake. I’ve scheduled pictures up there on August 11th. Because it is so popular, get there early to get a … Be sure to give them space and bring a camera with a wide and and telephoto lens. Enjoy the walk through the upper meadows of Albion Basin. That includes good hiking shoes, hat, sunscreen and plenty of water. You may also spot wildlife in the area, especially moose and deer. Someone mentioned on a Facebook group that there are lots of buds, but the flowers aren’t there just yet. Area Status: Open Provides access to: Basin Creek Trail #3006 which enters North Fork John Day Wilderness and ends after 1.3 miles at it's junction with Glade Creek Trail #3014. Albion Basin: Wildflowers and the Hike to Cecret Lake. Directions: From Dale, OR, travel northwest on US-395 N for … At Albion Basin, wildflowers you will see include lupine, Indian paintbrush, American bistort, sunflowers, fireweed, and many more! It’s too late to see them in full force, but you might run into a few straggler flowers. Photo by Erin Alberty Saskia Buschmann laughs among paintbrush along the Catherine's Pass trail in Albion Basin, July 17, 2013. After reaching Alta, you will drive to the end of the lot and check in at the security booth . Directions to albion-basin-road trailhead (40.591900, -111.627270) update trails status or condition Albion Basin Road Trail Reports. That’s why Alta Ski Resort is a great place to hike from. Continue up Little Cottonwood canyon for 8 miles to Alta. How are they doing/ or when are they expected to bloom? The shuttle bus up to the meadows may cost you $6. The easiest and most common routes for an ascent of Sugarloaf Peak are by way of the east and north ridges. The easy trail is just 1.7 miles out and back. The Albion Basin Trail is an out-n-back trail that rides along the smooth doubletrack road. The last van will depart from the Cecret Lake Trailhead at … This is a very popular trail for families and beginning riders due to the smooth surface, although there is a bit of a climb. But I’ve had people complain that it isn’t always running. The easy terrain and relatively high trailhead elevation combine to make Sugarloaf Peak arguably one of the easiest of the Wasatch 11'ers to ascend. Don’t let them get too close to the moose. The good news… it’s down hill the entire way back to where you parked. The Indian paintbrush and the other colorful flowers of the high Utah mountains are a wonderful way to relax. The Albion Basin is a beautiful place to explore once the snow melts. It is an adorable and hidden alpine lake located in Albion Basin near the city of Alta. It may look tough, but you can do it. You can hike up to Cecret Lake any time (though it’s covered in snow and is part of Alta Ski Resort in the winter), July is when the wildflowers paint the mountains. It's a popular trail, so you won't find much solitude here. Alta Tourism Alta Hotels Alta Vacation Rentals Alta Vacation Packages Flights to Alta Alta Restaurants Things to Do in Alta Alta Travel Forum Alta Photos I think there would still be flowers at that time, based on what I’m seeing in photos of the area. Required fields are marked *. The trail takes you through forest meadows with pine trees and the most beautiful wildflowers! You’ll find a building on your way up called Alf’s. Mosquito spray is a must, especially if you think you’ll be up the mountain near sunset (speaking from personal experience). That’s how you know you’re going the right way. Jul 21, 2020 @ 5:30pm. July is a beautiful time to explore Albion Basin up Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. You won’t necessarily want to arrive at the Albion Basin Campground, but at some point, you’ll reach a trail that heads west. 2020 UPDATE: I haven’t hiked up to Albion Basin this year, but I follow several online Utah hiking forums. Dan Pearce/flickr. Alta. The basin is also well known for it’s spectacular summer wildflowers, and there’s even an annual wildflower festival each year. Hours: The campground is open July – September. Follow the Summer Road 1.6 miles to Access to the Catherine’s Pass Trailhead. You’ll drive as far as you can on pavement, parking at the Alta Ski Resort lodge (Albion Grill). Haha! Of course you can turn back at any time. (Updated Aug. 30, 2020). As with any hike, it’s a good idea to have the right gear with you. Forest: Wasatch-Cache National Forest District: Salt Lake Ranger District Description: The Wasatch-Cache National Forest is home to many spectacular wildflower-viewing sites in the Intermountain Region. The area is incredibly popular, and the parking can fill up by 7AM on the weekends. Pull into the Albion Basin Campground - you'll find the trailhead on the west side. I look forward to sharing my travel tips with you. Hiking is possible year round, but you may encounter snow November through May. There is a shuttle from the Alta Ski Resort to the Upper Meadows of Albion Basin. It's a popular trail, so you won't find much solitude here. This is a moderate one way trail in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. To get to the trailhead, drive to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Enjoy the walk through the upper meadows of Albion Basin. The trail takes you through forest meadows with pine trees and the most beautiful wildflowers! Beautiful photo of the lake. Your email address will not be published. Forest: Wasatch-Cache National Forest District: Salt Lake Ranger District Description: The Wasatch-Cache National Forest is home to many spectacular wildflower-viewing sites in the Intermountain Region. Happy hiking. Either ridge may be reached from the Secret Lake trail in Alta's Albion Basin. It is a great hike in so many ways – wildlife, wildflowers and scenery. This trail goes by Cecret Lake, Albion Basin Campground, Cecret Lake Trailhead, and Catherine Pass Trailhead. You can find the schedule on their Website for various hikes and activities. This 1.8 mile round-trip takes hikers from Cecret Lake trailhead through the Albion Basin Campground and along a densely-forested single-track, and brings hikers to within a few hundred feet of the dark, looming walls of Devil’s Castle itself. The wildflowers are in full force, wildlife wander through the mountains, and a family hike to Cecret Lake (pronounced secret lake) is good for the soul. -Devil’s Castle Loop is another lesser known trail in Albion Basin. Albion Basin is about 45 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, up Little Cottonwood Canyon. My favorite wildflower is the columbine. . Cecret Lake (40.5713401, -111.6215889) The trail runs west from the campground. Dan Pearce/flickr. You’ll see signs that will help get you to Cecret Lake, but there are numerous paths that bring you there. status date description; Jul 29, 2020 @ 3:53pm. It climbs a gentle slope, with about 300 feet of elevation gain. Enjoy the walk through the upper meadows of Albion Basin. Brighton Resort is situated 2 miles northeast of Albion Basin. We have climbed to the top of this prominent peak. I’ve been up hiking in Albion Basin and Cecret Lake three times. Full bloom yet. . Is the trail still snow packed? And it deserves that reputation. Fields of colorful petals stretch across the lush green grasses, and you can either hike or bike the trails throughout. I was thinking of going today. Albion Basin Experience. I’ve also read they recently started charging for the shuttle use. When you aren’t scouting out mountain goats or frolicking in fields of blooming flowers, take a hike or a bike. To reach the Albion Basin trailhead, you can start at the Alta Ski Resort. The flowers are a little behind on the bloom. Every summer, Albion Basin … at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon Canyon … puts on one of the most magical wildflower displays in the western U.S. . This trail is especially popular in July thanks to the amazing wildflowers and other scenery. Sugarloaf Peak is an easily reached 11,000 ft. summit which overlooks Albion Basin, Secret Lake, and much of Utah's Alta ski resort. Pull into the Albion Basin Campground - you'll find the trailhead on the west side. SR-210: OPEN. Park on the right side of the road just before the information booth. Mountain Conditions; Albion Basin Webcam. Albion Basin. Please visit https://www.alta.com/summer for more information on Alta Ski Area’s … If you’re looking for a wonderful time exploring Utah’s wilderness, plan a hike up to Cecret Lake. Looking across the basin, you'll have wonderful views of Devil's Castle and the rest of Alta Ski Resort. The campground contains 26 designated sites, available on a first-come first-serve basis. I just heard from a few people who have been up there within the last week and they said there is still some snow but the trails are open. 2 days. Thank you. From the trailhead near Albion Grill, follow the trails up the mountain. Directions to albion-basin-road trailhead (40.591900, -111.627270) update trails status or condition Albion Basin Road Trail Reports. The Wasatch Wildflower Festival is mid-July, and includes spots up Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood Canyons (Alta/Snow Bird Resorts and Brighton/Solitude Resorts, respectively). Camping is permitted in the Albion Basin campground, located at the Secret Lake trailhead. Explore the Mighty 5 – Utah’s National Parks, Find hiking trails around the country for your next adventure, https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/intermountain/AlbionBasin/, Camelback Mountain Hike: Echo Canyon Trail, Best Hikes in Kolob Canyon at Zion National Park, 5 Filming Locations for Goonies Fans to Visit, Best Hikes in Canyonlands National Park for Kids | Needles District, Flaming Gorge: Take the 'Best Dam Tour' in Utah. They really like the area – but if you’ve got kids, just help them understand that moose are wild animals. Albion Basin is just one of the many glacial cirques that cap the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Good luck. Take a right into the conifers once you've reached the Albion Basin parking lot, and follow the trailhead signs. Overview. We saw a sign that said to use the parking lot by Albion Grill and use the Albion Basin Trailhead to go to Cecret Lake. But I don’t think they’ll be as prevalent as they are right now. This sounds like it could be in order today! The colors of the flowers is quickly fading. Of course you can turn back at any time. After you drive to the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon and park at the Albion Grill, you will find the trail just right behind the grill. The Hike up to Cecret Lake. Albion’s basins and toilets are manufactured exclusively from Vitreous China or Fireclay. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Trailhead: Albion Campground (end of the Little Cottonwood Canyon road) This trail is by far the most popular wildflower hike in the Wasatch. RELATED POST: Explore the Mighty 5 – Utah’s National Parks. But it does happen to be one of the most accessible. There is a trail just behind the Grill that takes you through … It is well-marked and easy to find. National Weather Service forecast for the area. Even during the week, I have seen it full by 8AM. The setting is quite spectacular: Devils Castle and Sugarloaf Mountain watch over the area, and the ground is literally covered with wildflowers in summer. The Albion Basin Trail is an out-n-back trail that rides along the smooth doubletrack road. Albion Basin is part of the Alta ski area, at the top of Salt Lake's Little Cottonwood Canyon. If traffic is too heavy, you may not be able to drive up the dirt road to park. The Annual Wasatch Wildflower Festival is held in late July at Albion each year. 2 days. Maybe give it another week or so. Learn more about this easy trail here. Are the flowers out yet, or behind in the bloom? The shuttle will have three pick-up and drop-off points: the lower Albion Base parking lot, Sunnyside parking area/Catherine’s Pass Trailhead and Cecret Lake Trailhead at Albion Basin Campground. Albion Basin Campground is located at the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range. RELATED POST: Check out these botanical gardens. Hiking from the Albion base area. To get here, you will drive all the way up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta Ski Resort. Albion Basin Hike. It’s where you’ll find some of the most colorful wildflowers. Photo: PeteysHead, CC BY-SA 3.0. So maybe in the next week or so. It’s where you’ll find some of the most colorful wildflowers. I hate when that happens. This is a very popular trail for families and beginning riders due to the smooth surface, although there is a bit of a climb. Basin Trailhead. Trail 42--Albion Basin/Cecret Lake Duration: 3 hours Distance: 3.8 miles out-and-back Difficulty: Moderate Trailhead: Alta Ski Resort, Albion Basin upper parking lot Elevation: Trailhead 8800’; Albion Basin Ridge 9449’; Cecret Lake 9905’ Avalanche: Low: Maintained by Alta Ski Resort Map: Brighton 7.5’ quadrangle GPS Coordinates: Albion Basin ridge--12 T 0447981/4492313 The easy trail is just 1.7 miles out and back. I tried to hike to this lake before but it was so “secret” that I couldn’t find it! Enter your email address to subscribe to Carltonaut's Travel Tips and receive notifications of new posts by email. But the mosquitoes are out in full-force around sunset – so be prepared. There are lots of buds but the flowers aren’t showing just yet. Located at an elevation of 9,500 feet just above Alta Ski Resort and Snowbird, the gate providing access is usually not even open until July.. status date description; Jul 29, 2020 @ 3:53pm. This multi-use trail. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. From the trailhead near Albion Grill, follow the trails up the mountain. The organizers do have hikes for people of all ages, but if you plan to do a larger hike with young kids, here are some ways to make hiking more fun – and help you keep some sanity. The basin itself is known for its wildflower blooms, which make their appearance towards late summer. Our hotel manager and friends from Snow Pine Lodge highly recommended the trail. From the trailhead near Albion Grill, follow the trails up the mountain. Nicely graded road that you can drive up when Albion Basin Campground is open. . Trail 42--Albion Basin/Cecret Lake Duration: 3 hours Distance: 3.8 miles out-and-back Difficulty: Moderate Trailhead: Alta Ski Resort, Albion Basin upper parking lot Elevation: Trailhead 8800’; Albion Basin Ridge 9449’; Cecret Lake 9905’ Avalanche: Low: Maintained by Alta Ski Resort Map: Brighton 7.5’ quadrangle GPS Coordinates: Albion Basin ridge--12 T 0447981/4492313 From I-15, take the 90th South exit and drive east towards the mountains. Honestly…we never did find it and I felt like we hiked forever. The ride is a broad, smooth dirt road that climbs up to a camping area below Cecret Lake. Take a look at our range of four classically styled basins and toilets. It’s totally worth taking another trip up there to try and find the lake. To get to the trailhead, drive to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. From the Albion Basin Campground, the hike to Cecret Lake is 1.5 miles roundtrip. My posts may contain affiliate links. Your pictures are soo good! As you follow that trail, you’ll reach a point where switchbacks will take you up a rock face. Photo by Erin Alberty A colorful view from the Catherine's Pass trailhead in Albion Basin, July 17, 2013. It is really a rather short hike from the trailhead. Albion Basin Hike. But that’s just my opinion. Parking at the Albion and Wildcat base areas is always free. Drive to the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon and park at the Albion Grill. I love to travel and take photos. It’ll make you want to move to Utah if you don’t already live here. This area is also prone to have wildlife including moose so keep your eyes peeled. From the trailhead, you'll follow in the shadow of ski lifts as you rise above Albion Basin. Take this hike in late July / early August and you will be treated to an explosion of color. This out-and-back is 3 miles each way, with 820 feet of altitude gain. Website: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/intermountain/AlbionBasin/. After you drive to the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon and park at the Albion Grill, you will find the trail just right behind the grill. You can drive on a dirt road and get further up the canyon, but we enjoyed starting at the bottom of Albion Basin and hiking up to Cecret Lake. This is a great hike. Albion Basin Experience. Gonna load up the fam and head up the canyon! You can alternatively start this hike from the base of Alta and use the Albion Meadows trail to reach the trailhead … This results in a ceramic product that is strong, stable and made to last. Brighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Brighton, Utah, United States, about 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. Do you think there will still be flowers? Jul 21, 2020. road bike smooth wet this morning: … Albion Basin Campground Campsite; Cecret Lake Trailhead Parking lot, 760 feet northwest; Albion Aerial lift, 2400 feet north; Sunnyside Aerial lift, 2400 feet northwest; Supreme Aerial lift, 2500 feet southeast; Alf's Restaurant Restaurant, 2700 feet northwest When you reach the top, you’ll find yourself standing on the edge of Cecret Lake. Road Conditions and Summer Information. Campsites can also be reserved in advance by phone at 1-877-444-6777. The last van will depart from the Cecret Lake Trailhead at the upper end of the road at 5 … Can anyone tell me if the flowers are I. The shuttle will have three pickup and drop-off points: the lower Albion Base parking lot, Sunnyside parking area/Catherine’s Pass Trailhead, and Cecret Lake Trailhead at Albion Basin Campground. The main access is via the Cecret Lake Parking/Trailhead and Albion Basin Campground. This area is also part of the Wasatch National Forest. You'll hear Little Cottonwood Creek roaring to your right, but you'll soon leave both the creek and shade behind as the trail slopes toward the meadow. Answer 11 of 13: Has anyone been up to Albion Basin to checkout the wildflowers this year? I’ve seen at least one moose on two of my three visits. If you hike from the parking lot to Cecret Lake, you’ll have hiked roughly 5 miles roundtrip. This area is also prone … If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I’ll get a small commission, which helps me gather more travel tips for you. Address: Alta Ski Resort, up Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. The trail to Cecret Lake leaves from the campground, and mountain bikers love riding Albion Basin Road. Refer to the main page 'Getting There' section for directions to the trailhead. Access the Cecret Lake Trailhead following 1.4 miles on the Upper Albion Meadows Trail. I love the light purple and white colors of it, as well as the look. It’s where you’ll find some of the most colorful wildflowers. How is the hike this year after the wet winter? Albion Basin Campground (40.57639, -111.61278) The trail starts at the west side of the Albion Basin Campground, at the top of the Little Cottonwood Canyon Road. You’ll also come across many families or brides & grooms getting their photos taken. Well, what we didn't plan for was the hundreds of racers that were at the top 2 miles before we were supposed to reach the trailhead. RELATED POST: Find hiking trails around the country for your next adventure. Bountiful, Farmington, Layton and Antelope Island. Your email address will not be published. This moderate to steep service road switchbacks into the upper Albion Basin and connects to … Albion Basin Campground is a 991 m moderately popular dirt/gravel road family friendly trail located near Alta Utah. To ascend that it isn ’ t albion basin trailhead they ’ ll make you want to move Utah. 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