Deseret Peak

Deseret Peak is perhaps my favorite hike to an 11,000-foot peak.  Situated approximately 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City (as the crow flies), Deseret Peak sees fewer hikers than the more popular peaks of the Wasatch Range.  In 1984, over 25,000 acres of land in the Stansbury Mountains were designated as the Deseret Peak Wilderness Area by the U.S. Congress.  Its unique beauty is beyond anything you would normally expect to see in Tooele (pronounced "too-ill-uh") County.  While guide books often describe the remains of an old heliograph station at the summit, further research since this posting reveals that it was actually a U.S. Coast & Geodetic station used in the early surveying of the Western United States (refer to first comment below).  The old rock walls can provide some shelter from the wind on breezy days.  No specialized equipment is needed to climb Deseret Peak during snow-free conditions.

To reach the trailhead for Deseret Peak from I-80, take the Tooele City exit (Exit 99) onto SR 36 if coming from the east, or the Grantsville exit (Exit 84) onto SR 138 if coming from the west.  Once off the freeway on the Tooele exit, follow SR 36 for about 3.0 miles and turn right (west) onto SR 138 towards Grantsville.  Follow SR 138 (approximately 11.0 miles) through downtown Grantsville and turn left (south) onto West Street near the west edge of town.  From the Grantsville exit, follow SR 138 for approximately 9.0 miles and turn right (south) onto West Street near the beginning of town just after the highway curves left (east).  Head south for about 5.2 miles on West Street, which turns into Mormon Trail, and then turn right (westward) onto the road leading to South Willow Canyon.  This road is paved to the forest boundary (approximately 3.3 miles) and turns to a maintained dirt road the remaining distance to the Loop Campground.  Two unique features in South Willow Canyon are the Upper and Lower Narrow areas, which often attract rock climbers.  During seasons with heavy runoff, the road has sometimes been washed out in these areas from high water – so check with the Forest Service and plan accordingly.

View of Deseret Peak taken from
the east viewpoint area (see map)

The trail begins near the restrooms at the top of the Loop Campground and enters the wilderness area after several hundred feet or so.  Since horses are allowed on the trail, watch out for the occasional "surprises" left behind.  At approximately 0.7 miles, the trail crosses the streambed and splits; the left trail ascends up the Mill Fork of South Willow Canyon while the right trail ascends over a ridge into the Pockets Fork of South Willow Canyon.  If you're planning to hike the entire loop, it matters not really which direction you take to reach Deseret Peak.  The shortest route, however, and the one I normally take is the Mill Fork route, which continues for another 2.2 miles past the junction point to a saddle along the summit ridge.  Upon reaching the end of the canyon, the trail becomes steeper and several switchbacks are encountered before reaching the saddle at just over 10,000 feet elevation.  On the saddle with time permitting, a brief hike (perhaps two thirds of a mile over and back) can be taken on relatively level ground to a viewpoint off to the east where great views of Deseret Peak and points east can be had.  Continuing on to Deseret Peak, the main trail forks to the right (west) up a steep slope, and then veers to the south.  Snow can sometimes remain in this area well into the summer months – so plan accordingly.  Once the south shoulder of the summit ridge is reached, the trail veers westward again and climbs near the top of two north-facing couloirs, or steep gullies in the mountainside.  From this point only a short climb remains to the 11,031-foot summit of Deseret Peak.  Distance from the trailhead to the summit of Deseret Peak is approximately 3.7 miles one-way via the Mill Fork route, or approximately 4.3 miles one-way via the Pockets Fork route.  Elevation gain to the summit is 3,613 feet from the trailhead.

A rock face looms ahead near
the summit of Deseret Peak

Snow at the top of the twin couloirs
near the summit of Deseret Peak

Boy Scouts pose at an old survey
station at the summit of Deseret Peak

Grandview Peak

Grandview Peak is not a popular climb among the peaks of the Wasatch Range, mainly due to its remoteness and difficulty in accessing.  In the upper reaches of City Creek Canyon along the east slope of Grandview Peak's southern ridge, there is evidence of a massive rock slide that some scientists believe was triggered by an earthquake.  Other than this, there are no particular characteristics that make this mountain stand out from the other, more popular peaks, yet it sits as the highest point in Salt Lake County north of Parleys Canyon.  The hike described here involves mostly ridgeline hiking along part of the Great Western Trail, which technically extends from Canada to Mexico.  Since most of the trail is unshaded from the sun, it is important to use sunscreen and to bring plenty of liquids (at least one gallon) with you as there are no real sources of drinking water along the route.

To reach the starting point for this hike from Bountiful, take the 400 North (Exit 317) off of I-15 if coming from the south, or the 500 West (Exit 317) off of I-15 if coming from the north.  Turn east (towards the mountains) onto 400 North and stay in the right lane to continue past Main Street.  At the stop sign, turn left (north) onto 1300 East, and then right onto 600 North up the hillside.  Take another right onto Skyline Drive and follow it nearly a half-mile to Eagle Ridge Drive.  Now turn right onto Eagle Ridge Drive and follow it to the large parking lot near the end of the street.  For those who feel confident in taking their vehicles on dirt roads, take the paved road (which turns to dirt after several hundred yards) to the left of the parking lot immediately below the huge "B" for Bountiful.  Follow this road (also known as Skyline Drive) all the way up the mountainside to the saddle along the Davis-Morgan County line.  At approximately 8.3 miles from the parking lot, continue straight on the road past the fork to the left (west).  Just beyond the fork, the road makes a hairpin turn towards the south past another parking area.  While this section of road becomes less maintained than the previous stretch, you should be able to drive carefully on it for about 3.4 miles (past the gas pipeline crossing) to a parking point along the north edge of a wooded area.  The road actually continues about another 0.9 miles further to a trailhead, but this last stretch is quite rugged for vehicles.

Grandview Peak as viewed along
the Sessions Mountain ridgeline

Survey monument cap at the
summit of Grandview Peak

Hiking along the unimproved road now, the route descends approximately 250 feet elevation into a small basin before ascending slightly to a knoll on the other side.  It then descends again to reach the trailhead at approximately 8,260 feet elevation.  The trail continues its way through mostly wooded country to reach the summit ridge of Sessions Mountain at approximately 9,000 feet elevation.  From this ridge, Grandview Peak comes into view one-and-a-half miles to the south-southeast.  As the trail heads generally east from this point, it drops about 400 feet to a saddle and then regains this same elevation on the other side.  The entire route along the East Sessions Mountain ridge (about 1.1 miles) is unshaded from the sun.  At a point near where three counties meet, the final leg of the route involves another drop of about 250 feet before the final ascent to the 9,410-foot summit of Grandview Peak is made.  While the initial elevation gain from the starting point to the summit of Grandview Peak is only 930 feet, several decreases and regains in elevation push this value to approximately 2,000 feet.  Total distance is approximately 5.0 miles one-way.

View looking southwest towards
the summit of Grandview Peak