Name: Bald Mountain
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Name: Big Baldy
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Description of Big Provo Cirque Peak
Name: Big Provo Cirque Peak
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Description of the hike and the mountain: A 'cirque' is a deep steep-walled
basin on a mountain, usually forming the blunt end of a valley. The Big Provo
Cirque is an excellent example of this formation.
Description of Buckley Mountain
Name: Buckley Mountain
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Name: Box Elder Peak
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Description of Current Creek Mountain
Name: Current Creek Mountain
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Name: Dry Fork Peak
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Name: Dry Mountain
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Description of Flat Top Mountain
Name: Flat Top Mountain
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Description of Loafer Mountain (Santaquin Peak)
Name: Santaquin Peak on Loafer Mountain
Location: Santaquin Peak is the highest point of Loafer Mountain, located
south of Spanish Fork, Utah. This tall mountain is located between Spanish Fork
Canyon on the east and Payson Canyon on the west.
Latitude: N 39 degrees 58 minutes 59 seconds
Longitude: W 111 degrees 37 minutes 26 seconds
Elevation above sea level: 10,685 feet
Trailhead location: Near the top of Payson Canyon on the Payson Canyon
/ Nebo Loop road, just before reaching the Payson Lakes turnoff.
Click here for a listing of distances and compass bearing from Loafer to other peaks in Utah County.
Description of the hike and the mountain: Excellent desciptions of
the hike are found in most of the Utah hiking guidebooks. An example is Utah
Hiking by Buck Tilton, pages 55-56.
Description of Mahogany Mountain
Name: Mahogany Mountain
Location: Mahogany Mountain is located 3 miles west of Timpanogos, and
northeast of Pleasant Grove, Utah
Latitude: N 40 deg 24 min 36 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 42 min 51 sec
Elevation above sea level: 9,001 feet
Click here for distances and bearings from Mahogany to other Utah Valley peaks.
Trailhead location: Mahogany is most easily accessed by hiking up Grove
Canyon, just east of Pleasant Grove, Utah, and then following a faint trail
to the north once out of Grove Canyon.
Description of the hike and the mountain:
Description of Maple Flat Mountain
Name: Maple Flat Mountain
Location: This is the next mountain south of "Y" Mountain, east of Provo,
Utah.
Latitude: N 40 deg 14 min 14 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 35 min 50 sec
Elevation above sea level: 9,066 feet
Click here to view the distances and bearings from Maple Flat Mountain to other Utah Valley Peaks
Trailhead location: Take the "Y" Mountain trail up Slide Canyon, or
access the mountain from the east side by taking the Squaw Peak/Rock Canyon
Campground road to the eastern side of the mountain.
Description of the hike and the mountain: The hike up the "Y" Mountain
trail is not arduous and provides beautiful vistas of Utah Valley. The cutoff
to Maple Flat from Slide Canyon is found as one comes of out the canyon and
hikes into the upper meadows south of "Y" Mountain.
Name: Mount Nebo
Location: South of Santaquin and northeast of Nephi, Mount Nebo is the
tallest peak in Utah County.
Latitude: W 39 deg 49 min 21 sec
Longitude: N 111 deg 45 min 35 sec
Elevation above sea level: 11,928 feet
Click here for distances & bearings from Nebo to other Utah Valley peaks
Trailhead location:
Description of the hike and the mountain: Most Utah moutaineering guidebooks
have details about hiking Mount Nebo. "The Hiker's Guide To Utah" by Dave Hall,
published by Falcon Press, has a great section on Nebo (pages 63 to 66). Nebo
can be climbed from the west (Mona side) or from the east via Salt Creek and
Andrew's Creek. The hike is arduous due to a 5,000 foot elevation gain in just
5 miles of hiking. Units that have braved this mountain have had marvelous On
Target experiences. Due to Nebo's lofty elevation, distant peaks in all directions
can be contacted. Contacting Wheeler Peak in Nevada and King's Peak in the Uintas
from Nebo is a common occurence.
Name: Provo Peak
Location: Provo Peak sits east of Provo, directly behind "Y" Mountain.
Latitude: N 40 deg 14 min 39 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 33 min 25 sec
Elevation above sea level: 11,068 feet
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Provo Peak to other Utah Valley mountains
Trailhead location: The trailhead can be accessed by taking the Rock
Canyon Campground road from Provo Canyon. Traveling past the Rock Canyon campground
for 4 miles will bring hikers to the base of Provo Peak.
Description of the hike and the mountain: The trail is somewhat indistinct
and follows the ridgeline with runs up the west face of Provo Peak. There are
no switchbacks, making the hike quite strenuous. A rock cairn and a vertical
steel pipe are found at the summit. Provo Peak provides incredible views in
all directions, especially to the north.
Description of Shingle Mill Peak
Name: Shingle Mill Peak
Location: East of Rock Canyon in Provo, between Provo Peak and Cascade
Mountain
Latitude: N 40 deg 16 min 10 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 32 min 21 sec
Elevation above sea level: 10,690 feet
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Shingle Mill Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Trailhead location and description of the hike and the mountain:
The Wasatch Range in Utah Valley contains an easily-recognized but infrequently-hiked
mountain named Shingle Mill Peak. This pyramid-shaped peak with its prominent
horizontal cuts is easily located by looking east up Rock Canyon, the canyon
north of "Y" Mountain. A beautiful hiking and equestrian trail leads to the
nearby Cascade Mountain saddle, but, until recently, no well-established hiking
trail existed that led to the summit of Shingle Mill Peak. The lack of a trail
has contributed to erosion and damage to sensitive flora as hikers have scrambled
up and down various game trails to reach the summit. Upon learning of the need
for a trail to the summit, Venturer Scouts from Crew #725 in Provo sought for
and received permission from the Pleasant Grove Ranger District of the Uinta
National Forest to establish a well-planned, well-marked hiking trail to the
summit. This project was spearheaded by David Barnes and fulfilled the requirements
for his Eagle Scout service project. David and his fellow-scouts are now actively
recruiting hikers to trek up this new trail, helping to firmly establish the
path.
The hike to the summit of Shingle Mill Peak is a delightful and rewarding trek. The area abounds with various types of fascinating wildlife and mountain flora. This author has seen long-tailed weasels, wild turkeys, moose, elk, mule deer, yellow-bellied marmots, blue grouse, red-tailed hawks, swifts, hummingbirds, gray jays, and woodpeckers on and around Shingle Mill Peak. Wild raspberries, chokecherries, elderberries, Englemann spruce, limber pine, sub-alpine fir, and a wide variety of mountain wild flowers grace the trail.
The peak can be reached via the Dry Fork trail with its trailhead near Rock Canyon Campground, or via the South Fork of Provo Canyon through Big Springs Canyon. The Dry Fork route is recommended as it is shorter and less arduous. The Shingle Mill trailhead near Rock Canyon Campground is easily reached. Travel towards Provo Canyon from either Orem or Provo. As you drive under or over the overpass at the mouth of the canyon (the junction of state roads 189 and 52), set your travel odometer to 0. At a distance of 1.8 miles up the canyon, you will see a sign for "Squaw Peak Road" on the right. Take this road. At 8.4 miles, you will pass Hope Campground and leave the paved road for a well-maintained dirt road. From this point you will encounter some sections of washboard surface on the dirt road, but this road can be negotiated by regular cars. At 11.5 miles you will reach the entrance to Rock Canyon Campground. Continue past this entrance for 0.5 mile (12.0 on the odometer) and you will reach the trailhead on the left, marked by a "No Motorized Vehicles" sign. The dirt road from Rock Canyon Campground to the trailhead is poorly maintained and quite rocky. High-profile vehicles are recommended. There is room for about four vehicles at the trailhead. Hikers can also park in the Rock Canyon Campground and start the hike there (also by a sign which reads "No Motorized Vehicles"), but this adds about 3/8's of a mile to the hike each way.
The hiking trail leads up Dry Fork to Cascade Mountain saddle and Shingle Mill Peak. The hike is approximately 4 and one-half miles each way, with a vertical elevation gain of 3,530 feet. By comparison, the Mount Timpanogos hike is 6 and one-half miles each way with an elevation gain of 4,490 feet. The first mile of the Shingle Mill trail ascends 1,240 feet through aspen and willow stands. Large stands of wild raspberries and chokecherries can be seen during this first mile. The second mile ascends 920 feet as it enters stands of conifers. The third mile traverses the lower face of Shingle Mill, ascending 480 feet. Shortly before reaching the end of the third mile and just before you reach the Cascade Mountain saddle, you will encounter an old wooden trail marker. Bear to the right at this marker, following the arrow which says "Shingle Mill Trail #57". Beyond the first saddle, the trail is marked with prominent rock mounds (cairns). The fourth mile ascends only 400 feet as the trail crosses the upper face of the mountain, following some horizontal cuts carved into the face of the mountain by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. The end of the fourth mile brings hikers to the second saddle, overlooking Whittemore Canyon. The last one-half mile ascends 500 feet as it follows the south ridge to the summit. Beautiful vistas of Rock Canyon, Big Springs Canyon, and Shingle Mill Canyon open to view as hikers climb this challenging trail. The view from the summit (10,690 feet above sea-level) is breathtaking and spectacular. Visible to the north are Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, the lush Heber Valley, and Jordanelle Reservoir. To the east can be seen the Uintas and Strawberry Basin. To the south is Provo Peak, Spanish Fork Peak, and the many distant ranges of central Utah. To the west is an unforgettable view of Y Mountain, Utah Valley, Utah Lake, Kennecott Copper Mine, and the Stansbury Mountains. The scouts who built the trail also built a large rock cairn on the summit. Inside this cairn is a hiker registry canister. All hikers are encouraged to sign the registry and share some written comments.
September and October are the best hiking months in northern Utah. The deciduous trees put their beautiful fall colors on display, and the daytime temperatures are ideal for an invigorating excursion. So lace up your hiking boots, fill your water bottles, pack your trail mix, and come and enjoy this beautiful hike.
Description of Spanish Fork Peak
Name: Spanish Fork Peak
Location: Spanish Fork Peak is the highest summit in the mountain complex
that sits east of Mapleton, Utah. This mountain is bordered by Maple Canyon
and Hobble Creek Canyon on the north and by Spanish Fork Canyon on the south.
Latitude: N 40 deg 05 min 16 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 31 min 40 sec
Elevation above sea level: 10,192 feet
Trailhead location: To reach the trailhead, drive up Maple Canyon east
of Mapleton, Utah. Proceed to the Whiting Campground and park in the eastern-most
parking area. A hiking path leads eastward out of this parking lot. Approximately
0.25 mile up this trail, another trail takes off to the south, across the stream
that flows down Maple Canyon. This trail goes all the way to the summit of Spanish
Fork Peak.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Spanish Fork Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain:This hike is long and somewhat
arduous, but very rewarding. You will hike through aspen groves, conifer stands,
and higher alpine meadows. A small lake is located not far from the ridge line.
There is a huge rock cairn at the summit, and a mailbox containing a hiker's
registry. As I summited this mountain with a group of scouts, we spotted two
snow-white mountain goats perched on two ledges about 100 yards below us. Signaling
with On Target mirrors from this summit is rewarding due to the height of the
mountain and unobstructed views in all directions.
Name: Squaw Peak
Location: Squaw Peak is the sharp outcropping of rock that looms over
the mouth of Rock Canyon, just east of the LDS Provo Temple. It is on the north
side of Rock Canyon.
Latitude: W 40 deg 16 min 17 sec
Longitude: N 111 deg 37 min 2 sec
Elevation above sea level: 7876 feet
Click here for distances & bearings from Squaw Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Trailhead location: The street that borders the LDS Provo Temple on
the north proceeds directly up to the mouth of Rock Canyon, heading east. Park
in the parking lot of the Rock Canyon park and hike east into the mouth of Rock
Canyon.
Description of the hike and the mountain: About 1.5 miles up Rock Canyon,
you will encounter a side trail that heads north. It is marked by a sign that
reads "Squaw Peak Trail". The trail is well demarcated all the way to Squaw
Peak. The trail becomes somewhat arduous near the top. The one-way distance
is about 3 miles.
Description of Mount Timpanogos
Name: Mount Timpanogos
Location: About 4 miles ENE of Pleasant Grove, Utah; this is the most
prominent peak dominating the mountains of the Wasatch Range which overlook
Utah Valley.
Longitude: N 40 deg 23 min 27 sec
Latitude: W 111 deg 38 min 46 sec
Elevation above sea level: 11,750 feet
Trailhead location: There are two major trailheads. The less steep trail
starts at the Timpanooke trailhead which is reached via American Fork Canyon.
The steeper trail starts at the Aspen Grove trailhead, located at Aspen Grove
above the Sundance Ski Resort in Provo Canyon.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Mount Timpanogos to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain:
An excellent description of Mount Timpanogos and its hiking trails can be found
in "The Hikers's Guide To Utah", written by Dave Hall. Check out pages 58-61.
This book is published by Falcon Press Publishing Company of Billings, Montana.
Like Mount Nebo, Timpanogos provides an incredible On Target experience for
those willing to brave the mountain. Timp's lofty height allows scouts to contact
peaks in all directions and at great distances.
Name:West Mountain
Location: At the south end of Utah Lake, abutting the east shore. There
are several antennas and communcation devices located on this small mountain
chain.
Latitude: N 40 deg 05 min 20 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 49 min 19 sec
Elevation above sea level: 6,816 feet
Trailhead location: It is possible to drive all the way to the top of
this small mountain on a fairly well-maintained dirt road that is used by personnel
who service the radio towers on the summit. The road is accessed on the north
end of the mountain group, traveling west through Benjamin or Lake Shore in
southern Utah County.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from West Mountain to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain:This mountain is well-located
to signal to the various peaks that surround Utah County, being somewhat centrally-located
in the valley. Signaling to peaks outside of the valley is not feasible due
to the lower elevation of West Mountain. The fact that one can drive to the
top makes this a popular choice during On Target day. The units that were on
this peak during On Target 2002 encountered hundreds of spiders that had infested
the radio equipment and surrounding trees.
Name:"Y" Mountain
Location: Conspicuous immediately east of Provo, Utah, with a large block
"Y" on its face. The mountain overlooks the campus of Brigham Young University.
Latitude: N 40 deg 15 min 24 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 36 min 24 sec
Elevation above sea level: 8,568 feet
Trailhead location: The trail begins in the foothills east of the BYU
campus. Follow the city streets east of the campus, winding your way up to the
eastern-most street in the foothills. A short drive south leads to the well-marked
trailhead. Ample parking is available.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from "Y" Mountain to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain:The trail leads to the block
"Y" and then heads south up into Slide Canyon. At the top of Slide Canyon there
is a somewhat indeterminate trail which heads north, and eventually up to the
summit of "Y" Mountain. Some moderate bush-whacking is required.
Name: Buffalo Peak
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Description of the hike and the mountain:
Name:Bismark Peak
Location: About 12 miles west of the southern tip of Utah Lake. It is
in the East Tintic Mountain range.
Latitude: N 40 deg 01 min 08 sec
Longitude: W 112 deg 07 min 28 sec
Elevation above sea level: 8,050 feet
Trailhead location: There is actually no specific trailhead for Bismark
Peak. The peak can be approached from the south via Chiulos Canyon or from the
northeast via Holdaway Canyon. Both of these canyons are about 4 miles north
of Eureka, Utah, and can be accessed via a dirt road just east of Eureka heading
north of Highway 6, or from the Allen's Ranch area which is west of Chimney
Rock and Chimney Rock Pass, west of the southern end of Utah Lake.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Bismark Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain: My son and I climbed Bismark
in August of 2002, starting our hike in Chiulos Canyon, just 4 miles north of
Eureka. The road was washed out as we approached the 3 mile mark up Chiulos
Canyon, so we parked and scrambled up one of the ridge lines on the southeast
section of Bismark. The climb was somewhat arduous because we were bushwhacking
the entire way. We started our hike at about 5,200 feet of elevation, and the
summit of Bismark is 8,050 feet. A fire swept across the mountain in recent
years, leaving a rather bleak and desolate landscape. There were two small rock
cairns on the summit, but no mailbox or notepad that I could locate. The view
from Bismark was impressive. We had a marvelous panoramic view of the Wasatch
Range. We were also able to see the mountains in the Salt Lake Valley and mountains
far to the south. Deseret Peak was easily spotted near Tooele. We are looking
forward to participating in On Target 2003 from the summit of Bismark.
Name: Lone Peak
Location: Lone Peak is southern-most major peak of the Wasatch Mountains
that surround the Salt Lake Valley. It towers over the southern aspect of Salt
Lake Valley and the northern aspect of Utah Valley. Its sheer granite face which
faces west is an unmistakable landmark for travelers on I-15 near the Point
of the Mountain.
Latitude: N 40 deg 31 min 36 sec
Longitude: W 111 deg 45 min 22 sec
Elevation above sea level: 11,253 feet
Click here for distances and bearings from Lone Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Trailhead location: Lone Peak is usually approached via Draper Ridge.
To reach the trailhead, take I-15 to the Draper exit and follow State Highway
71 into Draper. From the corner of Highway 71 and 700 East, drive 1 block south,
then turn east toward the mountain, following the paved road about 2 miles to
a fork. Turn right on the well-graded dirt road. Follow this road 1.5 miles
until a switchbacked jeep trail appears on a hillside a few hundred yards east
of the road. Several well-worn jeep tracks lead to a flat area where you will
find space to park.
Description of the hike and the mountain:All of the major hiking guides
for the state of Utah include descriptions of the trail up to Lone Peak.
Name: Lowe Peak
Location: Lowe Peak is located on the south end of the Oquirrh Range,
south of Butterfield Canyon and north of Lewiston Peak. It is almost due west
of the Point of the Mountain.
Latitude: N 40 deg 25 min 32 sec
Longitude: W 112 deg 11 min 55 sec
Elevation above sea level: 10,589 feet
Click here for distances and bearings from Lowe Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Trailhead location: Lowe Peak is most easily accessed via Ophir on
the west side of the Oquirrh Range, and by hiking up Ophir Canyon. There is
not an established trail to the summit and the hike requires some bushwhacking
and compass work.
Description of the hike and the mountain: We had a fantastic On Target
experience on Lowe Peak in 1995. We camped on Friday night in a meadow below
the summit, and pushed on to the summit Saturday morning. As we summited, there
was a herd of about 150 elk just 200 yards below us. What an awesome sight.
Lowe has the advantage of being west of the main Wasatch range, so the morning
sun is ideally located for excellent signaling. You also can see both the Utah
Valley and Salt Lake Valley mountains, plus Deseret Peak behind you.
Name: Lewiston Peak
Location: About 5 miles WNW of Cedar Fort, Utah. It is the southernmost
peak in the Oquirrh range.
Latitude: N 40 deg 21 min 36 sec
Longitude: W 112 deg 11 min 39 sec
Elevation above sea level: 10,411 feet
Trailhead location: via Pole Canyon just west of Cedar Fort or via Mercur
on the west side of the mountain.
Click here to see the distances and bearings from Lewiston Peak to other Utah Valley peaks.
Description of the hike and the mountain: We attempted to access the Lewiston Peak area by taking the dirt road up Pole Canyon, just southwest of Cedar Fort. The road was deplorable, so we abandoned that route. Our next approach was up Mercur Canyon, but a mining company has that canyon gated. We finally drove up the south fork of Ophir Canyon. We parked at a gate partway up the canyon, and followed an excellent but steep trail to the ridge north of Flat Top Mountain. We followed a trail to Flat Top and then on the Lewiston, further south. There are mailbox registries on both Lewiston and Flat Top. We quickly determined that we would not be able to see the mountains in the Bountiful/Farmington area from Lewiston, so we did our signaling from Flat Top. We had a fantastic On Target experience, contacting 20 peaks.
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