One of the most well-known mountain wildflower viewing areas is in the Albion Basin, right above Alta, Utah. People come from all over the west to see the beautiful wildflowers that only bloom during a short period each summer, generally late July to early August.
The US Forest Service’s website has a checklist that you can use to check off all the flowers that you see as you visit Albion Basin. There are more than 120 species to find!
There are numerous trails through the area, if you want to venture out into some mountain hiking. There is a pretty lake just above Albion Basin called Cecret Lake. Sue and I went hiking to the lake and above a few years ago. It’s not terribly difficult and the views are definitely worth it.
There is also a number of trails through the basin itself that are very easy walks. We even saw a couple of moose close up last time we were there! Moose can be dangerous, so be careful if you come across them in the wild.
When the wildflowers are blooming, up to 2000 people visit the basin daily. They do control the amount of traffic in the area, so if you are going to visit during that time, plan to get their early, or be prepared to walk a bit in order to get to the basin area. Shuttle service is generally offered free of charge on weekends and holidays until Labor Day to help with the traffic.
Here’s a slideshow of our pictures from Albion Basin and the nearby area:
If you go, here’s the map to get you there. Since this is in an area that is a ski resort in winter, you’ll see lots of lines that are actually ski runs.
Hope you enjoy this beautiful mountain area!
