Lake Desolation Primitive Sites

The best part about living in Salt Lake City is that you can have brunch at Ruth's Diner at 8am, pack up your car around 10am, leave for the trail by 11am, and be on the trail by 11:30am.

This is exactly what my husband and I did when we decided to take a last minute backpacking trip to Lake Desolation. The trailhead begins at the Mill D parking lot in Big Cottonwood Canyon. From here, hikers can access three hiking trails: Reynold's Peak, Desolation Lake, and Dog Lake.

Starting out on the Mill D trail, both Fir and Spruce trees provide shade for the first mile. Once it levels out a bit, the trail follows Mill D North Fork creek until the Dog Lake/Lake Desolation junction. Lake Desolation trail weaves through an Aspen grove and along a meadow, which, if you're lucky, is a popular place to spot moose, deer, and other wildlife.

Once we got to the lake, we had the entire place to ourselves. Even if you went in the middle of summer, there are enough open, flat areas surrounding the lake to setup camp.

We lit a fire, drank some whiskey, and kept our eyes out for shooting stars.

We set out before dawn the next morning to catch the sunrise from Square Top Peak. If you continue along the Lake Desolation trail to the northeast, it joins the Wasatch Crest which leads to stunning views of the Wasatch Range.

10/10 would recommend!