Uinta Highline Trail

Uinta Highline Trail

High Uintas as viewed from the Uinta Highline Trail at Anderson Pass
Length 104 mi (167 km)
Location Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA
Trailheads Hayden Pass, Utah Route 150
McGee Draw, U.S. Route 191
Use backpacking, hiking, horseback riding, trail running
Elevation
Highest point Anderson Pass, 12,700 ft (3,871 m)
Lowest point McGee Draw (eastern terminus), 8,240 ft (2,512 m)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty Moderate to strenuous
Months July to September
Sights Kings Peak (highest peak in Utah), High Uintas Wilderness
Hazards Snowmelt and icy slopes early in the season, severe weather, altitude

The Uinta Highline Trail is a trail in the Uinta Mountains of Utah that traverses the range 104 miles (167 km) from the west to the east. The trail passes through expansive alpine landscapes dominated by metasedimentary rocks sculptured by past glaciers. The broad glacial basins are dotted by hundreds of lakes.[1] The trail is officially named the Uinta Highline Trail through 96 miles (154 km) of its length, though it is also referred to as the Highline Trail by some.[2]

Route

The Uinta Highline Trail extends 104 miles (167 km) along the east-west oriented crest of the Uinta Mountians. The western terminus is at Hayden Pass near Mirror Lake on the Utah Route 150;.[3] The trail then courses east, passing over nine passes that exceed 11,200 feet (3,414 m) elevation and traversing broad, glacially carved basins. The high point of the trail is at Anderson Pass (12,700 feet (3,871 m) elevation), and Kings Peak (elevation 13,528 feet (4,123 m)), the high point of Utah, is located just 0.7 miles (1.1 km) south of the pass. Much of the trail is above 10,000 feet (3,048 m) and the tree line. Approximately half the route is located in the High Uintas Wilderness where travel is limited to those on foot and horseback.[4] The eastern portion of the trail, particularly the easternmost 25 miles (40 km), is at slightly lower elevations where subalpine and montane forests and meadows prevail. The Eastern terminus is at McGee Draw along U.S. Route 191, between Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Vernal.[5][6]

The trail is designated as Trail 083 for the 7.8 miles (12.6 km) it passes through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and Trail 025 for the 95.7 miles (154.0 km) it passes through the Ashley National Forest, with Rocky Sea Pass being the dividing line.[2][7][8][9]

There are many users who don't go the whole length, but rather 78 miles from Hayden Pass to Leidy Peak,[10] or an even shorter distance of 62 miles from Hayden Pass to Chepeta Lake.[11] In some cases users have chosen to shorten the distance traveled due to the unmaintained condition of the far eastern portion of the trail. However, since 2013 this trail segment, from Leidy Peak to U.S. Route 190, has been improved through the efforts of volunteers from Vernal, Utah.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Uinta Mountains". The American Southwest. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  2. 1 2 "Uinta Highline Trail". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  3. ↑ Western Trailhead | Caltopo.com
  4. ↑ Uinta Highline Trail | Utah.com
  5. ↑ Ashley National Forest - Uinta Highline Trail
  6. ↑ Eastern Trailhead | Caltopo.com
  7. ↑ "Highline Trail". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  8. ↑ "Uinta Highline Trail - West to East Databook" (PDF). Mtn Nut. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  9. ↑ Rocky Sea Pass | Caltopo.com
  10. ↑ Uinta Mountains, UT: Highline Trail | Trimbleoutdoors.com
  11. ↑ Utah's High Uinta HighLine Trail - Utah, United States | Everytrail.com
  12. ↑ "Back Country Horsemen clean up Highline Trail". Vernal Express. Retrieved 2015-10-10.

External links


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