On August 28, 2020 I summited Deseret Peak in Utah. It is located in northwest Utah, 40.459514, -112.626321. This hike has been a life time goal after first hiking the area back in the mid 70’s.
Deseret Peak, at 11,031 feet, is the highest summit in the Stansbury Mountains. It is an impressive and prominent mountain. This mountain is one of the few in the West Desert with a nice system of hiking trails. It is clearly visible for many miles around, particularly from across the Great Salt Lake to the north and the desert valleys to the west. It has large cliffs that drop precipitously down toward South Willow Canyon. While the Wasatch Range may be crowded with hikers on the weekends, you can expect more solitude here.
This area has rugged terrain and high peaks. North Willow Peak and South Willow Peak are located on the ridge to the north of Deseret Peak. Much of the higher elevation is alpine with open basins and exposed rocky ridges. Vegetation includes dense mountain brush mixed with sagebrush and grass, various firs, juniper, and aspen.
The Deseret Peak Wilderness is located in western Utah, near the cities of Tooele and Grantsville. The Wilderness was established by Congress in 1984 with passage of the Utah Wilderness Act. It is entirely located within the Stansbury Range on the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The Deseret Peak Wilderness consists of approximately 25,500 acres and is generally bounded on the north by the Pass Canyon drainage, on the south by Vickory Mountain, on the west by Skull Valley and on the east by the Mack Canyon-Big Hollow Trail.
Deseret Peak is the highpoint of Tooele County. It is hiked often each year by people wanting to complete all of the county highpoints in Utah. Another interesting fact is that Deseret Peak is one of the 57 mountains in the lower 48 states that have over 5,000 feet of prominence. These peaks are often called an “Ultra” by those pursuing such lists. Deseret Peak has over 5,800 feet of prominence making it the 4th most prominent peak in Utah.
