Silver Glance Lake: Everything you need to know

Utah has a lot of amazing lakes, but Silver Glance Lake is a less traveled hidden gem that’s right along the Wasatch Front. Here’s all the details you need to visit this breathtaking piece of Utah County.

So, my husband and I live 15 minutes from American Fork Canyon, yet we had never been to Silver Glance Lake. That’s why we decided to go backpacking with some friends and try it out. And, it didn’t disappoint.

At a glance: Silver Glance Lake

Ages: All ages welcome
Cost: $6 for one-day entrance pass to American Fork Canyon
Duration: 3-5 hours
Length of hike: 3.1 miles in, 6.2 miles total
Hours: Open seasonally from Mid-May to mid-October 24 hours a day, 7 days per week depending on the snowpack.
Location: 3 miles from the Silver Lake Trailhead up American Fork Canyon

How to get to Silver Glance

There are quite a few Silver Lakes in Utah. So, it can get a bit confusing. But, you can only access Silver Glance via the Silver Lake trailhead in American Fork Canyon. This You have to drive past Tibble Fork Reservoir and continue up the mountain on a gravel dirt road for a few miles. The road is easily accessible in a 2-wheel drive car as long as there is no snow. Parking is limited so consider hiking the trail on a weekday instead of the weekend.

The first half of the hike is a 2.2-mile moderate climb to Silver Lake. You gain about 1,400 in elevation and the views are spectacular. Many people stop once they reach Silver Lake because it’s super beautiful. However, you can continue climbing another .9 miles and 900 feet in elevation to the even-more-beautiful Silver Glance Lake.

*My husband and I standing in front of Silver Lake*

It takes about 1 1/2 – 2 hours to hike up to Silver Lake. The trail that leads up to Silver Glance is a little bit harder to see at first if you’re not looking for it. Basically, take the first trail veering of the the right once you reach Silver Lake. If you start walking around Silver Lake, you’ve gone too far. The trail to Silver Glance is much steeper and a little bit harder to follow because it is definitely less traveled. However, it’s not hard to follow and it gets more defined the higher you get up. It takes about 45 minutes from Silver Lake to get there.

*Trail to the right that leads to Silver Glance*

Make sure you don’t miss the trail. We were unsure where the trail was so we took the wrong one. It ended up being a lot of bushwhacking through lots of brush straight up the mountain. We eventually found the trail but it was a lot harder. Although Silver Glance Lake is much smaller than Silver Lake, the views are spectacular. It’s a great hike because you don’t have to go very far but you feel like you’re on top of the mountain.

*Silver Glance Lake at sunrise in September*

Tips and trips

Check the weather – If there’s a chance of a lot of rain or snow, be careful. The trail can be dangerous and slippery because it’s so steep
Bring a water filter – There a stream running along the trail all the way up to Silver Lake. Bring a filter so you don’t have to haul your own water.
Hike on a weekday – If you want to avoid parking troubles and busy trails, avoid the weekends. Silver Lake is a popular trail
Backpack it – With a place this beautiful, you usually want to stay a while. We set up camp at Silver Lake and hiked to Silver Glance the next morning. It was awesome.
Bring your dog – Dogs are welcome and can be off-leash in some areas
Watch out for horses – This is also a popular trail for horses. Be respectful along the trail.
Don’t forget the fishing pole – There are no fish in Silver Glance but there are plenty at Silver Lake.
Be careful with fires – Watch the signs posted at the trailhead because in many cases, fires aren’t permitted during certain times of year.

Hopefully this blog post was helpful for you as you prepare to hike Silver Glance Lake. You’re going to love it! Here’s a short video that I made of our experience. Have fun!