Hike Lakes Mary, Martha and Catherine (Brighton Lakes)
Brighton, Utah
Details
Distance
3.5 miles
Elevation Gain
1200 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Rebecca Stubbs
Hike to 3 lakes on this 3.5 mile hike in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. This hike is relatively easy as it does not include summiting the peaks.
This trail is a local favorite because you can make it as hard or as easy as you want it to be! You can stop at the first lake which is only 1 mile from the parkinglot, or you can go to the top of one or more of the 5 peaks that are surrounding the lakes for an added challenge. It is 3.5 miles round trip just to reach all 3 of the lakes without ascending any of the peaks. The elevation gain is only about 1200 feet.
The trailhead begins at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon from the east end of the Brighton ski resort parking lot. You will see a trail marker pointing you towards the dirt trail. About 1/2 mile into the hike there is a short turnoff from the main trail to a neighboring lake called Dog Lake. It is a small 1/4 mile detour if you so desire to add another scenic lake to your hiking list.
The first lake that you reach is my personal favorite. It is called Lake Mary (it is actually a reservoir). It is the largest of the 3, and has beautiful granite rock formations around it. This is the destination where many people, especially those with children stop and have a picnic to enjoy the beauty.
Shortly after Lake Mary, you will run into the small Lake Martha. Then you need to gain some more elevation, and head into Catherine Pass before you will see Catherine Lake. It is surrounded by peaks and some great photos can be taken at any time of day. Like I said, there are many peaks to ascend from this point, but if this is your destination, then head back the way that you came for a nice 3.5 mile hike in the beautiful Brighton area.
This trail is in the middle of Brighton Ski Resort, so trails cannot be accessed except for by skiing at the resort. Snow can often linger on the trails until late June. Wildflowers are abundant here in the late summer.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Reviews
If you have kids, you must take them here! I grew up hiking these trails and it's fun to pass on the legacy to my kids. Lake Mary is the perfect spot to relax, eat goldfish crackers and look for bugs.
5.0
Beautiful hike the entire way. Went June 2nd and there was still a ton of snow later in the hike and Lake Catherine was still frozen over. Decent crowd at Lake Mary but very few went on to the other two lakes. With the snow it's pretty difficult to find the trail from Martha to Catherine as there are very few signs and the paths aren't visible. Got lost on the way back down for a little and had to do some bushwhacking which definitely made it an adventure.
5.0
There is so much to see on this hike, including a variety of gorgeous wildflowers in summer. I love hiking among the pines, and stopping at each lake to reflect. In addition, we almost always see moose on this hike. Please stay at least 25 yards away from these animals at all times, and also remember that swimming is not allowed here.
5.0
The Brighton Lakes are a great place to hike up to and hang out at with a picnic with the fam. Kids can skip rocks across the lake and explore all around.
5.0
Located in the scenic Big Cottonwood Canyon, this hike is very rewarding. The beginning part is bit of an incline. When we went, Lake Mary had been completely drained but our favorite lake was Lake Martha. You can extend your hike and have an aerial view of the Brighton lakes by continuing on to Sunset Peak by taking a right at the fork before reaching Lake Catherine.
5.0
Good backpacking trip for the family, we saw some moose and deer, beautiful mountain
4.0
Hiked this on 8/11/16. Not a bad hike at all. Was able to hit all 4 lakes in the area. Dog lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha and Lake Catherine in about 2 hours time. That includes some exploring time also, so if you wanted to hit all the lakes in a shorter amount of time it is very doable. It was a fairly crowded trail up to lake Mary for being in the middle of the week, so I can bet it is very packed on the weekend. Definitely recommend going on this hike during the week to avoid that. Once we got past lake Mary we only ran into a few people tho. The last 2 lakes are defiantly more picturesque in my opinion. We had lake Catherine all to ourselves for a good 45 min- 1 hour. Great family friendly and short hike
4.0
I downloaded this app and found this gorgeous hike and I couldn't have been more pleased when my big sister and I reached Lake Mary. My goal was to see a lake at the top of a mountain and it was stunning. We went to all three and saw a moose at Lake Catherine, but Lake Mary was my favorite. I can't wait to see all lakes at the top of these beautiful mountains after living in SLC and UT counties for the past 2 decades, it's a dream come true to finally be able to hike these.
4.0
An excellent way to get away from the inversion and traffic of Salt Lake. My six- and nine-year-olds have done this hike. It's a good and rewarding challenge for younger kids.
4.0
If you go, definitely go on a weekday. We went on a Saturday night and there were crowds of people. We backpacked to Catherine and stayed over night. It was beautiful, definitely go all the way to Catherine. There were 2 other groups up there so it was a lot better than the lower lakes. The beginning of the hike till you get to lake Mary is dusty, steep, and busy. I am recovering from a knee injury so it felt a lot harder for me. But it was worth it once we got to Catherine.
3.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Night Photography at Brighton
Cross-Country Ski at the Solitude Nordic Center
Hike and Camp at the Twin Lakes Reservoir
Hike Big Cottonwood Canyon's Silver Lake
Photograph Star Trails at Silver Lake
Snowboard or Ski Guardsman Pass
Community
Mobile Apps
© 2022 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy