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Hike Lakes Mary, Martha and Catherine (Brighton Lakes)

Brighton, Utah

4.6/5
based on 17 reviews

Details

Distance

4.41 miles

Elevation Gain

1253 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.

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Features

Photography
Hiking
Bathrooms
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
Groups
Lake
Picnic Area
River
Scenic
Wildflowers

Hike Lakes Mary, Martha and Catherine (Brighton Lakes) Reviews

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.

Good backpacking trip for the family, we saw some moose and deer, beautiful mountain

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

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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