Willow Lake

This is a short, easy hike that I previously overlooked in the book, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Salt Lake City.  It is beautiful, and you have an excellent chance of seeing moose, especially at dawn and dusk. There are some nice areas to backpack into for a short getaway, or maybe to test out some new backpacking gear, etc. Drive 11.2 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. You can park just past Silver Fork Lodge where the road curves. There is a large rock that marks the Trailhead, but no actual parking area. A short distance past the large rock, you see a large trail sign. maybe 5 minutes from this sign you will come to a wooden bridge. At this point you have the option of two trails to Willow lake. One way is to not cross the bridge and take the trail to the right. A second option is to cross the bridge and take that trail. They are about the same distance and level of difficulty. the trail across the bridge gets you away from road noise more quickly. I like to take this way up, and take the other trail back, as that way you hit a beautiful aspen grove on the way back down. The hike through aspens and pines is beautiful. In summer, wild flowers are abundant, and I am looking forward to going there in the fall for the yellow aspens, and in winter for snowshoeing!   At .8 miles, you step across the small Willow Creek, and soon come to a large meadow.  I expected to see the lake here, but it is a little farther ahead. As you approach the willows, take the trail fork to the left for the quickest view of the lake. This lake is unusual for this area, because the willows hide the lake until you are right at the lake, or looking down upon it.  The topo map on my gps just calls it, "small lake." The book, The Lady in the Ore Bucket,  calls it Willow Lake, and says the area was originally known as Willow Patch Fork, around 1888, and later as Willow Heights.  I did two of 3 geocaches in the area: You light up my life http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=b52cab02-1a97-4d6a-aca9-6d8909f0452a and Sugar and Spice; http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1faa0b8f-331a-4731-bd9f-1f58763d5f8a.

Some of the brightest colors I have seen

Willow Lake

Pretty fancy carvings, some from the 1940's

An enticing trail.

The trailhead