One of my favorite times hiking thus far has been up to the summit of King's Peak in the Uinta mountains. The Uintas offer incredible scenery and relatively easy hiking for their massive heights. The range is the largest in Utah and is an excellent destinations for late Spring, Summer and early Fall. In the heart of the Uintas, King's peak lies at 13,528 ft, the highest point in the state. All in all the trail to the top of that mountain offers an incredible experience.
The simplest route to King's peak is from Henry's Fork. The trail started from the Northern side of the Uinta range, which requires travel through Evanston, Wy., or through the Flaming Gorge area in the North East corner of Utah. The Henry's Fork trailhead is nothing to get excited about, it is tucked away off a 10 mile dirt road. There are bathroom and campsite services, but nothing else is around for miles.
The trail starts on a gentle slope following the banks of a beautiful river. As the trail stretches on, it slowly gains altitude and a gorgeous view of the thick Uinta forest opens up behind you. After about 6 miles, the trail reaches a crest and it opens into a wide valley, walled in by massive, rocky peaks on all sides. At this point the trail splits in two trails which meet on the other side of the valley about 3 miles later. The loop passes many different lakes which nearly cover the valley floor.
At this point in time the hiker could take either trail and hike the opposite on the way down so as to freshen up the scenery. The lakes the trails pass offer fantastic camping spots for the hikers who chose to take the peak over the course of two or three days. The three most popular lakes are Dollar Lake, Henry's Fork Lake, and Bear Lake. All of which offer gorgeous scenery and fantastic fishing for the hungry hiker. The lakes are around 8 or 9 miles up the trail.
After the middle of the valley, the trails converge right before Guardsman pass. The slope starts to turn upward as the next mile or two climbs to the top of Guardsman pass which peaks around 11,500 ft. At the top of the pass, the visibility spans for miles both directions, revealing the multitude of hidden lakes speckling the valleys below. After the trail drops into the next valley, it skirts around the range of mountains containing King's Peak. For another 4 miles the trail gains elevation putting the hiker into position to begin the steep summit assault. At the top of the trail-- which is the base of King's peak--all of Henry's Fork is revealed, all the way to the trailhead. After a much needed break, the 1,000 ft summit ascend can begin.
There is no defined trail to the top of Kings, however it is very simple as the hiker follows the ridge, hopping from rock to rock. With every step, the view expands more and more. After an excruciating 15 minutes or so, the slope flattens out, and an incredible 360 degree view finally appears in its full majesty. At the summit there are plenty of flat rocks to stretch out on and relax in the warm sun and cool breeze. After a total of 16 miles from the trailhead, you can claim that you have conquered the highest point in Utah. For the overachievers out there, the Uinta Highline Trail traverses 104mi over most of the Uinta range. Most of the major peaks are included in this stunning backpacking trail.
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