Basics
- Location:
- In Big Cottonwood Canyon southeast of downtown Salt Lake City
- Length:
- 7.3 mile roundtrip
- Difficulty:
- Intermediate
- Time:
- 3 to 3-1/2 hours
- Elevation Change:
- 1970 feet
- Season:
- June to October
Description
The lake itself is located at the bottom of what, at first glance, looks like an old volcanic crater. The 550-foot-deep crater is actually a large bowl that was scooped out at the head of Mill D North Fork Canyon by a glacier during the last ice age. The view from the crater rim can be quite spectacular, especially in early September when the aspen trees on the northwest side of the lake are displaying their fall colors. On weekends one can often see fifteen or twenty mountain bikers parked on the trail above the lake, pausing to enjoy the view before their long downhill ride back to Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Details
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Additional Details:
To reach the rim above Desolation Lake, bikers normally take the better used trail that goes up the northern side of the crater. But if you want to connect with Beartrap Fork, as I suggest, you should bear right and go up the lesser used path that climbs the crater’s southern flank. Once you have negotiated the 550-foot climb to the top, follow the south rim trail around in an easterly direction until it meets the trail coming from the north. At the point where the trails meet, above the southeastern side of the lake, you will see Beartrap Fork Canyon directly below you to the south. This is the route that will take you back to the highway in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Unfortunately, the first few hundred feet of the Beartrap Fork Trail are so vague you probably won’t believe you are on a trail at all. But don’t worry, the track soon becomes evident. As you descend from the top of the ridge into Beartrap Fork you will first see an occasional cairn. Then you will see faint trample marks in the grass, and by the time you reach the trees, 100 yards from the rim, you will be on a proper hiking trail. Initially the trail tends to follow the right side of the creek bed, which is on the left side of the canyon.
There are few switchbacks on the Beartrap Fork Trail, and for the first mile the path is quite steep. But soon the canyon floor levels out in a dense grove of quaking aspen, where you will begin to appreciate the beauty of the little used route. Finally, about 0.5 mile from the highway, the trail turns into a jeep road. Some confusion may occur as you near the end, because the jeep road is intersected by other primitive roads. Just remember to always take the road that heads downhill, and you should intersect the highway exactly at the point where you parked your shuttle.