Pearce Solomon Photography

A perfect mirror of water, Red Pine Lake reflects the beauty of its surroundings on calm days. Coolness, serenity, and peace wash over hikers who make the steep trek to its edge. The towering mountains from the opposing canyon wall show the purple majesty of the Utah Rockies. A camping spot for some, a day hike for others, Red Pine Lake is a site that few regret seeing despite its challenging terrain.

  Tucked away up a deep, narrow canyon in northern Utah, Big Cottonwood Canyon hides a popular hike to a perennial waterfall. In winter months, hikers strap on their snowshoes, spikes, or boots and walk several miles to find a wall of snow. For those fortunate enough, you can arrive to the falls early after a snow storm and find only a blanket of white over the falls. You may not even know the falls were there if you could hear the deep echo of water flowing into a hidden cave. Entering the cave, one is greeted by a chandelier of ice ringing a hole in the ceiling. Light pours through the hole, diffracting rays of light across the otherwise dark cave.