Trail Facts
The Red Pine Lake trail starts at the White Pine Trailhead, which is about a half mile down the canyon from Snowbird. This trailhead provides the only access to much of the Lone Peak Wilderness in the lower half of Little Cottonwood Canyon.From the parking lot, the trail crosses Little Cottonwood Creek and begins a somewhat gradual climb of 400 feet along an old jeep road which heads into White Pine Fork. This first climb is about 1 mile long and ends when you get to the White Pine Fork stream. At this point the trail forks off. One trail (the road) switches back to the left and heads toward White Pine Lake. Follow the trail which crosses a bridge to the right a short distance from the fork and continues around the ridge toward the Red Pine Fork. The trail levels out very nicely at this point and when you reach the Red Pine Fork side of the ridge you are rewarded with an amazing view of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Salt Lake Valley. The glacier-carved canyon forms a perfect u-shape at the mouth of the canyon with the valley settled behind it.
After about .5 mile from the White Pine stream crossing the trail begins to get steep as it heads back into the trees toward Red Pine Lake. For about the next mile the trail climbs nearly 800 feet in elevation at the end of which the Red Pine Stream comes into view and you come to another junction. One trail turns right and crosses a bridge over the Red Pine Stream and heads toward Maybird Gulch and the Maybird Lakes. The other continues south toward Red Pine Lake. Follow the trail that turns right and crosses the bridge toward Maybird Gulch.
The trail makes a short switchback after the bridge, and then begins a fairly steady climb around the ridge to the west as it enters the gulch. After about a half mile and climbing 400 feet in elevation the trail comes to the edge of the deep canyon of Maybird Gulch with the stream now in view. From here you stand about 200 feet above the stream and have a nice view of the pyramid-shaped Pheifferhorn (11,326') towering above the pine trees to the south. At this point the trail turns to the south and continues a steep climb toward the lakes for the final .7 mile. About half-way up this final stretch, the trail levels out somewhat, after which it rounds a small ridge with a few short switchbacks and finally to the lakes. The trail ends at the middle lake, but the upper lake lies a very short distance to the south.
These lakes are very small, but have an awesome view of the Pheifferhorn to the south. This view is most spectacular from the upper lake which is surrounded with pine trees and also has a small island packed with pine trees as well. A further option from the Maybird Lakes is to traverse across the boulder fields toward the Pfeifferhorn for about a half mile to a saddle which lies on the ridge below and to the north of the Pfeifferhorn and about 400 feet higher. (In early summer consolidated snow covers much of these boulder fields, providing an easier and more level ascent.) From this saddle you have a nice view into the east arm of Hogum Fork.
