An enjoyable day with Jesus and good friends in the mountains. It was a wonderful Labor Day, with cool breezes by the lake. Back in the city, it was a hot day.DESCRIPTION ~ One of the most popular trails up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Both day hikers and backpackers enjoy hiking to the three alpine lakes. Lake Blanche is a beautiful red rock lake.
RATINGS ~ Intermediate
Not recommended for beginners & kids. On the trail, we saw some kids make it all the way to the lake with their parents. But we saw some teens and adults having a difficult time, only carrying one bottle of water.
MILEAGE ~ 2.8 miles to Lake Blanche,
2,720' elevation gain.
HIKE TIME ~ 2 1/4 hours up, and 1 1/2 hours down.
DIRECTIONS ~ Big Cottonwood Canyon begins at Wasatch Blvd, and Fort Union Blvd (70th South), in Salt Lake City. Travel up the canyon 4 miles to the S curve. The trail head is up the paved road to the right. Parking may be difficult to find, so you might want to park on the road.
RESTROOMS ~ At the trailhead during the Summer.
WATERSHED ~ Big Cottonwood is a protected watershed area. No dogs allowed in the canyon. Also, you are not allowed to wash, wade or swim. This is our drinking water.
WILDERNESS ~ Group size is limited to 10 persons in Wasatch Wilderness areas. Backpackers need to camp 200' away from water & trails in a previous used site. There may be fire restrictions. Contact the Wasatch/Cache Forest service before building campfires.