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This is the hike I plan on doing over the 24th of July; stay tuned for pictures.

Uinta Mountains
Hiking & Backpacking

from http://climb-utah.com/pr/kings.htm

At a staggering 13,528' Kings Peak is the highest point in Utah. This fact makes the hike extremely popular. The view from the top is amazing. The remote mountain is surrounded by wilderness area. Ascent of the mountain is not technically difficult, but it does involve a hike of over 30 miles at altitude. An ascent generally requires two or three days.

The mountain was named after the 1860's explorer-surveyor Clarence King, the first director of the United States Geological Survey.

General Information:

The Kings Peak is the highest point in Utah and is one of the most popular summits to bag. The hike to the summit can be completed in one extremely long day but 2 or 3 days is the more popular method. The route is 15 miles each way using the most direct route and will require somewhere between 14 to 20 hours total hiking time. The route can easily be lengthen to visit more remote areas and secluded lakes.

The Henrys Fork Trailhead is open year round and the peak is often climbed year round by the extremely adventurous. This hike can be dangerous during spring and early summer (before July 15th) because portions of the trail will still be snow packed and extremely slippery. Snow remains up high in the Uintas well into summer so plan accordingly. You also might consider trying to avoid the July and August rush on the mountain.

The route contains no real obstacles. Hikers in good physical condition and using common sense should have little problem with this route. The Kings Peak hike is rated 2 V using the Yosemite Decimal System. Afternoon thunderstorms are very common in the high Uinta Mountains so go prepared with rain gear. Because of the lightening that often attacks this summit it is highly advised that you avoid this hike during stormy weather. Mosquitos are common in the Uintas. A mosquito repellent that contains DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is most effective.

Navigation for this route is easy. A GPS is useful in identifying waypoints and verifying your location. Good map reading skills and the USGS 7.5' Maps titled "Gilbert Peak NE", "Bridger Lake", "Kings Peak" and "Mount Powell" are helpful. All waypoints and maps for this route use the WGS84 datum.

Fishing:
Alligator, Bear Lake, Sawmill Lake, Grass Lake, Henrys Fork Lake and Dollar Lake are all stocked with fish. Fish found in the Uintas include arctic grayling, brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, golden trout and rainbow trout. A Utah State Fishing License is required to fish in the Uintas.
View from the top of Kings Peak

Clarence King:
Kings Peak is named after Clarence King who explored and surveyed a 100 mile wide swath along the 40th parallel from the 120th meridian to the 105th. This was the proposed route of the transcontinental railroad. The U.S. Army sponsored the expedition, although the only military connection was the use of military posts, supplies and escorts. King was a Yale-trained scientist.

King began the survey in 1867 when he was 25 years old. The survey lasted until 1873. During the survey King was struck by lightning and survived. The King survey brought western exploration into the realm of academic science. In 1879, King was named the first director of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Trailhead Information:
From Evanston, Wyoming follow I-80 east for 35 miles and take Exit 39 south onto Highway 414. Follow Highway 414 south for 6 miles to the town of Mountain View. In Mountain View you must turn west on Highway 410 towards the town of Robertson. 6.7 miles after leaving Mountain View, and before you reach Robertson, you will encounter a junction where Highway 410 makes a sharp turn to the west and a gravel road continues south (straight ahead). Continue south on the gravel road.

From Highway 410 you must follow the gravel road for 12.2 miles to a major junction in the road. The road south leads to China Meadows, take the road heading east (left), which is Forest Service Road 077, and follow it for 10.6 miles to the Henrys Fork Campground. Along the way there will be signs pointing the way to the Henrys Fork Campground and Trailhead that will help you out. The Henrys Fork Campground and Trailhead offers restrooms, horse corals and a large parking area to accommodate hikers. It might be wise to note that about half of the traffic at this trailhead is horses.
Todd Burrows on the summit of Kings Peak.

Route Information:
From the Henrys Fork Trailhead (N40º 54' 32", W110º 19' 54") follow the Henrys Fork Trail southwest as it parallels the stream. After 2 1/2 miles you will cross a boardwalk and reach the unsigned Alligator Lake Junction (N40º 53' 14", W110º 21' 35"). The 1/3 mile long spur trail heading west (right) leads to Alligator Lake (N40º 53' 10", W110º 21' 57"). Continue following the main trail southwest as it parallels the stream for an additional 3 miles to a major junction known as Elkhorn Crossing (N40º 51' 10", W110º 23' 02").

Elkhorn Crossing is where the North Slope Trail crosses the Henrys Fork Trail. The trail to the east (left) leads to Dead Horse Park, the trail to the west (right) leads to the West Side Loop. Continue south (straight ahead) on the Henrys Fork Trail for 1 3/4 miles, across a meadow, to the middle of a stand of spruce trees (N40º 49' 42", W110º 22' 49"). At this point, Dollar Lake (N40º 49' 37", W110º 22' 39") is located 200 yards east of the trail. If you exit the stand of spruce trees and enter a second meadow you have gone to far. There is no trail leading to Dollar Lake and the lake is not visible from the trail. This lake is remarkably beautiful but overused. This is often where hikers climbing Kings Peak place their base camp.

From the stand of spruce trees near Dollar Lake you must continue south on the Henrys Fork Trail for 1 mile to the West Side Loop Junction (N40º 48' 56", W110º 22' 34"). The trail heading west (right) is the West Side Loop Trail. Continue south (straight ahead) at this junction and hike for 2 miles as the trail switchbacks up to Gunsight Pass (N40º 47' 49", W110º 21' 35"). From Gunsight Pass you will be tempted to scramble the ridge west or short cut across the talus slope. This is a mistake as both options require a lot of extra effort. The easiest route is to stay on the route described.

From Gunsight Pass follow the trail southeast as it descends into Painter Basin. 1/2 mile below Gunsight Pass you encounter the Short Cut (N40º 47' 31", W110º 21' 10"). The Short Cut is a faint hiker made trail that veers south (right) from the main trail and follows the base of the cliffs. The main trail continues southeast for an additional mile to the Highline Trail Junction (N40º 46' 53", W110º 20' 28"). At the Highline Trail Junction turn west (right) and begin climbing towards Anderson Pass. It is 2 1/2 miles from the Junction to Anderson Pass (N40º 47' 07", W110º 22' 38").

From Anderson Pass you must leave the trail and follow the obvious ridge south for 3/4 miles to the summit of Kings Peak (N40º 46' 35", W110º 22' 22"). The summit ridge has no trail and the route is a rocky boulder hop. The summit ridge is time consuming but not difficult.

Short Cut:
For those wishing to use the Short Cut it should be noted that the hiker made trail disappears shortly after leaving the main trail. The route eliminates roughly 1 mile from the trail route. After leaving the main trail the idea is to continue south along the base of the cliffs. Hike along in the meadow below the talus slope. You will eventually reach a point where you can climb up and intersect the Highline Trail (N40º 46' 44", W110º 21' 24").

West Side Loop:
For those desiring a little more solitude you can complete the West Side Loop. The West Side Loop is 4 3/4 miles long from Elkhorn Crossing to the junction with the Henrys Fork Trail. This is 2 miles longer than the Direct Route that passes near Dollar Lake.

From Elkhorn Crossing turn west (right) on the North Slope Trail. Follow the North Slope Trail west for 1 mile to a junction (N40º 50' 59", W110º 24' 07") with the West Loop Trail. At the junction turn south (left) and follow the trail for 3 3/4 miles until it interests the Henrys Fork Trail. The West Side Loop can be completed in either direction and provides access to Bear Lake, Sawmill Lake, Grass Lake and Henrys Fork Lake.