Nelson Peak

Nelson Peak is the highest point in the northern Oquirrh (pronounced "o-ker") Mountains north of the Bingham Canyon Mine.  It is a prominent point when viewed from the Salt Lake Valley; being the least cluttered with communication towers of the high points along the northern Oquirrh Range.  Access to this peak from the east side is very limited due to private property – mainly from the mining industry that first developed in Utah during the 1860s.  By the time the U.S. Forest Service came into existence near the end of the nineteenth century, practically no public land remained along the eastern slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains.  While most people consider Nelson Peak to be prohibited from climbing, much of the western slopes of the range are public land administered by the BLM.  The Tooele side, therefore, is the best approach to reaching Nelson Peak.  When I hiked it, we basically followed the ridgeline between Bates and Pole Canyons.

To reach the starting point we took for Nelson Peak, take the Tooele City exit (Exit 99) off of I-80 onto SR 36.  Once off the freeway, continue southward on SR 36 for approximately 5.1 miles and then turn left (east) onto Bates Canyon Road (there's actually a traffic light now).  Follow Bates Canyon Road for about 1.3 miles until it crosses the railroad tracks, where it turns to dirt.  Straight ahead several hundred feet beyond the tracks is a turnaround loop off to the left (north) where vehicles can be parked well off the road.

The hike begins by following the dirt road beyond the gate towards the northwest.  Since this area is private property, great care should be taken to respect it by staying on the dirt roads as much as possible.  Make your way towards the small ravine and then climb the left (north) side of it.  Continue following the road as it ascends the ridge between Bates and Pole Canyons.  When the road begins to veer into Pole Canyon, continue ascending the ridge past the points listed as "7736" and "9175" on the map.  Where there is no established trail to the summit of Nelson Peak, this will require some route-finding through the least timbered areas along the ridge.  During the summer months, early-morning hours are the best time to hike up the western slopes to avoid the heat of the day.  Watch out for possible rattlesnakes, use sunscreen, and bring plenty of water as there are no fresh water sources along the route.  Back when I hiked it during the autumn, we ran into fresh snow at about the 7,000-foot level.  Distance from the starting point to the 9,359-foot summit of Nelson Peak is approximately 5.3 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 4,780 feet.

View of Nelson Peak taken
near the "9175" point

View of communication tower
from the summit of Nelson Peak