AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Cecret Lake and Sugarloaf.jpg
summitcheese · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cardiff Peak–Mount Baldy, 16 sights

15 mi · ▲ 7,565 ft · 8 hr 47 min

Cardiff Peak–Mount Baldy, 16 sights is a 15-mile out-and-back near Alta, UT. The route passes Gorilla Pass, Mount Baldy, Sugarloaf Pass and 2 more before reaching Cardiff Peak at the turnaround, 7.5 miles in. It climbs 7,565 ft, with sections as steep as 42% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 25/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi8,035 – 11,060 ft · steepest grade: 42%17.2 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Snowbird Access 2 Road 40.58030, -111.66193
Nearest town Alta, UT
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Cardiff Peak–Mount Baldy, 16 sights

15 mi · ▲ 7,565 ft · 8 hr 47 min

Elevation 8,034–11,059 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Snowbird Access 2 Road · 40.58030, -111.66193

Weather Sep 6: Drizzle, high 69°F / low 51° · precip 17% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 7:00 AM · sunset 7:52 PM

Transit-accessible: Iron Blosam stop 30 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Snowbird Access 2 Road, heading SE.
  2. 450 ftBear left, heading SE.
  3. 50 ftSharp right onto Snowbird Entry #1 Road, heading SE.
  4. 50 ftTurn left onto Creek Road, heading SE.
  5. 350 ftBear left onto Miner's Road, heading SE.
  6. 50 ftBear right onto Dean's Delight, heading SE.
  7. 50 ftBear left onto Miner's Road, heading E.
  8. 50 ftSharp left onto Observation Point Trail, heading E.
  9. 200 ftContinue straight onto Mid-Way Trail, heading SW.
  10. 150 ftContinue straight onto Chauner's Loop, heading S.
  11. 350 ftBear right onto Dick Bass Highway, heading SW.
  12. 50 ftTurn right onto Chauner's Loop, heading SW.
  13. 50 ftBear left onto Dick Bass Highway, heading SW.
  14. 0.5 miSharp left onto Gad Valley Road, heading S.
  15. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Big Mountain Trail, heading SE.
  16. 50 ftBear left onto Gad Valley Road, heading SE.
  17. 0.7 miBear right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading W.
  18. 50 ftBear right onto Gad Valley Road, heading W.
  19. 0.4 miBear right onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading SE.
  20. 150 ftBear right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading S.
  21. 50 ftTurn left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading S.
  22. 450 ftTurn right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading S.
  23. 50 ftSharp left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading S.
  24. 500 ftBear right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading S.
  25. 100 ftBear left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading SE.
  26. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Big Mountain Trail, heading E.
  27. 50 ftContinue straight onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading SE.
  28. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Mountain Trail, heading SE.
  29. 50 ftContinue straight onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading SE.
  30. 150 ftSharp right onto Cirque Trail, heading S.
  31. 250 ftContinue straight onto Peruvian Gulch Road, heading S.
  32. 0.1 miPass Gorilla Pass.
  33. 300 ftContinue straight onto Mount Baldy Trail, heading N.
  34. 0.5 miPass Mount Baldy.
  35. 350 ftSharp right onto Mount Baldy North Trail, heading NE.
  36. 50 ftBear left onto Mount Baldy Southeast Trail, heading NE.
  37. 150 ftTurn left onto Mount Baldy East Trail, heading NE.
  38. 0.3 miPass Sugarloaf Pass.
  39. 250 ftTurn right onto East Baldy Traverse, heading N.
  40. 150 ftTurn left onto Sugarloaf Pass Trail, heading NE.
  41. 0.5 miPass Cecret Lake.
  42. 450 ftSharp left, heading E.
  43. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  44. 0.6 miTurn right onto East Greeley Road, heading NE.
  45. 400 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  46. 100 ftTurn left onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading N.
  47. 50 ftContinue straight onto Home Run Trail, heading N.
  48. 100 ftBear right onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading NE.
  49. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Home Run Trail, heading NE.
  50. 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading N.
  51. 0.6 miBear left onto Peruvian Acre Road, heading NW.
  52. 0.1 miTurn right onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading NW.
  53. 0.2 miSharp left onto Albion Parking Lot Road, heading N.
  54. 50 ftTurn right onto Twin Lakes Pass Trail, heading N.
  55. 0.1 miSharp left onto Michigan City Road, heading N.
  56. 0.3 miTurn right onto Cardiff Pass Trail, heading NW.
  57. 0.8 miPass Cardiff Pass.
  58. 500 ftBear left onto Mount Superior Trail, heading W.
  59. 250 ftReach Cardiff Peak, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  60. 250 ftBear right onto Cardiff Pass Trail, heading NW.
  61. 0.9 miTurn left onto Michigan City Road, heading W.
  62. 0.3 miSharp right onto Twin Lakes Pass Trail, heading SE.
  63. 0.1 miTurn left onto Albion Parking Lot Road, heading E.
  64. 50 ftSharp right onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading E.
  65. 0.2 miTurn left onto Peruvian Acre Road, heading E.
  66. 0.1 miBear right onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading NE.
  67. 0.6 miContinue straight onto Home Run Trail, heading E.
  68. 100 ftContinue straight onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading E.
  69. 0.2 miBear left onto Home Run Trail, heading E.
  70. 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Albion Meadows Trail, heading S.
  71. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  72. 100 ftTurn right onto East Greeley Road, heading SW.
  73. 400 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  74. 0.6 miTurn left, heading SE.
  75. 50 ftSharp right onto Sugarloaf Pass Trail, heading SE.
  76. 0.5 miTurn right onto East Baldy Traverse, heading SE.
  77. 150 ftTurn left onto Mount Baldy East Trail, heading SE.
  78. 0.4 miTurn right onto Mount Baldy Southeast Trail, heading S.
  79. 150 ftBear right onto Mount Baldy North Trail, heading S.
  80. 50 ftSharp left onto Mount Baldy Trail, heading S.
  81. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Peruvian Gulch Road, heading SW.
  82. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Cirque Trail, heading SW.
  83. 250 ftSharp left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading W.
  84. 150 ftContinue straight onto Big Mountain Trail, heading W.
  85. 50 ftContinue straight onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading W.
  86. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Mountain Trail, heading W.
  87. 50 ftContinue straight onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading W.
  88. 0.4 miBear right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading W.
  89. 100 ftBear left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading NW.
  90. 500 ftSharp right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading NW.
  91. 50 ftTurn left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading NW.
  92. 450 ftTurn right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading W.
  93. 50 ftBear left onto Regulator Johnson Trail, heading W.
  94. 150 ftBear left onto Gad Valley Road, heading W.
  95. 0.4 miBear left onto Big Mountain Trail, heading SW.
  96. 50 ftBear left onto Gad Valley Road, heading SW.
  97. 0.7 miBear right onto Big Mountain Trail, heading SW.
  98. 50 ftContinue straight onto Gad Valley Road, heading S.
  99. 0.1 miSharp right onto Dick Bass Highway, heading NW.
  100. 0.5 miBear right onto Chauner's Loop, heading NW.
  101. 50 ftTurn left onto Dick Bass Highway, heading NW.
  102. 50 ftBear left onto Chauner's Loop, heading NW.
  103. 350 ftContinue straight onto Mid-Way Trail, heading NW.
  104. 150 ftContinue straight onto Observation Point Trail, heading N.
  105. 200 ftSharp right onto Miner's Road, heading N.
  106. 50 ftBear right onto Dean's Delight, heading N.
  107. 50 ftBear left onto Miner's Road, heading N.
  108. 50 ftBear right onto Creek Road, heading N.
  109. 350 ftTurn right onto Snowbird Entry #1 Road, heading N.
  110. 50 ftSharp left onto Snowbird Access 2 Road, heading N.
  111. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/cardiff-peak-out-back

Trail surface

95% dirt2% paved3% unspecified

Weather

DrizzleTemperature 69°F51°
Precip17%Wind9 mphUV7Humidity24%
Rained 0.3″ 6 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
70°50° 2 PM: 1% rain3 PM: 3% rain4 PM: 7% rain5 PM: 7% rain6 PM: 10% rain7 PM: 16% rain8 PM: 17% rain9 PM: 12% rain10 PM: 11% rain11 PM: 8% rain
Sunrise 7:00 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:52 PM
Mon 60°46° 61%
Tue 67°46°
Wed 71°49°
Thu 71°49°
Fri 73°53° 15%
Sat 56°40° 18%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.2 mi in (~102 min). Leave by 5:51 PM for the 7:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:25 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Iron Blosam stop 30 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Snowbird Access 2 Road Trailhead

Hikes near Alta, Utah