Wonderful wildflowers abound on Albion trail

One of the most spectacular hikes your family can take this time of year is the Albion Meadows trail, near Alta ski area. Vibrant colors fill the gentle meadows, making for a memorable, easy hike. These displays last several weeks but change quickly as different flowers reach their peak season. Like holiday fireworks, these displays are stunningly bright and beautiful, but never seem to last long enough. This is a gentle trail, and a trail where the destination is the trail.

To locate the trailhead, travel about 8.3 miles to the town of Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Trailhead parking is available along Highway 210 or in a large lot near the Albion Day Lodge and Ski Shop. You can pick up the trail south of the restaurant, heading southeast. Note the two chairlifts to the southwest. Passing the maintenance shops, a service road can be seen climbing through the meadows to the south. An alternative trailhead, the Catherine Pass trailhead, awaits near the top for those desiring a shorter hike through some of the more spectacular color-filled meadows.

Suggestions: Bring sunblock and insect repellent. Be cautious, as this trail is a service road shared with bikers, wildlife and service vehicles.

Begin your journey southeast. This road quickly turns south through a green meadow. As you approach the top of a small hill, the trail levels out and you will cross over a small stream and under one of the lifts.

As you cross under the chairlift again, look for a small, well-defined path branching to the left, where you have an option to take a less-steep, but longer trail.

This small side path follows a wide turn around evergreen trees and runs parallel to the main road to Albion Basin before entering pines and small willows. It eventually returns to the west to the main service road. As you pass a locked gate, you should hear a babbling brook ahead. This very level section is highlighted by the sound of cascading water. Other side trails soon branch off, but the main trail proceeds uphill.

Passing tall pines, you see a granite rock outcropping to the left and a few gold mine tailings piles on the east. Little Cottonwood Creek can be heard to the west. Hummingbirds and bumblebees frequent the area, and deer can be seen.

This is a great place to stop, but several other short destinations lie nearby. The left road returns to the road to Albion Basin Campground, 0.7 miles away, and the right path leads to Cecret Lake. Distance: 1.1 miles (1 hour) to the Alfas Restaurant Crossing. Elevation change: 650 feet. Recommended seasons: Late spring, summer and fall.

---

Brian Brinkerhoff hosts "Backcountry Utah: Utah's Outdoor Radio Magazine," which airs 9-11 a.m. Saturdays on AM 630 KTKK, 5-6 p.m. Tuesday afternoons on AM 1340 KTMP and 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays on 1340 KTMP. For more information, visit www.backcountry-magazine.com.