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Directions • To get to the trailhead: take Interstate 215 South up to the UT 210 road up to Little Cottonwood Canyon and Alta, Snowbird ski resorts on Little Cottonwood Canyon Road and take it east all the way past Snowbird and onto Alta. The drive ends about an hour later at Albion Basin Campground area. Park before the entrance fee area, unless you want to camp. The trail is very clearly marked with a wooden sign at the gravel parking lot and begins to the west of the Albion Basin Campground. You will cross under chairlifts for the Alta Ski Resort and make an elevation gain of only about 400 feet, but with several switchbacks, it is a gradual ascent. From the mouths of Little and Big Cottonwood canyons, drive 4 miles south on Wasatch Boulevard. (The road also is Little Cottonwood Canyon Road.) The trailhead is marked on the right side of the road.
If you are looking for an easy, short hike with a beautiful rewarding view in the dog days of summer, then you can't pass up hiking to Cecret (pronounced Secret) Lake. It is a relatively quick hike you can take with the whole family. Since it is in a watershed area of Little Cottonwood Canyon, no dogs are allowed. The trail is clearly marked all the way up and there are periodic trail markers and informative signs about the area. No swimming at the lake. This time of year and with drought conditions Cecret Lake looked more like a shallow pond, but was still very pretty with wildflowers in bloom everywhere. Starting out at about 9,360 feet you will climb almost 500 feet during the hour round-trip hike. Cecret Lake
Hiking time • 1 hour
Round trip miles • 1.94 miles
Elevation gain • 493 feet
Difficulty • Easy
Trail head restrooms • Yes
Dogs allowed • No
Bikes allowed • Yes
Swimming • No
Fishing • Yes
Fees • No