I was looking for a quick, one night out and back backpacking trip while visiting family in Utah this summer. I knew that there were some nice trails (and views) in the Cottonwood canyons, and since they are close to Park City where I was staying, I thought this would be a good choice. A helpful employee at the Salt Lake REI confirmed that Red Pine/White Pine lakes are both excellent short backpacking destinations.

The hike up to the lake starts off pretty easily, and since it follows the stream coming down, clean drinking water is always at hand. I didn't have to carry anything beyond my little half liter filter bottle. After about a mile or two, the trail gets significantly steeper and rockier, and there is one very rocky section where you have to pay attention or you'll easily wander off course, as the trail is not marked. It took me around 2 hours to make it up to the lower lake, and I carried about 18lbs.

Once at the lake, there is a sign asking that campsites be kept 200ft from the water, as the lake is a source of drinking water for the area. That's also why dogs aren't allowed on any of the Cottonwood canyon trails. I thought the best campsite was at the south end of the lake, where the stream from the upper lake feeds into the lower. There is also a nice peninsula on the west side, where I saw a few tents. I also hiked up to the upper red pine lake, which is a very steep climb. The trail is unmarked and nearly impossible to follow (at least for a first-timer), so it requires some creativity and bushwacking/rock hopping to get up there, which was fun for me. The guy at REI recommended camping at the upper lake, but it is pretty much above the treeline (10,000'+) and I had a hammock, so that wasn't an option for me. On the south end of the upper lake there is a very nice flat grassy area that is perfect for a tent, but the rest of the area is all rocks.

Both lakes were loaded with large trout, but I didn't have a fishing rod, so all I could do was look at them this time. I did see signs of an old campfire and some trout bones so someone had a tasty meal at one point. The signs say no swimming in the lake, again because of their use as drinking water reservoirs.

It stormed pretty hard in the middle of the night, and since the lake is up near the top of the mountain, it got pretty windy. Be prepared for significant foul weather and choose your campsite appropriately.

Overall, this place is magically beautiful, and at least during the week in mid August, is relatively uncrowded at night. There are a lot of day hikers but not too many overnighters. I highly recommend this area!

This was my 3rd trip to Cowan's Gap, and this year I reserved the large group tent site for mainly families of my son's soccer team. We had about 40 people, most of which were kids. Last year, we all stayed at a few of the single campsites for RVs but used tents. This was not ideal as the ground was all gravel, and it was right next to the road. The group site is much better, because it is set back into the woods reasonably far from the road, providing quieter and more natural surroundings. Also, many of the kids had bikes, so they were able to ride around the campsite without us worrying about cars on the road. The group site has tent pads which are flat and gravel covered, but the rest of the area is natural forest floor with some grassy and mossy areas.

Probably the best feature of the group site is that it is right next to a clean, shallow stream, so the kids could play in it non stop, catching minnows and throwing rocks with minimal parental supervision.

There is a private bathhouse for the group area, reasonably clean and with running water. No showers though. There are showers at the lake/beach area, but I'm not sure if they are open past Labor Day, and we went one week after. The place was not crowded at all while we were there this time, but during the summer season when I've been there in the past, the beach area can get pretty packed.

Firewood is somewhat challenging and pricey, as it is only sold by a guy who appears to be a permanent RV resident (living at camp site #1 for reference) in the off season. The park asks that no out of state firewood be brought in for fear of spreading pests like emerald ash borer.

Rangers are friendly and helpful, and we learned from one that the closest ER is only 11 miles away (Fulton County medical center in Mcconnellsburg) when my youngest split open his chin and needed stitches. There is generally poor to no cell service across most of the park, although by the lake you can sometimes get a few bars for texts to go thru.

Overall, everyone loved the weekend at Cowan's Gap. We had perfect weather, which certainly was nice. I'm guessing we'll go back again next year with an even bigger crew.