Red Pine Lakes

Lone Peak Wilderness, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (Little Cottonwood Canyon)

Red Pine Lakes sit in a high basin on the north side of the Lone Peak Wilderness, a few miles up a side canyon from Little Cottonwood Canyon. Visit Utah calls the walk to the lower lake 6.8 miles round trip with about 1,940 feet of gain, and Bearfoot Theory puts the trailhead about a 35-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City.

The lakes are part of Salt Lake City’s drinking water supply, so the rules here are stricter than in most of the Wasatch.

The hike

The White Pine Trailhead is about 5.3 to 5.4 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon, according to the Forest Service. Visit Utah says the trail drops on a paved path to a footbridge over Little Cottonwood Creek, then follows White Pine Canyon for about a mile to the White Pine/Red Pine junction. Take the singletrack behind the sign, not the old jeep road toward White Pine Lake, and cross the Red Pine bridge about 400 feet later. Bearfoot Theory notes a short detour to Gloria Falls near the bridge.

The trail climbs steadily over roots, rocks and wooden bridges, entering the Lone Peak Wilderness at about 1.4 miles on the ridge between White Pine and Red Pine canyons. Visit Utah puts the Maybird Gulch bridge at 2.7 miles. Climb-Utah says the Maybird turnoff leads to a less crowded lake with views of the Pfeifferhorn. Past Maybird, Visit Utah describes swampy patches and a boulder-strewn path that isn’t always well defined.

Lower Red Pine Lake is about 3.4 miles in. Bearfoot Theory calls it the largest lake and the place most people camp, with sites reached by crossing the dam. Upper Red Pine Lake is about half a mile farther, up roughly 500 feet along the east side of the lower lake and across a short boulder field, and it has fewer sites.

The Pfeifferhorn, at 11,326 feet, rises above the basin. Visit Utah says experienced hikers can climb it off trail, about 1.5 miles from the lower lake, and Bearfoot Theory’s writer camped at Red Pine and climbed it the next morning.

For a bigger trip in the same wilderness, see Lone Peak via Jacob’s Ladder.

Tips

Leave the dog at home. Dogs are banned in the watershed.
Don’t swim or wade. Fishing is allowed.
Bring a stove. Campfires are prohibited in the Red Pine drainage.
Display a recreation pass at the White Pine Trailhead.
Expect snow until about mid-June, per Visit Utah.

Camping

Salt Lake City’s watershed rules allow backcountry camping on Forest Service land in Little Cottonwood Canyon unless an area is posted closed, but camps must be at least 1/2 mile from any road and 200 feet from water sources and trails. The Forest Service watershed order (04-19-85) also prohibits camping within 200 feet of any stream or body of water, swimming, and possessing dogs or horses. Wikipedia lists Lone Peak Wilderness limits of 10 people per overnight group and 3 days at one site. No permit is required, according to Visit Utah and Bearfoot Theory.

Inside Intel: Bearfoot Theory says most people camp at Lower Red Pine Lake, across the dam, while the upper lake is more secluded with few sites. Its writer camped in the trees beneath White Baldy at the upper lake.

Trail facts

Distance: 6.8 to 7 miles round trip to the lower lake
Route type: Out-and-back
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: Dispersed; Lower Red Pine Lake (across the dam) and a few at Upper Red Pine Lake
Water: Lakes and streams; filter
Permits: None; recreation pass to park
Fires: Prohibited in the Red Pine and Maybird drainages
Dogs: Prohibited (watershed)
Trailhead: White Pine Trailhead, Little Cottonwood Canyon
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Fall nights at Red Pine:

No campfires are allowed in the Red Pine drainage, so a bag rated for cold Wasatch nights is what keeps a late-season overnight comfortable. See the bags testers trust.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.