The Lofty Lake Loop starts at the Pass Lake Trailhead about 32 miles east of Kamas on Mirror Lake Highway and runs 4.4 miles through a cluster of alpine lakes, including Scout Lake, Lofty Lake, and Kamas Lake. The loop gains 900-plus feet over that distance, which is enough to feel earned without being punishing, and the three named lakes give the route a rhythm: one lake to start, one at the high point, one on the return. It closes back at the trailhead cleanly.

The High Uintas lake-cluster hikes have a specific character, and the Lofty Lake Loop is the moderate version of that style. Less technical than the 20 Lakes Loop or the Ruth-Jewel-Cutthroat-Teal four-lake route, more elevation than Haystack Lake, enough ground and enough lakes to feel like a real half-day in the mountains. I appreciate loops that have a defined structure. Start, lakes, high point, return. The Lofty Lake Loop runs that structure cleanly.

Quick Facts

How to Get There

From Kamas, take Mirror Lake Highway (UT-150) east approximately 32 miles to the Pass Lake Trailhead. The trailhead is on the right side of the highway and well-signed. It sits slightly past the Crystal Lake Trailhead area and before the Bald Mountain Pass.

From Salt Lake City, plan about 1.5-1.75 hours: I-80 east to US-40 east toward Heber City, then UT-248 east to Kamas, then Mirror Lake Highway east. From Park City, Kamas is about 20 minutes south on UT-32.

Mirror Lake Highway closes November 1st and reopens around Memorial Day weekend depending on snowpack. The Pass Lake Trailhead and Lofty Lake Loop are inaccessible during the winter months. The loop can carry snow into early July in heavy snow years given the elevation gain. Check AllTrails condition reports before planning a June visit.

Parking Information

The Pass Lake Trailhead has a parking area with restrooms and information kiosks. It serves the Lofty Lake Loop and access to Pass Lake. The lot is smaller than the Crystal Lake and Bald Mountain Pass lots and fills on summer weekends. Arrive before 8 a.m. on peak days.

Mirror Lake Highway pass required: $10 for 1-3 days, $20 for 7 days. America the Beautiful Annual Pass accepted. Self-serve kiosks on the highway before the trailhead.

Cell Service and Navigation

Cell coverage is absent at the Pass Lake Trailhead and on the Lofty Lake Loop. Download AllTrails offline before leaving Kamas. The loop is a maintained trail with signed junctions; navigation isn’t the challenge here. Having the GPS map active is useful for tracking your position on the loop and confirming lake locations as you move through the basin.

What to Expect on the Lofty Lake Loop

Scout Lake

Scout Lake appears early on the loop, a smaller lake in the lower basin that serves as the first visual payoff on the route. The trail passes along its shore before beginning the sustained climb toward the higher lakes. Scout Lake has the quietest character of the three: enclosed, forest-edged, calm. A good early indicator of whether the light is doing something interesting for lake reflection photography that day.

Lofty Lake

Lofty Lake is the namesake and the high point. The trail climbs to reach it and the surrounding views expand as you gain elevation. The lake sits at the upper end of the loop with the Uintas ridgeline visible above and the basin dropping away below. This is the pause-and-look spot on the route, the one where you sit for a few minutes and take inventory of what you’ve earned before turning back toward the trailhead. Wildflowers in the meadow sections around Lofty Lake through July and early August add to the high-summer experience.

Kamas Lake

Kamas Lake comes on the return section of the loop, after Lofty Lake and on the descent back toward the trailhead. It’s a different character from the first two: more open aspect, a wider basin feeling. The loop’s three-lake structure gives each lake a distinct role in the day’s narrative, and Kamas Lake is the exit note: a last alpine moment before the trail drops back toward the highway.

Trail Difficulty and Length

Moderate is accurate. The loop’s 900-foot gain is distributed across the climbing sections toward Lofty Lake and then releases on the Kamas Lake descent. Budget 2.5-4 hours for the full loop at a comfortable pace with time at each lake.

Dog Friendly?

Yes. High Uintas Wilderness allows leashed dogs. The loop’s maintained trail and the lake access at three points make this one of the better dog-friendly moderate options in the Mirror Lake Highway corridor. Keep dogs leashed throughout and pack out waste. The loop’s steeper climbing sections toward Lofty Lake are the only section where less-fit dogs might feel the effort.

What to Bring

Water: 2-3 liters. The climbing section toward Lofty Lake earns its gain and the high altitude environment dehydrates fast. Layers for the exposed upper sections of the loop. Rain shell mandatory for afternoon storm conditions. Trail runners or hiking boots both work on this terrain.

For photography: Scout Lake and Kamas Lake photograph best in morning before the wind picks up. Lofty Lake, at the high point, gets direct light on the surrounding ridgeline in late morning. A fishing rod and Utah license if you plan to fish any of the three lakes.

Rules and Regulations

Leave No Trace principles apply throughout the High Uintas Wilderness. Pack out everything. No fires in most Wilderness areas above 10,000 feet; check current restrictions. Overnight camping requires a self-registration permit from the trailhead. Day hikes do not require a permit. Dogs on leash. Fishing with a valid Utah license.

Where to Stay Near Kamas

Kamas is about 32 miles west on Mirror Lake Highway. Park City, 20 minutes south of Kamas on UT-32, has full resort infrastructure. For points travelers, check available Marriott Bonvoy properties, IHG Rewards hotels, and Hilton Honors options in Park City and Salt Lake.

Camping Nearby

Mirror Lake Campground, back toward Kamas on the highway, is the main established option with facilities and reservations through recreation.gov. High Uintas Wilderness dispersed camping is permitted with a self-registration permit from the Pass Lake Trailhead.

Nearby Adventures

The 20 Lakes Trail Loop from the Crystal Lake Trailhead is a few miles back toward Kamas on the highway and represents the harder navigation version of the lake-loop concept: 7.6 miles with route-finding required. The Lofty Lake Loop and the 20 Lakes Loop are natural companions for back-to-back Uintas days at different difficulty levels.

Ruth Lake, Jewel Lake, Cutthroat Lake, and Teal Lake route is the four-lake navigation option further up the highway. Haystack Lake Trail from the Crystal Lake Trailhead is the easier lake alternative closer to Kamas. Bald Mountain Trail from Bald Mountain Pass is the summit option in this corridor, accessible without navigation skills and combining well with a Lofty Lake Loop morning.

Upper Provo River Falls, back toward Kamas on the highway, is the easy waterfall stop that works as a bookend to a Lofty Lake Loop day on the drive in or out.

Plan This Hike

AllTrails has the Lofty Lake Loop mapped with offline capability, condition reports, and GPS tracking. Download before you lose signal on Mirror Lake Highway. Plan your hike on AllTrails and pull the offline map while you’ve still got signal in Kamas.

Chase the Quiet

Three alpine lakes in 4.4 miles with 900 feet between start and high point is a clean transaction. You put in the work on the climb, the loop pays you back at each lake, and you close back at the trailhead without the open-ended character of a one-way route. The High Uintas does this well: it offers the alpine experience in portions sized for a half-day without requiring you to commit to a full day or a summit or a backcountry permit just to see what’s up there. Lofty Lake Loop is one of the better-sized portions.

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