High Uintas Wilderness Overview

The High Uintas Wilderness, established by Congress in 1984, totals approximately 456,705 acres on the Wasatch-Cache and the Ashley national forests and is located in Summit and Duchesne counties in Utah.

The Uinta Mountains have outstanding wilderness qualities and are geologically unique. They are the highest range in Utah and the most prominent east-west trending range in the contiguous United States. The core of the range is Precambrian rock that is over 600 million years old and composed of quartzite, sandstone, and shale.

The crest of the range is a high, narrow ridge more than 60 miles long and rarely more than a mile wide at its base. The crest extends from Hayden Peak on the west to Leidy Peak on the east. Secondary ridges, as high or higher than the main divide, extend north and south from the main ridge.

Below the main ridges, the range is divided into numerous alpine basins, dotted with picturesque lakes and meadows. Rivers descend from the basins into glacially-carved "U"-shaped canyons. Below the 10,000-foot timberline, the area is forested with conifers, consisting of predominantly Englemann Spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine.

The mountains rise out of the Wyoming and Uinta Basins that flank them to the north and south. Elevations range from 7,500 feet in the lower canyons to 13,528 feet atop Kings Peak.

The High Uinta's furnish summer habitat for moose, elk, and deer. A variety of mammals, fish, birds, and a few reptiles and amphibians live in the area.

Climb Utah's High Peaks
Trails range from moderate to severe and are easy to follow, but might cross extremely rough terrain at high elevations. Use is typically light to moderate. There's more traffic at certain destination points on holiday weekends. Summer temperatures range from above 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to below 30 degrees at night. You can expect frequent rain showers and occasional summer snowstorms.