This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Directions • Drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon until you reach Alta Ski Resort. Park by the Goldminer's Daughter Lodge, and you'll find a wide dirt trail heading east from the southeastern corner of the parking lot.
Hike • The flat dirt path leading from the parking lot serves as a nice warmup for the steeper climb ahead of you. Take a right into the conifers once you've reached the Albion Basin parking lot, and follow the trailhead signs. 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.
Wildflowers bloom in Albion Basin during the summer. As of late June, demure flowers were showing off their blue, white, yellow, pink and red petals against the tall, lush green grasses.
The trail eventually leads you to a crossroads, with Alf's Restraurant to your right. Hang left and you'll soon approach a wide intersection, which leads to Albion Basin Campground to the right. Take a left up the hillside to the Lake Catherine trailhead, where you simply turn around to head back.
— Michael McFall
Twitter: @MikeyPanda DestinationLoop
Hiking time2 hours
Round trip miles2.2
Elevation gain801 feet
DifficultyEasy
Trailhead restroomsYes
Dogs allowedNo
Bikes allowedNot recommended
FeesNone