Albion Basin, near Alta, Utah, is a stunning campground perched high in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. This place is all about the breathtaking views, with soaring peaks and vibrant wildflowers that make it a visual feast, especially during the summer months.

The campground is pretty basic, with no electric hookups or showers, but it does offer essential amenities like drinking water and vault toilets. Visitors have noted that it’s a great spot for tent and RV camping, with picnic tables and fire rings available at each site. One camper raved, “The wildflowers are amazing and we couldn't get over them,” highlighting the natural beauty that surrounds you here.

If you're up for some adventure, there are plenty of nearby activities to keep you busy. Hiking trails lead to scenic spots like Cecret Lake and Catherine Pass, while mountain biking and climbing opportunities abound in the area. As one reviewer put it, “There are a plethora of outdoor activities and recreation opportunities!” Just remember to book your site in advance, especially on weekends, as this place can fill up quickly.

While the campground is a bit primitive, the fresh alpine air and stunning scenery make it a fantastic escape from the hustle and bustle. Whether you're looking to relax in nature or tackle some trails, Albion Basin has a little something for everyone.

## Overview

 Albion Basin Campground, just 15 miles from Sandy, Utah, is set among shady white pines and aspens in its beautiful namesake basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of 9,500 feet. 
## Recreation

 Hiking and mountain biking are very popular activities. Hikers enjoy the path to Cecret Lake, which begins at the campground, as well as the Catherine Pass/Sunset Peak Trail just down the road. Mountain bikers often ride the Albion Basin Road and the trail to Germania Pass. Other trails include the Albion Meadows Trail and Cardiff Pass/Twin Lake Pass.
## Facilities

 The campground contains 24 \"reservation\" sites (22 single sites, one double and one triple site) . All come with picnic tables and campfire rings. Vault toilets are provided. Roads and parking spurs are dirt. We no longer have \"first come, first served\" sites. 
## Natural Features

 Albion Basin is renowned for its vivid summer wildflowers. The basin hosts the Wasatch Wildflower Festival annually in late July or early August, complete with guided nature walks. Moose and deer frequent the basin and mountain goats can often be seen on the precipitous face of Devils Castle, just south of the campground. A small stream runs through the basin. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Little Cottonwood Canyon is a beautiful area known for its soaring peaks, unique geology, pristine hidden lakes and cascading streams. Numerous additional hiking and mountain biking trails are found throughout the canyon. Rock climbing and fly-fishing are popular activities as well. Snowbird Resort is just a few miles down-canyon, offering scenic tram rides, hiking, mountain biking, restaurants, groceries, an Alpine Slide, zip line rides, concerts and various festivals.

Albion Basin

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Alta, UT is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Alta is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.

Alta

The Best Camping Near Alta, Utah

This campground located at the top of little cottonwood canyon is a great relief from the city. But the city is close by, and so are the crowds. The city of Alta runs a shuttle to the area as parking is so limited for day hiking. The campground was quiet except for the motorcycles that seem to enjoy coming/going up the canyon. There is a great hike leaving from the campground to Cecret lake. But again it is very popular, so lots of people. 

Beautiful location, but make a reservation

We go here every august when the flowers are at their peak and it is so indescribably beautiful. I have been there in the other parts of the years and even wothout the flowers it is still stunning

So beautiful 

The campground is so beautiful! The wildflowers are amazing and we couldn't get over them. One con was that the tent platform was slanted on a hill. Wah wah

Beautiful! 

Reserve in advance at www.recreation.gov. Onsite camp managers are wonderful. The campground is located where the Alta ski resort chair lifts pass overhead. 6 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon, so convenient to Salt Lake City. Very well maintained. Moose, chipmunks, squirrels, and amazing wildflowers!

improved, tree-covered, well maintained, easy access to trails, scenic!

Wonderful during wildflower season. Little to no privacy. Seems family friendly. 

Beautiful Area

This is primitive. Not much going on at this site except a place to pitch a tent. I am used to camping at a lake or river, as I like to do a lot of fishing. There is none of that here. This is a high alpine meadow, and it is gorgeous! You cannot get enough of the fresh air, flowers, views, etc. I am not used to just camping out in meadow, but I am going to do a lot more of it at this campground.

Wonderful Alpine Camping

**Campground Review:**

An absolutely amazing campground that sits at the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City.  It is surrounded by snow even into August, and soaring peaks, along with gorgeous alpine lakes!  Given its close proximity to SLC however, don't plan on walking up to a site Friday-Monday.  These sites are usually booked through a couple months in advance, but occasionally you'll get lucky like us and be able to find something during the week.  All the booking is done through the [Albion Basin Campground](https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232010)  website.  Most of the sites are singles that go for $25 a night but there are also a couple group sites that go for $75.  Each site has a large picnic table along with a metal fire ring with a BBQ grill you can flip over the top.  There are also plenty of spigots and vault toilets scattered throughout the campground and the campground host has firewood that you can buy.

Nearby there are a plethora of outdoor activities and recreation opportunities!  From riding mountain bikes around at Snowbird, to climbing cliffs on all the surrounding mountains.  There are also easier day hike options like going 0.5 mile to Cecret Lake or hiking a few miles over Catherine Pass to the Brighton Basin where there are a ton of lakes around!  If you want to make a summit and take in the view from above then Sunset Peak or Sugarloaf Peak are good half day hiking options.  If you don't want to hike you can pay for a sky tram pass at Snowbird and ride up to Hidden Peak!  For those looking for more of a challenge, Devils Castle offers a good close objective that can be done through a technical (all routes .10a+) face route or a low fifth class traverse that crosses the castle from east-west or west-east.

**Product Review:**

Being a Ranger for the Dyrt allows us to test and review gear from time to time!  This time we got to test out the [Mountain House Breakfast Skillet](https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/breakfast-skillet.html) meal.

**Pros:** 

*   The pros as with all the Mountain House's we've eaten before, is the convenience of having a warm meal deep in the backcountry.  
*   It's also very convenient to be able to cook and eat out of the same pouch which cuts down on your cleanup and makes things a lot quicker and tidier.  
*   This is definitely in my Top 3 for Mountain House breakfasts along with the Southwest Hash, and Biscuits and Gravy.  It's good because there are a lot of flavors and a little bit of starch in the hash browns to soak up the extra juiciness.

**Cons:**

*   The only cons I could think of for the actual meal itself was that it needs a little more texture or crunch to help break up the monotony that is usually Mountain House.  We brought some toast and tortillas , which are both easy to bring car camping and back packing.
*   The other cons would be more in design of the pouch as they are not recyclable or compostable so they do generate a decent amount of trash just for the sake of convenience.  They also tend to expand at altitude, but their newer Pro-Paks remedy that situation.

**Score: 4/5** 

  

We've yet to find a Mountain House that we could eat entirely without getting tired of the flavor or consistency without having to incorporate other ingredients so this one gets a 4 as well.  We have high hopes however for the Turkey Dinner that we're gonna try at Mt. Borah!

Ranger Review: Mountain House Breakfast Skillet @ Albion Basin CG

This site books out almost instantly at the beginning of the season, so sites generally only come available when there is a cancellation.  This year, the camp hosts are the single greatest I’ve ever seen.  The fire pits are clean, tent sites are raked it appears, and the pit toilets are deodorized, decorated and scented candles are lit at night. 

Construction or fire management, not sure which, removed a lot of trees from some of the sites, leaving them very barren, seems to only be 2 or 3, not sure of the site numbers

Location wise, the site is at 9400 ft so the temps are usually 20 degrees cooler than the city.  Several trailheads to alpine lakes are in or near the trailhead.  There is a small supply shack near the gate where you can get an ice cream after a hike.  

Photos of Albion Basin

Real photos from real campers