Silver Lake is nestled fifteen miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon near Brighton, Utah. The Silver Lake area has an accessible boardwalk with interpretive signs around a beautiful natural lake. The boardwalk is accessible for visitors and fishers May to October, subject to weather. During the winter months, the Silver Lake boardwalk area is managed by the Solitude Nordic Center for cross-country skiing. This unique area is part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and is accessible via UT 190.
The Visitor Center is closed for the remainder of the 2024 season; the Solitude Nordic Center is operating Nordic ski season rentals there for the 2024/2025 ski season. The Boardwalk will reopen in May, 2025. The Visitor Center will open Memorial Day Weekend, 2025.
There is a Recreation Enhancement Act fee charged to visit Silver Lake during the summer. A 3-day Wasatch National Forest Pass can be purchased at the kiosk in the parking area of the Visitors Center. The 3-day pass costs $10 per vehicle. America the Beautiful (the National Park Pass) passes will also be accepted. Please display your America the Beautiful pass in your dashboard when parked at the Visitor Center or the Brighton Store. For information about Silver Lake or about the Wasatch National Forest passes, please call the Forest Service at 801-733-2660.
Silver Lake is located within the Salt Lake Watershed, which is an important source of culinary drinking water for the Salt Lake Valley. As such, watershed protection principles are in place. Pets are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon (even in vehicles) unless the pet is a service animal as defined by the ADA. Swimming is not allowed at Silver Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha, Lake Catherine, Lake Solitude or at Twin Lakes Reservoir.
Cottonwood Canyons Foundation Interpretive Naturalist Guides serve the Silver Lake Visitors Center seven days a week from May to September in partnership with the US Forest Service, Salt Lake Ranger District. These staff and volunteer guides offer interactive activities and answer any questions guests may have. Junior Ranger materials are available for visitors of all ages. This service is generously supported by the Tom and Barbara Lyon Family Foundation and the National Forest Foundation.
The Foundation’s work and efforts at Silver Lake Visitor Center are an invaluable service to the community, but they are also costly to provide. Please consider supporting the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation to ensure that every guest that visits Silver Lake is greeted by a naturalist guide!
