The hike to Lake Mary in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains is one of the more popular hikes around, as it’s super friendly for kids, short, and easy to navigate. The hike begins at the base of Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, (which makes the trailhead easy to find) and reaches Lake Mary in just 2.1 miles round-trip with 620 feet of elevation gain.
I’m a hiking snob, which is my reasoning for never hiking to Lake Mary after 15 years of living in Utah. See, when I look for a hike, I’m after something long, steep and arduous, preferably leading to a place that blows the mind with scenery and solitude. Lake Mary is not such a place. But when you have kids, suddenly hiking options become limited to shorter and more “family-friendly trails,” and Lake Mary fits the bill perfectly.
So with my 15-month-old son on my back, my wife and I joined some friends and their 3-year-old daughter for a kids hike above the sweltering summer heat in the Salt Lake Valley. At an elevation of 8,755 feet, the trailhead is nice and high (and cool.) To begin the hike, we found the trailhead right at Brighton’s main base area. The trailhead is marked by a large sign and map. From here, the trail climbs steeply up a ski run as it winds beneath the Crest Express chairlift.
About 1/2 a mike into the hike, you’ll reach a fork in the trail. Left takes you to Dog Lake, a small pond that is slowly being encroached by vegetation. This is a marshy area and not as scenic as Lake Mary. To continue to Lake Mary, stay right at the fork. Follow this trail as it traverses west and up a small ridge. At the top, be sure to take in the view of a small waterfall on your right.
As you get closer to Lake Mary, the trail gets more scenic as it parallels a creek, and winds between granite walls ringed with wildflowers. After 1.1 miles of hiking, you reach Lake Mary. This is actually a reservoir that is part of Salt Lake County’s culinary water system, so no swimming is allowed. Despite being man made, this lake is the prettiest, especially if it is at full pool. The lake is surrounded with views of mountain summits, including Mount Millicent, Mount Wolverine, Mount Tuscarora, Sunset Peak and Pioneer Peak.
Once at Lake Mary, you can find dozens of nice spots to spread out a blanket and have a family picnic. You can also hike around the lake, go fishing for trout, or just soak in the view. For a longer hike, you can continue up the trail to Lake Martha and Lake Catherine, just another mile or so away for a multi-lake hike.
When cranky kids and nap-time schedules rule your life, a quick, kid-friendly hike is often all you have time for. So if you’re in that same situation, Lake Mary will do just fine.
Always a great hike – super easy! – Alicia @ http://www.girlonahike.com