Difficulty: Most Difficult ♦︎
Length: 5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Dog Friendly: No
Trailhead coordinates (copy + paste): 40.5777, -111.6128
Directions: The coordinates will lead you to a parking lot for the Cecret Lake trailhead. Follow the Cecret Lake trail for about a mile. Once you reach the lake follow the trail up the hill to the South. You will run into the Devil's Castle trail in about 0.1 miles. Head right on that trail, which quickly becomes steep and exposed. Follow the trail to the ridge line and then scramble on the ridge to reach the rock formation that is Devil's Castle. Note: The trailhead starts a few miles up a dirt road past the Albion Basin fee booth. You will need to pay $8 for a day pass.
The trek to Devil's Castle has three distinct chapters packed into one short story. Chapter one: an easy, highly-trafficked hike to a bright blue alpine lake. Two: a steep, exposed incline on a narrow trail up the side of a mountain with views of Albion Basin and Little Cottonwood Canyon. Three: an undefined, choose-your-own-route scramble up a rocky ridge line to the summit. This scramble feels perilous because of the steep drop-offs and remote location— when you are heading up the back side of the rocks approaching the top, you trade your view of Cecret Lake for one of American Fork Canyon and Pittsburg Lake, which is a more remote area. Choose your steps carefully, and enjoy the panoramic view from the top, which makes it worth the work. Dogs are not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and would not be able to handle the scramble, so they'll have to sit this one out.
