Lofty Lakes Loop is located in the Uintas, which is by far one of most beautiful forest areas in Utah. It is a great way to escape the heat of the summer. They are at a much higher elevation than the Cottonwood Canyons and offer lots of camping, fishing, hiking, and cold mountain lake spots to enjoy. The campgrounds don't usually open until July, but that is the exact time you are wanting to escape the summer heat, so it works out perfectly!
Dogs are able to come with you up to the Uintas. However, there have been several bear sightings so beware. The Uintas are also a great place to do some long distance backpacking hikes that can be accomplished in 3 days. This is something I plan to do next summer. We weren't able to get ourselves organized this year and the smoke from all the fires was making hiking difficult.
Thankfully, I found a clearer weekend and invited my friend Hannah to come with me on this trail. She had been dying to get out and do an epic hike and I knew this was the perfect way to get a good workout in for both of us and enjoy the scenery. This trail is 4.4 miles and takes about 2 hours. You pass 4 lakes, but the biggest are Scout Lake and Kamas Lake. From the parking lot off of Mirror Lake Highway you can go either direction since it is a looped trail. We decided to go towards Scout Lake first which is to the right of the trailhead. I had heard that this was the easier way to start and it would give us a good warm-up. I would actually go this way for another reason, this is the sunniest part of the hike and it felt much better in morning versus later in the afternoon after you are already hot from hiking.
I love this trail. It is doable as a quick day trip. I was able to hike this in the morning and be back in time to get ready to go and see Chris Stapleton that night. One of the many reasons leaving Utah would be hard!
What You Want to Know
Take Me There!
The trailhead parking is located here. It takes about 2 hours to get up to the trailhead from Salt Lake. We packed a lunch and ate at one of the lakes and made sure we had snacks waiting for us in the car in case we got hungry again for the drive back.
How long is the hike?
This trail is 4.4 miles loop trail with 961 feet of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours. From the parking lot you can go either direction.
What Do I Wear?!
Layers are your friend. The Uintas can be a little unpredictable. One minute it can be hot and sunny, the next an afternoon rain shower has appeared out of nowhere. It is very high elevation and will feel much colder when the weather changes.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes! The Uintas is a very dog-friendly mountain range.
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