Hiking with Kids: A Family-Friendly Wildflower Scavenger Hunt in Utah’s Albion Basin
Get out into nature with your family and explore Utah’s mountains with this fun (and FREE) wildflower scavenger hunt for kids!
I love the mountains any time of year, but wildflower season in Utah is absolutely spectacular. Albion Basin is particularly well known for it’s wildflowers in late July and August, and I’ve been wanting to hike in peak season for years. A couple of weeks ago, we finally made it happen, and it did not disappoint!
Hiking Albion Basin
On a Saturday morning we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon and took the Summer Road at the top (by Alta ski resort) to the trailhead for Lake Catherine. Getting to the lake was a challenging three-mile hike for my kids, but it was jaw-droppingly gorgeous…totally worth it.
Related: 10 simple activities to make hiking fun for kids…especially when they’re tired
Wildflowers in a kaleidoscope of color surrounded us as we hiked, and we enjoyed challenging ourselves to find flowers of every color of the rainbow. It didn’t take us long to find them all…even green! The flowers were everywhere. From bright orangey-red Indian Paintbrush to regal-looking Silvery Lupine, the variety was incredible.
I couldn’t help taking pictures of the gorgeous flowers, and I used my phone’s photo app to identify some of the flowers we weren’t familiar with, too! (Did you know iPhone’s can do that? It’s so cool.)
As the hike went on, I found myself thinking, how fun it would be to have a printed scavenger hunt of different flowers that are commonly found in Utah. It seemed like a great way to help families explore Albion Basin and help kids learn about nature while keeping them engaged on the hike.
Feeling inspired, I started taking pictures of as many different types of flowers as I could find along the trail as we headed back toward the car. I had well over a dozen pictures in no time.
Wildflower Scavenger Hunt for Families
Once we got home, I started researching the different wildflowers we found on our hike. I used the photos I had taken to put together a list of common flowers. From there, I created a FREE printable scavenger hunt that I’m excited to share with YOU.
Whether you’re planning an epic hiking trip or just looking to spend a fun afternoon in the mountains, this scavenger hunt is a great way to explore the great outdoors as a family.
Click the blue button below to get the FREE download, and you’ll be all set to discover the beautiful wildflowers of Albion Basin…or any other trail filled with wildflowers.
Happy hiking!
When and where to find wildflowers in Utah:
There are many places to see wildflowers in Utah, but Albion Basin near Alta Ski Resort (where we went on our hike) is renowned for its wildflower displays. There are over 120 flower species that have been cataloged in the area!
Late July and Early August provide the best viewing (depending on the year’s precipitation). If you check the reviews on a specific hike on alltrails.com, you can usually find out whether the flowers are blooming or not in a particular area.
If you’re up for a challenge, hike to Lake Catherine via Catherine Pass (like we did). It’s about 3 miles out and back (farther if you choose to hike all the way around the lake).
Other Hiking Options:
- Albion Meadows Trail: This popular trail begins near the Albion Base area of Alta Ski Resort and gently ascends through meadows filled with wildflowers. You can hike as far (or not) as you want.
- Cecret Lake Trail: This is another popular trail. It’s a relatively short hike (1.8 miles) that starts from the Albion Meadows Trailhead and winds through the wildflowers up to a beautiful alpine lake. (Pro Tip: look for tiger salamanders in the water!)
There are many other places in Utah you can see wildflowers, too. Albion Basin is just one of the most well known. If you have plans to hike elsewhere, take the wildflower hunt along and see how many you can find!
Need more tips on Utah hikes? Check out some of my favorites from my friend Natalie at Utah’s Adventure Family. She knows ALL the best places!
Want more scavenger hunt for kids? Try these: