Desolation Lake

A long, steady out-and-back up the Mill D North Fork drainage to a large alpine cirque lake set just below the Wasatch Crest Trail. The grade is gradual and mostly forested with few switchbacks low down, opening into wildflower meadows near the lake at roughly 9,250 feet. About 1.8 miles up, the trail passes the Dog Lake junction — stay right for the Desolation Trail. The lake is a gateway to the ridgeline, and in summer it's also a marquee mountain-bike descent off the Wasatch Crest. All of Big Cottonwood Canyon is Salt Lake City's protected drinking-water watershed: dogs are banned (even in your car), swimming and wading are prohibited, and the Mill D Trailhead now charges a day-use parking fee.

Quick stats

Distance

8.2 mi round trip

Elevation gain

1988 ft

Time

4–6 hrs

Difficulty

Moderate

Dogs

Not allowed

Fee

Day-use parking fee

Best months

Jul, Aug, Sep

Getting there & parking

From Salt Lake City, head up Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) about nine miles to the signed Mill D North Fork Trailhead on the left (north) side of the road, near Spruces Campground — roughly 25 miles and about 40 to 45 minutes from downtown. A standard passenger car is fine. The lot is shared with several popular trails and fills early on summer weekends, so arrive before mid-morning or come midweek. Pay the day-use parking fee at the trailhead; there's no drinking water.

As of December 1, 2024, the Mill D Trailhead is a Forest Service recreation fee area (Salt Lake Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest). Pass options: $10 for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 annual forest pass, or the $80 America the Beautiful interagency pass. Pay at the trailhead fee machine (credit card via QR code), at recreation.gov, at the Salt Lake Ranger District office, or through local vendors (Brighton Store, Gear Room, IME, Skimo Co). Compliance is checked by hang-tag receipt or license-plate lookup against recreation.gov sales.

Know before you go

No dogs. Dogs are banned everywhere in Big Cottonwood Canyon — including dogs left in your car — because it's Salt Lake City's protected drinking-water watershed. The Forest Service Mill D North Fork page is explicit: pets are not allowed at all. Don't confuse this with the dog-friendly Dog Lake reached from Mill Creek Canyon; the Dog Lake reachable from this Mill D trailhead is inside the watershed and is dog-banned.

No hiking permit required. A Forest Service day-use parking fee does apply — see Getting there & parking above.

The route

Steady, gradual grade with few switchbacks through forested drainage low down, opening into high meadows near the lake. Sources put the round trip anywhere from about 7.8 to 8.3 miles; we use 8.2.

• 0 mi · Mill D North Fork Trailhead — North side of Big Cottonwood Canyon Road (~SR-190), about 9 to 9.5 miles up canyon near Spruces Campground. Pay the day-use fee here.
• 1.8 mi · Dog Lake junction — Trail #158 climbs steadily through forest to this junction; stay right/north onto the Desolation Trail (#159) for Desolation Lake. Left leads to the watershed Dog Lake.
• 4.1 mi · Desolation Lake — Large cirque lake in a glacially carved basin below the Wasatch Crest Trail; turnaround for the out-and-back. Continuing up reaches the ridgeline and crest.

When to go

Snow lingers on the upper drainage and in the lake basin into June. July through September is prime, with wildflowers peaking in mid-to-late summer. Afternoon thunderstorms build over the open meadows and crest, so start early. Fall color comes to the aspen in late September.

Not recommended as a winter route — the upper drainage and crest sit near avalanche terrain, the corridor sees heavy ski traffic, and snow is deep. Big Cottonwood Canyon requires approved snow tires or chains from October 1 through April 30, and the canyon road can close outright for avalanche control. Check the avalanche forecast and UDOT road status before any cold-season attempt.

Check current conditions before you go:

• UDOT Cottonwood Canyons road status
• Utah Avalanche Center — Salt Lake forecast

Safety & hazards

Salt Lake City protected drinking-water watershed: dogs banned (even in vehicles), no swimming or wading, and all waste must be packed out. Violations carry fines. These rules apply to the entire canyon and are actively enforced.

Not recommended as a winter route — proximity to avalanche terrain, heavy ski traffic, and deep snow. The canyon road may close for avalanche control. Check the Utah Avalanche Center Salt Lake forecast before any cold-season attempt.

Fast mountain bikers descend Mill D North Fork from the Wasatch Crest in summer. Stay alert and yield appropriately. Heaviest on summer weekends and weekday evenings.

Afternoon summer thunderstorms bring lightning exposure on the open meadows and crest above the lake. Start early and be off the high ground before storms build.

The lake basin sits above 9,000 feet; the long, sustained grade plus altitude makes this a big day for unacclimated hikers. Pace yourself, carry water, and allow extra time.

Wildlife & geology

The lower route runs through mixed conifer and aspen along the Mill D North Fork drainage, opening to subalpine meadows that bloom with Wasatch wildflowers in mid-to-late summer. Moose and mule deer are commonly seen in the upper meadows — keep your distance from moose.

Wildlife you might see: moose, mule deer.

Desolation Lake occupies a glacial cirque — a bowl scooped by an alpine glacier that retreated roughly 10,000 years ago, leaving a depression that filled with water. The surrounding Wasatch crest exposes the steep, faulted west front of the range.

History

Commonly recorded as Desolation Lake (also Lake Desolation), a descriptive name for the high, austere cirque basin below the Wasatch crest.

The 'Mill D' name reflects 19th-century sawmill and logging activity in Big Cottonwood Canyon that supplied timber to early Salt Lake City; the canyon was later protected as municipal watershed.

Nearby hikes

• Dog Lake (Big Cottonwood Canyon) — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Lake Blanche — Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Donut Falls — Big Cottonwood Canyon