Home › Utah › Alta › Cecret Lake Trail
Cecret Lake Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 433 Google reviews · Running trail in Alta, Utah · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 1 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Cecret Lake Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Wildflower-filled alpine lake reached via leisurely trails that wind through trees and boulders.
What runners say about Cecret Lake Trail
“Beautiful majestic mountain views and a variety of wildflowers everywhere!”
“I started my hike down at Albion meadows trailhead, which added a guesstimated 1 mile (fairly easy terrain with well-marked path leading to Cecret trail) to the hike.”
“It's a pretty easy hike with some steeper switchbacks right before you get to the lake.”
Finally found Cecret Lake 🤫 and it was gorgeous! We took the longer trail from Albion base to make it more adventurous at 4.5 miles. Definitely glad we started in the morning to keep cool from the lack of shade. The steepest part was the switchbacks at the end but once you’re done, you’ve made it!
Moderately steep but doable hike to a picturesque lake. 3/4 mile trail and completely worth it. $8 for parking - you can save on parking by parking farther away but will have to hike an extra 2.5 miles on flat dirt road. Definitely would arrive early.
Great trail head!!!! Parking can be tricky to find a spot when it’s busy. Be ready to spend $12 at the booth to get up to the lot. Or save your money and park at Albion parking lot for free and hike up to see a great trail. Not really hard trail, fairly easy. Lots of families on it.
I started my hike down at Albion meadows trailhead, which added a guesstimated 1 mile (fairly easy terrain with well-marked path leading to Cecret trail) to the hike. Not many wild flowers left mid-September, but it was great to enjoy the cool breeze and some quiet serenity.
Trail conditions & character
“3 switchbacks up the mountain and over to this amazing view of the lake!”
“I started my hike down at Albion meadows trailhead, which added a guesstimated 1 mile (fairly easy terrain with well-marked path leading to Cecret trail) to the hike.”
“Steep terrain with switchbacks at the very end of the trail to the lake, but I did see a few young kids making their way.”
“I started my hike down at Albion meadows trailhead, which added a guesstimated 1 mile (fairly easy terrain with well-marked path leading to Cecret trail) to the hike.”
“Avoid the gravel road down (greeley).”
“8 miles and lots of great wildflowers: Rocky Mountain dwarf sunflowers, mountain bluebells, Indian paintbrushes, and Wasatch beardtongues.”
Plan your run at Cecret Lake Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance1 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Alta
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Lake Mary Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 282 reviews
Hiking area offering trails with lake views and wildflowers at varying elevations.
Gloria Falls Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 175 reviews
Popular trek through the woods to rocky, pretty waterfalls and views.
Willow Heights
4.7 ★★★★★ 230 reviews
Trail leading to a lake (and a meadow) where hikers can spot moose.
Wasatch Crest Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 35 reviews
Downhill-heavy MTB trail accessed by shuttle where bikers have to yield to hikers.
Donut Falls
4.8 ★★★★★ 674 reviews
Easy trail featuring a waterfall that flows through a doughnut-shaped hole in a rock and down into a cave.