A Hiker's Guide to the Four Lakes Loop: Mary, Martha, Catherine & Twin Lakes

Lake Mary

As each spring comes around, I get eagerly excited to get back out on the trails, and one that always calls my name is the hike to Lake Mary. It's a high-elevation adventure that offers a different kind of magic depending on when you go, from a snowy wonderland requiring spikes in June to a stunning wildflower paradise in late July. This is my guide to exploring this beautiful chain of lakes, with all the lessons I've learned from starting on the wrong side of the mountain, navigating snow-covered trails, and discovering the best loop options.

Lake Mary Panorama

The Golden Nugget 🌟

Don't Miss This: Start at Brighton, not Alta, in the spring! The road to the trailhead at Alta Ski Resort stays closed until summer (usually after July 1st), adding about two extra miles to your hike. For earlier season access and to see the beautiful Lake Mary first, always start your hike from behind the lodges at Brighton Ski Resort.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO LAKE MARY

There are some days you'd like to be here but can't, and that's okay! Grab your VR headset and transport yourself to a beautiful sunrise at Lake Mary. This is a wonderful Nature Therapy session to boost those chemicals in your body that help you feel happy. So what are you waiting for? Enjoy some "Me Time" right now!

"Still the view as you get up to the incredibly lovely Lake Mary is amazing, especially with the newly thawed lake and some ice chunks still found in corners."

Adventure at a Glance

🏞️ Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon (Brighton), Utah
🚶‍♀️ Activity: Alpine Lake Hiking
⭐ Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds)
☀️ Best For: Beautiful lake views, wildflowers (in summer), a moderate and rewarding hike.
📏 Distance: 2.6 to 5 miles, depending on which lakes you visit.
🚫: No dogs are allowed on this trail as it's in a protected watershed.

My Lake Mary Story: A Tale of Two Seasons

The first time I braved this trail, I made a classic mistake and tried to start from Alta in the spring—a bad call! The road was closed, so I learned my lesson and headed over to Brighton. This is a high-elevation hike, and even when it's hot in the Salt Lake Valley, it can be cold and snowy up here well into June. Spikes and poles are an absolute must for a safe spring hike. The trail can be hard to find under the snow, so having a downloaded map has helped me decipher the route multiple times.

But the reward is immense. The view as you arrive at the incredibly lovely Lake Mary, newly thawed with ice chunks still floating in the corners, is amazing. From there, you can continue on to Lake Martha and Lake Catherine for a fantastic spring adventure. In the summer, the trail transforms into a wildflower paradise. On a recent trip in late July, I hiked in from the Alta side and was stunned by the beauty of the Albion Basin. Exploring from that side is a completely different but equally wonderful experience.

Your Trail Guide: Helpful Hints

♦️ Brighton vs. Alta: Start at Brighton Ski Resort for earlier season access and to see Lake Mary first. The Alta side offers incredible wildflowers in mid-to-late summer but opens later in the year.
♦️ Spikes are Essential in Spring: Do not attempt this hike in May or June without microspikes for your shoes and hiking poles. The snowy slopes can be very icy and dangerous without them.
♦️ Download a Map: The trail can be difficult to follow when it's covered in snow. A downloaded map on your phone (like AllTrails or Gaia GPS) is highly recommended.
♦️ Try the Twin Lakes Loop: If the snow is gone, a fantastic loop option is to take the trail on the north side of Lake Mary on your way back. It adds about 1.5 miles but takes you past the beautiful Twin Lakes for a different perspective on the way down.

I have hiked many lakes, but of all the lakes this is the lake I have been the most anxious this year to hike again. It can be a busier hike, so I try an avoid the high traffic times. I like starting from Brighton Ski Resort because first you get to Lake Mary faster which I think is the prettiest of the lakes, and second you can access it earlier in the year than the Alta side. The Alta side Albion basion will stay closed until at least July 1.

These pretty lakes up Big Cottonwood Canyon are nestled right between Alta and Brighton. I am so glad I did it, for it was a gorgeous hike, and I got Twin Lakes as a bonus. From the Brighton side this hike is not a steep climb, and I think it is 4.4 miles for the round trip. I took a left after the dam on the way back and got to enjoy the north side of the lake, some gorgeous cliffs, and twin lakes by going that way. Probably added an extra 1.5 miles, but it was worth it.

2D Short Trailer for Immersive Video at Lake Mary

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE MARY TRAIL

I started at Brighton and headed up the trail that is right between the 2 lodges on the south side.

After a short hike you can see Dog Lake for a short 0.1 mile detour.

Trail Sign on Lake Mary Trail

WATERFALL ON THE WAY UP TO LAKE MARY

Waterfall on the way up to Lake Mary

The trail has lots of this beautiful white rock, wild flowers, and cliffs. On the way up you can see lots of ski lifts on this and the surrounding mountains. The first lake you get to is Lake Mary. It was jaw dropping beautiful . The beauty of this lake got me even more excited for the next two lakes.

360 Trails at Lake Mary

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Link for 2D Version of walk Along West Side of Lake Mary.

2D Video LInk

Link to view it in 360 Degrees
360 VIDEO on WEST SIDE of LAKE MARY

I was so surprised by Lake Mary's beauty!

South side of Lake Mary

This is my farewell shot of Lake Mary. I had no idea at this point that this would be my favorite and I would crave getting back here on the return trip to soak in more of it.

Still some SNOW for a snowball fight on the trail! Not enough to be scary and slippery, just a fun to find.

Up by the snow is cute Lake Martha. She is just a small lake, and you only get views of her from up high, but it is still picturesque.

Lake Martha

Fields of Forget-Me-Not Flowers still in bloom. Lake Catherine was smaller than I had thought it would be, and while it was beautiful, it didn't have as many of the huge granite boulders, or the granite island I found enchanting in Lake Mary. I had planned to walk around this lake and soak in its beauty, but I opted to go back and soak in more of Lake Mary's beauty instead. :)

Lake Catherine

If you make it to Lake Catherine with all the snow, then I give you a huge applause. My recommendation if you don't is head to Alta resort in lake July and catch the Wildflowers going over Catherine Pass, and up to the Summit and down into the Albion Basion. It is Gorgeous. Here is a link for that adventure. Wildflower Hike to Lake Catherine

If you come from the Alta side you come down that hill on the opposite side

Lake Catherine

The best part of this lake was watching the teenagers slide down the snow that was still left. They were having a blast.

From here we headed back to my favorite of the lakes..Lake Mary. This time we are going to turn LEFT right after passing the dam and following that trail down. We will be able to hike on the North side of the lake, AND catch Twin Lakes on the way down.

The reflection on the lake on this North side was so pretty and I was so happy I came over on this side.
By the side of the lake I found this pretty trio of flowers in the rock. I wish I could have gotten the lake in the background, but it was so surprising that they were growing right in a bowl of the granite rock.

These yellow flowers on the side of the Trail is just one of the many variety of flowers you will see along the trail. As we headed away from the lake we ran into this cute Cabin.

This cute Cabin on the North East Corner of Lake Mary has lots of wild flowers around it. The trail to the North side and on to Twin Lakes goes in front of the cabin. There used to be a trail on the east side of the cabin that also went to Twin lakes, but I think it is washed out now.

I did not expect to be WOWED by the cliffs on the way down, for I had already seen many beautiful ones, but this was amazing!

What the trail looked like on the way down. It was a beautiful trail heading down until Twin Lakes, then our trail just ended up being wide ski lift runs.

Hiking in the early Spring, one of my FAVORITE HIKING things is Spikes, or Crampons. They are awesome. I watch people sliding all over snowy trails, and I hike up some difficult snowy trails and have no problem. People I pass will often say, of I wish I have some of those and of course some hiking Sticks.

Twin Lake

Twin Lake Utah

Seeing a Moose coming down from Twin Lakes

My second favorite thing on this hike was the delight of seeing a MOOSE. I have longed to see another one of these beautiful creatures and this day I was super lucky. He was just off to the side eating away not really caring about us. We sat and watched him for quite a while. Such a beautiful large creature.

Moose at Brighton in June

Video of Moose at Brighton - Just click below and it will come up.

Found Cool Disc Golf Course on way down from Twin Lakes

Lastly we discovered a Disc Golf Course on the way down. It looked like a great on, but the guys playing said Solitude is the best.

Conclusion

The Lake Mary trail is a Wasatch classic for a reason. It's a delight in any season, offering jaw-dropping beauty whether it's surrounded by snow-dusted peaks or fields of vibrant wildflowers. It's a place I find myself drawn back to year after year, and I hope this guide helps you have your own safe and magical adventure to this chain of alpine gems.

Sending Love and Positive Vibes,

Shauna from VRGetaways

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SILVER LAKE

Link to Silver Lake