Silver Lake Visitor Center

An oppotunity to learn about our watersheds.

Florence Reynolds, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities Water Quality & Treatment Administrator

August 9, 2002

Patrick Nelson directs the Silver Lake Visitor Center. The center provides a variety of informative and educational opportunities for individuals and groups.
The Silver Lake Visitor Center is located within the Brighton Bowl in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.  Situated at the headwaters of Big Cottonwood Creek at Silver Lake and resting among mountain peaks rising to elevations of over 10,000 feet above sea level, the visitor center is an ideal location to learn about the importance of watersheds and the stewardship of this invaluable resource.  Built in 1993 by Solitude Ski Resort as a winter cross country ski facility, the visitor center is used during the non-ski season for educational programs.  Funded and staffed by the U.S. Forest Service, with additional funding from Salt Lake City’s Public Utilities Department, the value of the facility is immeasurable. The Visitor Center is a major attraction for canyon visitors. During the 2001 season, over 31,000 visitors came through the site. 

The facility includes a 0.7 mile, fully accessible board walk with benches and interpretive signs that circles Silver Lake. The lake is stocked every other week with brook and rainbow trout. “This is a great facility for family activities, due to its accessibility for all ages and hiking ease,” says Forest Service employee Patrick Nelson.  “Additional trails leave from the site for more wilderness experiences.” 

Patrick Nelson is the moving force behind the Silver Lake programming. He has provided a vision and direction for the center that delights the visitors. Under Patrick’s direction new and exciting programs are being developed, school tours are being promoted and visitors are leaving the site with an expanded knowledge of the ecology of the lake and its importance as part of the watershed.  Patrick has been involved in these programs for the past 5 years.  He has degrees in economics, geology and environmental studies. During the winter months Patrick continues his educational efforts by conducting snow shoeing and tracking events in Mill Creek Canyon.

Special feature booths are part of the innovation being used to instruct visitors at Silver Lake.  Every aspect of watershed ecology is addressed, from birds and plants to moose and ground squirrels, wildlife management to water conservation. Bringing experts in these fields onto the site provides more reasons to come back over and over again.  The emphasis in the visitor center is hands-on displays.  Large window areas allow the observation of swallows and humming birds that are active around the building.  As funding allows, improvements are planned for the center that will undoubtedly draw even more people to this site.

Patrick Nelson gives educational tour for individuals and groups at Silver Lake.

If you are looking for a summer experience, Silver Lake is the place to go.  From the visitor center, Jim Light and other volunteers can direct you to great hikes in the area.  If you are lucky, you’ll get the chance to visit with Patrick. Silver Lake Visitor Center is open from 11-6 Wednesday-Sunday. Daily guided walks are available at noon. There are children’s activities at 2 p.m. every day. Free guided field trips for groups of up to 40 participants can be arranged at 466-6411.  Special events and guest speakers are scheduled throughout the summer season.

Related link: “Silver Lake, Big Cottonwood Canyon” http://www.slcclassic.com/utilities/NewsEvents/news7131999.htm