Lake Solitude is a small but beautiful lake nestled near the top of a small valley that is part of the Solitude Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City. It is a gorgeous setting to sit and admire nature’s wonders. It is surrounded on three sides by steep forested hills with the down hill side providing a view down the valley.
Lake Solitide Hike Details
Distance – 3 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 2 to 3 hours
Elevation at Silver Lake Interpretive Center – 8740 feet
Elevation at the Twin Lakes – 9050 feet
Highest Elevation gain – 310 feet
Difficulty – Easy
Trail – well marked trail of dirt and rocks.
Amount of water recommended – 2 liters
Bathrooms – At the Silver Lake Interpretive Center
Seasons to hike – Late Spring, Summer, and Fall
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – No, this is a watershed area
How to get there:
If coming from Salt Lake City or points north, take I-15 south to I-215 east. Head east to 6200 South exit. If coming from the south, take I-15 north to I-215 east to 6200 South. At the off-ramp get in the second lane from the right heading to 6200 south. Turn right and go south for 1.7 miles (6200 South turns into Wasatch Boulevard). You will see large brown signs leading you to Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. Turn left onto Big Cottonwood Canyon Road and follow it for about 14 miles to the Brighton Loop. The loop is a large oval about 0.5 miles long. Traffic flows around the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. Turn right at the one-way sign and you will see the Silver Lake Information Center just ahead on your right.
(We created a Google Map for this hike at the bottom of this post)
Silver Lake Interpretive Trail
A nice boardwalk borders most of Silver Lake, making it suitable for wheelchairs and strollers
The trail to Lake Solitude starts at the Silver Lake Information Center. If you have not yet taken advantage of the Silver Lake Interpretive Trail, you really should as part of this hike. The Interpretive Trail is about a mile long and completely encircles Silver Lake. About 3/4 of the trail is constructed as a board walk to give hikers better access to the lake and its surroundings than you could get on foot. There are numerous signs with pictures pointing out the flora and fauna along the way. It is wheel chair accessible with just a couple of small hills along the far side of the lake. On our last visit we took the north trail around Silver Lake, hiked to Lake Solitude, and finished the south part of the Silver Lake trail on the way back. This is a very popular destination for families. Picnic areas are available just south of the Center and on the far side of the Lake.
his picture is taken early morning along the Silver Lake Interpretive Trail
Hitting the Trail!
Once past the Silver Lake interpretive trail the trail breaks left to Twin Lakes Reservoir or continues straight to Lake Solitude
Start out on the Silver Lake Interpretive Trail and take the fork to the right (north) to circle the Lake counterclockwise. The first part of the hike is a comfortable walk across the marshes and along the north shore of Silver Lake. Be alert for wild life. Signs along the trail warn you of the possibility of seeing moose. If you see one, give them plenty of space! After about 1/3 miles you will see signs for Twin Lakes Reservoir and Lake Solitude. Take this hiking trail into the woods. After just a short distance the trail forks again with Twin Lakes Reservoir to the left and Lake Solitude to the right. Lake Solitude is a 1.25 mile hike from this point.
This is a popular trail, especially on weekends. If you’re looking for solitude on your way to Lake Solitude, make sure to start early and on a weekday. As you pass the Lake Solitude mileage sign post, the trail starts to climb at this point as it winds its way north toward the Solitude Ski Resort. The first part is a dirt and rock trail in the pine woods. After a while you will enter a very impressive aspen grove where most of the trees are straight and tall. It is a very peaceful, steady climb through the grove.
The trail takes you through beautiful stands of aspen before transitioning to pine
You will cross a trail for mountain bikes. When the trail enters the pine forest again, you will be able to see and hear the traffic on the Big Cottonwood Canyon Road off to your right across the canyon. Soon the trail curves to the west around the mountain and you will walk under a ski lift and cross over a disc golf course. Watch for flying objects!
Here you will see more mountain bike trails as well as a service road for the ski lift. Even with numerous bike trails, it is easy to pick out the trail to Lake Solitude. Your trail levels out a bit here as it continues around the mountain to the southwest. You will notice signs for the various ski runs and start to see some more warning signs for the construction ahead. You may start to hear noise from the construction equipment and workers. It is a bit of a distraction for those seeking peace and quiet, but you can still enjoy the hike.
The trail is a gently incline most of the way, but the last stretch to Lake Solitude is the steepest part of the trail
As with most alpine lake hikes, the last part is the steepest. So, when you see the trail start to steepen, you are almost there. The last part of the trail climbs over tree roots and some rocks and so watch your step while going over and around them. Once you reach the lake shore, the earthen dam will be to your right and the trail around the lake will be to your left. Lake Solitude is a small lake in a peaceful valley and it is very much worth the effort to hike there. You will see an old mine opening on the east side of the lake just off the trail.
One of my favorite pictures of Lake Solitude
During the summer of 2015, you can only go about half way around the lake. The west side is closed because of the construction. Please take the signs seriously! On our last visit we heard chain saws working high on the mountain across the valley from us. Upon leaving for the hike back to Silver Lake, we witnessed a large piece of tree trunk about three feet thick and six feet in diameter come tumbling down the mountain side. It took out small trees and dislodged large rocks almost causing a landslide of its own. It was quite an impressive sight and made us glad we were on the other side of the valley.
Lake Solitude surrounded on three side by ridges which makes this a beautiful destination
The trip down from the Lake Solitude follows the same trail, but is much faster. When you get back to the Silver Lake trail, you can turn right to finish the Interpretive Trail around the Lake. Much of this part of the trail is in shade. We saw ducks, squirrels, and several kinds of birds as we finished our hike.
Enjoy your day in the mountains!
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Here are some hiking shoes we recommend for adults:
And these are great hiking shoes for kids:
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