Alta-Brighton Lakes Loop

📍Alta, Utah (8.6 miles / 2,391 ft)

🐾 No, this is in a protected watershed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The views though.

Why We Picked it

If you’ve read some of our other trail reviews, you know we love a good alpine lake (link to another alpine lake). The Alta–Brighton Lakes Loop doesn’t just deliver one or two — it strings together four sparkling lakes in a single circuit through Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Combine that with the loop’s close proximity to Salt Lake City (less than a half-hour drive to the trailhead) made this our choice for a day hike.

Hitting the Trail

We started off bright and early from Alta toward Twin Lakes Pass. Starting out before sunrise has its advantages – despite it still being hot during the day, the air had a nice chill to it, and the mountains shimmered in the morning sun. As we got up toward the top of the pass, looking back down Little Cottonwood Canyon to the west provided a breathtaking view of Wasatch peaks in the early light.

The LakeS: Four Scenic Stops

At the top of Twin Lakes Pass we came into full sunshine with a view of the first alpine lake, the Twin Lakes Reservoir. I’m not sure why it’s called Twin Lakes because it’s just one lake, but nevertheless it was beautiful. We descended a steep trail that skirted the edge of the lake to get a closer look. 

At the end of the lake, we began climbing above the slopes of Brighton ski area. Within a mile we reached the shore of Lake Mary. And in our opinion, the most scenic of the lakes. As we linked up with Catherine’s Pass Trail, it got much busier with hikers that started at the Brighton trailhead.

We trudged up toward Catherine’s Pass with a view of Lake Martha to the trail’s right and then Lake Catherine on the left. Being late summer, water levels seemed lower in both lakes. But we were happy to enjoy the crowds thinning as we passed by these lakes and reached the pass.

The Return to Alta

From Catherine’s Pass it was all downhill. The views coming down to Alta were amazing. With the higher vantage point, we could once again see Little Cottonwood Canyon and views of Mount Baldy and Mount Superior. 

The trail meandered through meadows that were well past wildflower season and eventually connected with the Upper Albion Meadows Trail. Here we ran into an insane amount of traffic heading uphill towards Cecret Lake (which we hiked last year and is well worth the trip). We finally made it back to the car to complete the hike in 4-ish hours.

Final Thoughts

Hiking the Alta–Brighton Lakes Loop turned out to be everything a quick mountain escape should be. It was the kind of trail that delivers big scenery in a compact package, a perfect reminder of how refreshing a short “microadventure” can be. A few hours on this loop left us with tired legs but a satisfying sense of having stepped far away — even if only for a morning.

🧭 AllTrails – Alta-Brighton Lakes Loop

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