This was an amazing scenic drive that was highly recommend by a friend who lives in town. I took…read morethe drive early in the morning stopping at a few different places to take more and more pictures. It was beautiful. I passed a stop called the bloods lake hike which I remember reading about as I was planning my trip. So I stopped to take the hike. I thought it was going to be shorter than it was so I left my bag with water, back up charger, etc. Wish I brought it with me. The hike to bloods lake and back from the parking lot took 3.3 miles. It was tough for me because of the inclines and I'm no hiker. I'm from Florida and used to flat land so I don't know if my calves have ever worked so hard. The trail was very populated giving it was a Monday. Many people with dogs. The view once you arrive to the lake is worth the journey! I took a couple photos before my phone died. I then returned to this drive later in the evening to watch the sunset. I stopped at the one of the fist stops called empire pass and it was gorgeous. Same view as the morning but so much prettier with the colors in the sky!

***UPDATED REVIEW = My review is NOT for Guardsman Pass Overlook I did NOT go here. Yelp for some…read morereason attached my review for the Lake Lackawaxen Trail and Lake to Guardsman Pass Overlook. I never even went to the lookout. The trail starts down the street at the parking lot across the street from the new Bloods Lake Trail. Who ever the yelper app people are that did this it's not cool. You don't live here so you don't know the area. Trust that when people add a new "listing" they know what they are talking about! To get to Lake Lackawaxen trail you will need to first hike about 1.8 miles on the Bloods Lake Trail until you get to the lake. (which is a beautiful lake) Continue on the trail, which is clearly marked about a mile more up the trail. This part of the trail is a little more steep, and definitely more rocky but well worth the climb. There is a fork in the road where you can continue to go towards the left or make a right and climb up to Clayton Peak. If you want to go to Lackawaxen stay on the left side of the trail. It takes you past a couple rock scrambles but are easy enough to pass. This lake is very serene, and peaceful not as many people climb up to this lake as the one below. Dogs are allowed on the trail just not near the lake. Please respect the rules and keep your dog from going into the water as this is our watershed. Perfect time of the year to climb to the lake as the leaves are changing colors and the temps are much cooler.

Donut Falls is a very special place to me, and it's accessibility makes it a great family-friendly…read morehike. You can choose to scale the slick rocks to the top of the waterfall if you're feeling bold, just be super cautious and be sure you're experienced and wearing proper gear. Even if you choose not to, you'll still be rewarded with incredible views!

First time in Utah, and this was our very first stop. It's a bit of a drive followed by a 1.5-mile…read morehike, but it's well worth it. The road to the trailhead is bumpy, so take it slow. The parking lot is small, though there's some overflow parking along the road. Bathroom facilities are available, so be sure to use them if needed. About halfway to the falls, you'll pick up a small stream, which makes the hike even nicer. Most of the trail is shaded by trees, which helped keep us cool. Once you reach the falls, it can get a bit congested with people. The views from the bottom are beautiful, but the real spectacle is the "donut" itself -- I've seen the photos, and it looks incredible. There are signs asking people not to climb up, but the allure of the falls seemed too strong for some, and a few went to the top anyway. One thing to be aware of: there were a couple of areas with ground bees swarming, so stay alert and watch your step. A beautiful spot -- absolutely worth the time and effort.

Parking was easy. Path is paved the whole way. It's easy to get to the farm. There's parking across…read morethe street. Just take the tunnel over. from there you can go left or right. The trail is just enough busy with walkers, runners, and dogs.

Beautiful atmosphere and lots of history. It's stunning and the trails are perfect for biking,…read morehiking or jogging. It's not crowded but the parking is a ways away. Spots there are limited. Beautifully maintained.

This review is for Cecret Lake from Albion Base which was a ~4.5 miles round trip that took ~2.5…read morehours to complete. Trail starts from a ski resort which means it would be difficult or inaccessible during the winter! Extremely diverse terrain; stunning views from beginning to end. The last stretch up to the lake was steep and rocky! AllTrails map recommended. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/zkHFyRgwxMQ

We have hiked Cecret Lake many times and enjoyed this spectacular hike at Alta Ski Area. It's…read moreespecially outstanding in the summer when the wildflowers are peaking in colorful arrays. Our boys love climbing the many large rocks on the way to Cecret Lake, and we also enjoy traversing around the lake. If you're more adventurous, you can hike up to Sugarloaf Lift and check out the ski runs.

A stunning hike! We started at the trailheald to BLOODS LAKE, a busy spot with families swimming…read moreand playing with RC vehicles on the rocks and in the water.. headed up to Lake Lackawxen which is only a mile up the trail from Bloods Lake. Just beyond beautiful and a fairly easy hike. Some shaded spots for my husband and some full on sun spots for me. A fairly busy trail but not so much that it was hard to enjoy the serenity. Parking does look to be a challenge- we got lucky and someone was leaving so we were able to grab that spot. A place I'd gladly return!

Trail to the lake is rated moderate and is a short hike around 3 miles rounds trip…read more Dogs are allowed on the trail if kept on a leash. Dogs are NOT permitted 100 feet near the lake due to pathogens. Inflated are prevalent in this area so keep an eye out. We didn't see any today, which I was hoping to do. Lake Lackawxen is only a mile up the trail from Bloods Lake , so we hiked up there as well. Both Lakes are Beautiful especially this time of year. Road closes for tje winter so tje best time to hike this area is from spring to fall. DOG OWNERS please pick up after your dogs and take it out with you. Too many dog bags on the trail today.

Great trail. Beautiful wild flowers in mid June. Moderate level of difficulty and offers some nice…read moreshade. Mountain bikers on second half of the loop.

There was no parking available to hike this trail. :( GPS for the trail is in front of three red…read moreroad blocks. Wish there had been a place to park because we wanted to check out the trail.

Strictly speaking, the Brighton Lakes Trail leaves from Brighton resort and goes up to Lake Mary,…read moreLake Martha, and Lake Catherine. There are other lakes in the area, and you can leave from the Solitude Nordic area (Silver Lake) and visit those lakes (Solitude, Twin Lakes), which you might mistake for Brighton Lakes as they are, y'know, lakes around Brighton. But for clarity's sake, this is the trail that takes you right up the ski slope before veering off and climbing up to those three lady lakes. The trail is a popular one, and that means you won't be alone. As a kid, I remember my dad taking us here one Saturday and we had the place to ourselves. Martha has a tiny island and I remember it seeming so big and so far out there... but as an adult I realize it was just my kid brain and kid memory. It's a nice lake, but Mary is the really big body of water up there. As an adult, too, I see that on a Saturday especially you won't have the place to yourself. In fact, these days as many have cancelled their summer vacations and are staying home, you'll need to be on the trail by 7am to have only moderate crowds. If you wait until 9 or 10am it will be a constant stream of people. Parking at Brighton is currently free, but any other hike in the canyon will be totally packed if you wait until after 7am. The trail itself is quite wonderful. You go up the slopes, and then veer off before gradually climbing up to the trees and large rocks. It never gets crazy steep or scary, though if you have to traverse in the snow you might be a little sketched out. It's only a couple of miles, although if you want to push on beyond the lakes you can hike up the ridge and beyond and it adds more miles. There are fish in the lakes, and we saw some kiddos out dunking a worm beneath a bobber. I don't think that's a main draw, but there were some fly fisherman giving it a go, too, so it does attract all kinds. The vast majority, however, are just out to stretch their legs and take in the views. All the hiking warnings apply--be prepared, pack lots of water as it does get hot, even though some of it is in the shade. Wildlife abounds, but give them plenty of space. Enjoy the summer wildflowers. And appreciate the fact that this is practically in your backyard if you live in SLC.

Are you seeking a longer, but low-challenge hike? Fair amount of shade with a plethora of wildlife?…read moreALL THE WILDFLOWERS if visiting around July? The opportunity to explore SEVEN lakes? Well, you have found your trail! Arriving at 6:30am, we began at Silver Lake, parking in the Brighton Visitor's Center lot, and taking the boardwalk toward the wooded area on the backside of the Lake. From here, you can trek the Lake Solitude Trail on the right to that same named lake, and then return to the Twin Lakes trail, but we went straight to the latter. In the future I'd hit up Lake Solitude, though (it's only a little out of the way), and you should too! As the trail begins, there is a portion bordered by rocks on each side, and little pikas scurried all about! They were not particularly frightened of us, so I got quite close, and they are heartbreakingly adorable. Following that, the incline steepens, but only for a bit, and it is probably the most you'll experience for the entirety of your hike, so it's nice to get it out of the way first thing. When we arrived at Twin Lakes we met a moose crowned by a gigantic rack, so did not really explore that area. He was completely unperturbed by us, and contentedly continued munching his leafy breakfast. The next portion of the trail is mostly wooded, lush, green, and particularly gorgeous. We saw a female moose just as soon as we entered the forested part, and happened upon a dead porcupine (oh, to see a live one in the wild!). The trail is mostly flat as it delivers you to Lake Mary (my favorite!). This is the largest of these bodies of water, but I loved her for the surrounding rocky scenery. You will find silvery schools of fish glinting in the sunlight, translucent emerald water, and myriad varying views as you trek around the lake. Moving onward, the incline increases slightly, but it's nothing major. Lake Martha will shortly appear on your right. She was small, surrounded by grass, and we did not linger too long. It will take a bit more time to arrive at Catherine, but the trail is easy and mostly shaded. When you reach a fork in the trail, take the left (with a sign regarding camping 200 feet from bodies of water) to head straight to Lake Catherine, or take the right (with a "trail" sign) up to the peak. The latter is exposed and a little rocky with a steeper incline. You can continue on that same route to Sunset Peak for a view of all three lakes, but we opted to stop here, admiring the view of Lake Catherine's glittering surface, then heading back, and taking the trail, now on our right, to break at Catherine, my second favorite lake. There were masses of wildflowers, and the water was near luminously clear. As you retrace your steps on the way to the remaining portion of the loop, you are treated to a stunning vista of the previous lakes and mountains beyond, then a wide-spanning view of fields and Dog Lake on your right. Dog Lake, a smaller, marshy spot, looks like a moose's dream hang out, and was our last stop. Following this, the trail is much wider, open, and more crowded. While not bad, it certainly suffered in comparison to the hike previous. In the future, though I would be sad to miss Dog Lake, I would probably skip it and make my return from the sister lakes back toward Silver Lake, but it is also nice not to have to go back the way you came. I just found the congested trail off-putting after previously experiencing all the serenity of nature with little interruption by other people. We started at 6:30am. This hike took us 4 hours, at an easygoing pace and with short breaks at each lake. Including additional wandering/off trail exploration, it ended up a total of 7.3 miles. Speaking of which, the trails are not marked well, in fact, are not marked most of the time. I would recommend utilizing the Alltrails app. We did, and even so still got off track for a bit. TL;DR - Fairly easy hike, especially for one nearing 7 miles. Excellent if you enjoy variety, and as it is a loop with only backtracking through the three sister lakes, there is always something new to see. Expect lots of animals, including moose, pika, chipmunks, ground squirrels, rabbits, butterflies, and birds. Some exposed areas, but more is shaded, with heavily wooded portions. Alltrails app is a must as the trails are poorly marked. Busy at the start and end.

Lake Mary is a classic trail to adventure if you want to show off some of Utah's finest nature. I…read morelove doing this trail and have often done it solo. Depending on the time, it can be quite busy, but once you arrive to the lake, you can treat yourself to a panoramic view on one of the many rocks and sitting areas. It's one of those places you want to just put your phone away and lose yourself in thought. Pro tip: bring a hammock and a good book!

Beautiful scenery. If course bot allowed to swim. Lots of cute squirrels. It is just so scary for…read moreme when we pass swarm of mosquitoes. The people said it is normal there. I didn't have any jacket and repellent and I got bitten so badly.