Desolation Lake

Wasatch Mountains - Salt Lake City, Utah
Big Cottonwood Canyon

From Beartrap Fork

With views of

Brighton Ski Resort
Mount Millicent
Mount Wolverine
Mount Superior
Kessler Peak
Broads Fork Twin Peaks

Dromedary Peak
Mount Raymond
Park City
Uinta Mountains
Honeycomb Cliffs
American Fork Twin Peaks

Mule Deer
Dead Newt
Spiders
Butterflies

This area is one of the cleanest, most beautiful parts of the Wasatch. There are rarely any people on this trail. We hiked to the mountain bike trail, and then descended down into the lakeside, walked around the lake, then hike up the other side (south side) of the lake, then veered south to the Wasatch Crest, then returned to the main trial. It was very peaceful.

Beartrap Fork is about 11 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It has two entrances, the second one has a sign that says "Beartrap", they are about the same distance either way. Just follow the trail and take the first turn north. It gets very steep near the end. It's about 4 miles round trip.

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON

ALL BCC LINKS

Thursday, July 4, 2002

From the north side of Desolation Lake looking south over the lake to the Wasatch Crest.
Behind you can see Kessler Peak and Cottonwood Ridge with Twin Peaks at its end.
The Wasatch Crest hill we hiked to is visible on the top left above the lake.

The Wasatch Crest hill (foreground) with
Background Peaks: White Baldy (Little Cottonwood Alpine Ridge)
Mount Superior, Monte Cristo, Dromedary, Sunrise, Twin Peaks (Cottonwood Ridge)
Kessler Peak.
On the right is Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob.

From the Wasatch Crest hill looking west at the end of the Crest toward
Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob.

From the Wasatch Crest looking north back to where we came from.

Desolation Lake

From Lake Desolation looking east
I was wondering why it is called "Desolation"
maybe to discourage others from coming here,
or another idea is that when they first named this place
maybe a fire might have made it look much more desolate.

Looking northwest from Lake Desolation

Desolation Lake

From the Wasatch Crest trail looking north over Lake Desolation

From atop the Bike Trail looking east.
Soon after, the second guy bit it in the red rock area.

Park City

From the same area as the previous picture, looking north to Park City.

Brighton Area

Looking south at the ridgeline peaks.
Starting on the eastern side of the Wasatch:
Pioneer Peak, Sunset Peak, Mount Millicent, Tuskarora, Mount Wolverine...

...The Honeycomb Cliffs

...Hidden Peak, American Fork Twin Peaks, Red Top, White Baldy...

Mount Superior, Monte Cristo (foreground Reed and Benson Ridge)

Sunrise

Dromedary Peak, Sunrise Peak (They look connected from this angle) and Unnamed

Broads Fork Twin Peaks at the head of Cottonwood Ridge

Kessler Peak
Twin Peaks and Kessler, which is no where near Twin Peaks,
it just looks like it from this angle.

A telephoto of the distant Uinta Mountains.

Spider Mom

This mother spider is carrying about 20 of her offspring on her back.

This bug crawled out of a dead mouse.

Butterflies gettin it on, don't look.

Dead Newt

Female Mule Deer

More pictures of Desolation Lake in 2007

Thanks to Gloria

Message Board

Page Posts: 2

NAME	CITY	DATE
patrick hogle	salem Utah	2006-09-14
That is not a dead newt, it is a dead tiger salamander. Just thought you would like to know.
Heather	Sandy, Utah	2005-07-26
Wonderful pics, My family has a cabin at Brighton and have hiked this many times but your pics sure bring the beauty out!!!!

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