Tour de Alta

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Flow · Technical · Views

This is an awesome and popular Alta loop that starts right from town. This trail will take you on a clockwise tour of the Albion Basin which may be one of the most beautiful places in Little Cottonwood Canyon if not the Wasatch Range. This route is popular with hikers so keep your speeds safe. This route is fantastic in mid to late summer when the flowers are in bloom. For an even more epic alternate you can start at Snowbird and/or climb Alta and up the backside of Snowbird to finish on Snowbird's Big Mountain Trail.

Alta is just a quick 20 minute drive for may people in Salt Lake County, and a great/quick way to get some high-altitude riding without spending too much time driving to get there. It's popular because it can easily be ridden from anywhere in Alta. There is tons of free parking at Alta or on the Highway before the Albion basin summer road fee station.

Start at the uppermost Alta Parking lot just below the Albion Basin Summer Road fee shack / guard shed. Go up the Albion Basin Summer Road to the Catherine's Pass Trail and trailhead. Fork left (east) on the Catherine's Pass Trail up the east side of the Albion Basin.

At the Cast Connect fork right (south) to stay in the Basin, head towards Devil's Castle Loop, ride through the Albion Basin Campground up the Supreme Access Road until you get to the Devil's Castle Loop, fork right (west) on Devil's Castle Loop (Don't miss this turn - there is a sign, but you'll be sweating up the steep hill and might miss it!)

Climb a bit more to the top of the Devil's Cast trail at the top of the Albion Basin. Enjoy the view of all of Alta spread out before you. This is the high-point of the loop and it will be mostly descending from here.

Rip the Devil's castle descent clockwise (take Mandlebrot as a fun, highly recommended, tech alternate) down the basin to Germania Pass and take either Home Run or Germania Pass cross over to the west side of the creek to connect to snake pit. Take snake pit along the west side of the creek and descend the final few switchbacks back to Alta. Cross the creek again and head north back up to the Alta Parking lot where you started.