Wellsville Mountains

The Wellsville Mountains of northern Utah rise abruptly between the Bear River plain to the west and the southern portion of Cache Valley to the east.  Though only moderately high in elevation, they are considered one of the steepest mountain ranges in the world – averaging four to five miles wide at the base and rising about 5,000 feet above the valley floor.  In 1984 the area was designated as the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness Area to further protect it from the overgrazing that was quite common in earlier years.  Today the range is seeing increasing populations of deer, moose, and mountain lions.  Since it lies along a major migratory route for birds, the Wellsville Mountains are also a popular place to observe different types of birds, particularly hawks.  Access to the summit ridgeline is easiest from the Cache Valley side of the range where there are three trailheads.  The ones mentioned in this post include the Maple Bench Trailhead and the Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead.

When I did this hike we started at the Maple Bench Trailhead and returned the same way since we had only one vehicle.  Another vehicle parked at the Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead however, would have allowed us to hike the remaining portion of the summit ridge.  To reach the Maple Bench Trailhead from U.S. Highway 89 to the south, turn left (north) onto Center Street (SR 23) at Wellsville and drive around 6.6 miles through town and beyond to reach Main Street in Mendon.  Make a sharp left turn (south) onto Main Street and then turn right (west) onto 1800 South, which changes to dirt.  Follow 1800 South westward, then southward, and then westward again to reach 6400 West.  Take the right (west) fork at 6400 West and continue southwest along the road for the remaining two miles or so to reach the trailhead.  We started hiking from Gibson Canyon, but you may be able to drive further along the road depending upon its condition.  This same trailhead can be reached from Logan by taking 200 North (SR 30) from Main Street (U.S. 89) and driving westward approximately 7.6 miles to reach SR 23.  At SR 23, turn left (south) and drive about 3.5 miles through Mendon to reach Main Street, veering to the right (due south) along Main Street to reach 1800 South.  The Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead is located along the north side of U.S. Highway 89 as it curves into the upper part of Wellsville Canyon.  Keep in mind that there is no break in the center highway barrier to allow for left-hand turning into the trailhead area.  Northbound travelers must continue driving until the center barrier ends and then double back on the other side of the highway to reach the trailhead.

Coldwater Lake above the Maple Bench
Trailhead – Photo credit: SummitPost

Box Elder Peak looms just over a
half-mile from the Wellsville Cone

For the first mile or so along Maple Bench, the trail makes a gradual climb around the lower ridges; past Coldwater Lake, which is the only official lake in the Wellsville Range.  Beyond Coldwater Lake the trail becomes steeper for the next two miles as it switchbacks up the mountainside to Stewart Pass at 8,376 feet elevation.  From Stewart Pass it's another 1.6 miles southward along the summit ridge to reach the Wellsville Cone.  Box Elder Peak is the highest point in the Wellsville Mountains at 9,372 feet, and reaching its summit is about a three-quarter-mile hike south of the Wellsville Cone.  While the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail provides a shorter distance to Box Elder Peak (4.0 miles one-way), it has 500 feet more elevation gain than the Maple Bench Trail.  Be sure to take plenty of liquids with you as there are no real sources of drinking water along the entire route.  Distance from the Maple Bench Trailhead to the summit of Box Elder Peak is approximately 5.5 miles one-way with an elevation gain of about 3,480 feet.

View from the Wellsville Cone looking
into Cache Valley over the towns of
Wellsville and Hyrum