Uinta National Forest - Lone Peak Wilderness - Member Hike

Hike Name: Uinta National Forest - Lone Peak Wilderness
Country: United States
State: Utah
Nearby Town: Salt Lake City, UT
Rating: 5 stars
Directions: From Salt Lake City go south on I-15 23 miles to exit #284 (SR92, Timpanogos Cave National Monument). Go east on SR92 for 6.5 miles to the mouth of American Fork Canyon. Continue on SR92 through Timpanogos Cave National Monument (there is a fee station) for 5 miles to a fork in the road. Turn left onto the Tibble Fork road and follow it 2 miles to the Tibble Fork parking lot. Just past the parking lot, the road makes a sharp left turn and climbs a few hundred feet up the side of the ridge. The pavement ends at the Granite Flat campground. Go past the entrance station to the campground and watch for the trailhead parking lot on the right.
Total Hike Distance: 13.40 miles
Hike Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Permit Required: Yes
Hike Type: Roundtrip, Loop Hike
Hike Starts/Ends: Granite Flat Campground
Trails Used: Deer Creek Trail (#43) and Box Elder Trail (#44)
Backcountry Campsites: Yes
Backcountry Water Sources: Streams, Springs, Snow
Management: U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information: Uinta National Forest
Pleasant Grove Ranger District
390 N 100 E
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
801-342-5247
Best Season: Summer, Fall
Users: Hikers, Horses
Road Conditions: Primary Paved Roads, Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary: This is a steep climbing trail that offers the hiker an opportunity to get into the heart of the Lone Peak Wilderness, experiencing spectacular scenery in every direction. The trail circumnavigates the summit of 11101’-high Box Elder Peak The hike can be broken up into a 2-day adventure as there are several excellent campsite locations along the trail.

The trailhead is just inside Granite Flat Campground at 6800’ elevation. Follow the Deer Creek Trail (#43) for 4 miles as it climbs first at a gentle rate through a maple forest. You will cross two streams which can, early in the summer, sometimes flood the trail. As the trail climbs, the trees gradually change to predominantly fir. Watch for side trails to the left that go out to the edge of the ridge for a great view of Deer Creek Canyon. Below the ridge are several beaver ponds that are frequented by many of the moose in this area. About 2 miles up the trail, you will pass through a couple of aspen groves before the trail comes out into the open oak scrub and begins a seemingly never ending series of switchbacks. The oak scrub is low and gives almost no shade, although there are just enough shady spots spread out along the trail to give the hiker respite from the sun. The trail is mostly a nice sandy/rocky path interspersed with rough rocky segments. There are many vista points with spectacular views of the Wasatch Range and the canyons below. At about 3 miles, the trail begins its final series of switchbacks before the summit – to get up to the top of a huge rockslide area. There are parts of the trail in this stretch that are nothing more than a walk across the crumbling surface of granite outcroppings – a very unstable footing. Walk carefully and use your trekking poles judiciously on this segment. At 4 miles, the trail tops out at 9700’ elevation in a lovely meadow ringed with fir trees at the top of the pass.

Continue on trail #43 (the name will change to Dry Creek Trail on this side of the pass) for 1.8 miles as it descends 1500’ through a fir forest near Dry Creek (which, in spite of its name, usually has water in it at this elevation). You will cross a small stream coming off the north slope of Box Elder Peak. At the junction with the Box Elder Trail (#44) turn left. Follow the Box Elder Trail up some switchbacks as it climbs 400’ over about 1 mile to the back of a small canyon. Then the trail curves around the steep shoulder of Box Elder Peak and continues to climb at a gentle rate for another 0.75 mi when it emerges onto a slide area. About 0.25 mi across the slide, the trail joins the Phelps Canyon Trail (#45). Stay on the Box Elder Trail. Over the next 1.5 mi it will continue to climb at a steady rate until it reaches 9900’ elevation at the south side of the peak. For much of the hike along the west and south slopes of Box Elder Peak the hiker is treated to staggering views of the sheer rock face of the mountain towering above – when the trees don’t obscure the view.

The first 0.5 mi of the descent from the southernmost point on the trail is relatively gentle, but after the trail turns to the north, it begins to descend fairly steeply across the east face of Box Elder Peak. After another 1.25 mi the descent eases up some for about 0.5 mi although it is switching back at this point. Then for the next 1.5 mi it once again descends steeply through a maple forest down into Deer Creek Canyon. About 0.25 mi after reaching the canyon and crossing Deer Creek, the trail ends at Granite Flat Campground. Follow the path through the campground about 0.10 mi to the trailhead.

Map:

Hiker:

gmyersut


11,550 points


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Trip Reports

  Date Rating Duration Hiker
Uinta National Forest - Lone Peak Wilderness - July 16, 2011 July 16, 2011 4 stars 13 hours gmyersut
Uinta National Forest - Lone Peak Wilderness - July 2, 2010 July 2, 2010 4 stars 2 days gmyersut

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