Things to do on the Mirror Lake Highway

One of our favorite places in Utah is the Mirror Lake Highway. When the temperatures hit the triple digits in late June and early July, we head straight up into the Uintahs where it’s generally 15-20 degrees cooler than down in the valleys.  Camping, hiking, fishing, and animal viewing are all with in an hours drive of Utah, Salt Lake, and Davis valleys. Click on any of the links to check out our reviews and find directions and pictures of things to do on the Mirror Lake Highway:

Ruth Lake

Located 10,000 feet up in the high Uintahs, this beautiful alpine lake is great for hikers and fishermen. It is a 2 mile round trip hike through meadows of wildflowers to a glassy lake that our boys loved.

Fehr Lake

This lake is just .5 miles each way (1 mile RT) and there are animals and critters to see along the way. One of the 600 lakes in the Uintahs is found at the end of the trail, and you can hike all the way around it.

Provo River Falls

There is a pullout along the Mirror Lake Highway that overlooks the Provo River Falls. This waterfall is pretty spectacular and easily accessible to everyone. If you drive the Mirror Lake Highway, this is a must-see.

Mirror Lake Hike

The Grand Central Station of the Mirror Lake Highway is obviously Mirror Lake. A trail leads all the way around the lake. It is too rocky for a stroller, but just right for a stroll.

Teapot Lake

Teapot Lake is located right on the Highway, and a 1 mile long path leads all the way around it. This beautiful lake is often surrounded by fishermen. The path is well marked and easy to follow, and this makes a great hike for little ones.

Wall Lake

Wall Lake is a 2.0 mile round trip hike on a flat, easy trail to a gorgeous lake. This trail is perfect for most anyone.

Crystal Lake

This lake is such a short, easy hike. It is less than 1/3 of a mile to the lake, and you can walk along the edge of the lake on both sides. It is a great spot for fishing, too.

Cliff Lake

It is easy to pair Crystal Lake and Cliff Lake together since they start at the same parking lot, and you can see Crystal Lake from the Cliff lake trailhead. Cliff Lake is a beautiful lake with a cliff on one side, and a trail around the lake.

Bourbon Lake

This one is a little more adventurous as it is very steep, and a little long. There wasn’t a soul on the trail or at the lake on a weekday, so you might find a little solitude along the trail.

Lily Lake

There are two Lily Lake’s on the Mirror Lake Highway. This lake is found far along the highway, so it is less traveled. The hike is 3.0 miles roundtrip and a moderate climb.

Lofty Lake Loop:

The Lofty Lake Loop has lots of lakes along the trail. The trail is a steep climb, and it’s also located above 10,000 feet elevation, so it’s probably not for young families. The high mountain lakes are gorgeous and worth the hike.

Bald Mountain

This is a fun hike because you summit the top of Bald Mountain. It is a climb up, but if your kids have wanted to climb a summit, this trail is short. It is only 2.8 miles roundtrip. When we visited the first week of August, the wildflowers were still in bloom, and you could see so many lakes from the top. We loved it despite the climb.

Bonnie Lake

If you camp at or visit Mirror Lake, you should definitely visit Bonnie Lake. The hike from the campground is 2.0 miles and the lake is beautiful and peaceful.

Fairy Forest

The Fairy Forest still exists, but it is no longer a place to add anything to the nature decor. The Forest Service has left the painted rocks, but asks that nothing be added or painted or changed. So if you’d like to walk through the Fairy Forest, you can, but please leave it as it is. Most of the rocks are faded or lost, but it is a short walk across the stream to see it.

Hi-Mountain Drug

There is a secret restaurant located in Kamas called Hi-Mountain Drug (ok, it’s not really a secret anymore). They serve awesome hamburgers, hand-cut fries, and old-fashioned milkshakes. It is definitely worth a stop.

Soapstone Campground:

There are many campgrounds along the Mirror Lake Highway, but we keep returning to Soapstone. There is tons of shade, big tent sites, and the grounds are always clean and well taken care of. Heads up: there are only pit toilets in this campground.

Mirror Lake Campground

The Mirror Lake Campground is our other favorite spot to camp along this highway. It is a large camping area and there are pit toilets and drinking water available. We like to camp here for easy access to Mirror Lake and bring our kayaks!