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2.5 miles
Distance
12 ft
Climb
-1,232 ft
Descent
00:15:17
Avg time
-1,219 ft
Altitude change
8,280 ft
Altitude min
9,499 ft
Altitude max
9,499 ft
Altitude start
8,281 ft
Altitude end
-9.4%
Grade
-57.9%
Grade max
4.9%
Grade min
722 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
318 ft
Distance flat
00:15:17
Avg time
Desolation Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaBig Cottonwood Canyon
Brighton, Utah -
Ref Number#019
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Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlue (6 votes)
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Local Popularity95 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 95 in Trail Running
- 55 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
-
Hiking SAC ScaleT2 Mountain Hiking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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DirectionDownhill Primary[+]Popular Direction Shown
- Downhill Primary for Trail Running
- Downhill Primary for Hiking
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Physical RatingHard
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Land Owneruinta-wasatch-cache national forest
Primarily downhill trail used to drop off The Crest, but I do see people trying to ride up it almost every time I ride it. There are many water bars made from small logs, which makes climbing very hard, but descending a blast.
There is a rooty tech section right after you pass the lake. Most of this trail flows really well, and is very fast. One thing that makes this trail so great is the technical variety, and that the technical sections are spaced perfectly. This gives the rider time to recover and enjoy the flow between rocky and rooty sections.
Trail Supporters
USFSLand Manager
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 4 rides
- 13 miles average
6 Months
- 22 rides
- 16 miles avg distance
All
- 480 rides
- Last: Jun 17, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Desolation Trail Reports
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- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
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- Snow Cover Partial
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- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
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Directions to desolation-11882 trailhead
(40.662160, -111.600040)
Photos
19 more »
Videos
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Routes with this trail
★ 5.0 • 10 miles • 706 ft • 6 •
1.5 to 2 hour lap. This route is based on the ability to shuttle.
★ 3.2 • 10 miles • 662 ft • 5 • Shuttled •
This shortened version of the classic Wasatch Crest ride is great for odd-numbered days when bikes are...
★ 4.0 • 11 miles • 1,159 ft • 5 •
14 Reviews & Comments
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Nearby Trails
- Wasatch Crest (north) 0 ft
- Waste Of Limited Resources 2,864 ft
- Red Pine Rim 3,176 ft
- Bear Trap Fork 3,307 ft
- Mill Creek Meadows 3,783 ft
Big Cottonwood Canyon
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #11882 - 7,410 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Desolation
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Where is Desolation located?
Desolation is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton, Utah, United States. It is part of the Big Cottonwood Canyon trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 40.66216, -111.60004.
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How hard is Desolation?
Desolation is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 9.4%.
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What is the elevation gain for Desolation?
Desolation has 12 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 1,232 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 8,280 ft to 9,499 ft.
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Is Desolation a point to point trail?
Desolation is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
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