Lone Peak Wilderness

Wilderness area in Utah and Salt Lake counties in Utah, United States

40°32′0″N 111°41′0″W / 40.53333°N 111.68333°W / 40.53333; -111.68333Area30,088 acres (121.76 km²)EstablishedFebruary 24, 1978Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service

The Lone Peak Wilderness is a 30,088-acre (121.76 km²) wilderness area located within the Uinta and the Wasatch-Cache National Forests in the U.S. state of Utah.

The Lone Peak Wilderness was established in 1978 as part of the Endangered American Wilderness Act and was the only designated wilderness area in Utah until the enactment of the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984. Situated in the central Wasatch range on the Wasatch-Cache and Uinta National Forests, this wilderness is generally bounded on the north by Little Cottonwood Canyon, on the south by American Fork Canyon, on the west by the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys, and on the east by Twin Peaks.^[1] Timpanogos Cave National Monument is adjacent to the south boundary of the wilderness.

Geology

The Lone Peak Wilderness provides a spectacular backdrop for the growing urban areas along the Wasatch Front and is dominated by rugged terrain, narrow canyons, and high peaks, including the Pfeifferhorn, commonly referred to as Little Matterhorn Peak, at 11,326 feet (3,452 m) and Lone Peak at 11,253 feet (3,430 meters). The geologic structure of the area is varied and complex, consisting of granitoid rock masses and several sedimentary formations. The carving of the present alpine topography is due to glaciation, with erosion being the current dominant force in the land sculpturing process. Much of the higher elevation is alpine, characterized by large, open cirque basins and exposed rocky ridges. A few small natural and reservoir lakes add to the scenic beauty.

Vegetation

Vegetation includes dense mountain brush mixed with sagebrush and grass. Patches of Douglas fir, subalpine fir, and aspen are common in isolated patches on north-facing slopes. Snow remains in some areas until mid-summer.^[2]

Restrictions

To preserve and protect the physical and aesthetic environment, National Forest wildernesses are closed to motor vehicles, motorized equipment, hang gliders, and bicycles. In addition, parts of this wilderness lie within the culinary watershed for Salt Lake County, and special restrictions concerning camping, swimming, and domestic animals apply.

The following acts are prohibited in the Lone Peak Wilderness Area:

Group sizes exceeding 10 people for overnight use
Camping within 200 feet (61 m) of lakes, trails, or other sources of water
Camping for a period of 3 days at an individual site
Short-cutting a trail switchback, and
Disposing of garbage, debris, or other waste.

Additionally, open fires are not allowed in the Red Pine Lake, Red Pine Fork, and Maybird Gulch drainages within the wilderness.

Trails

Most trails are rated moderate to severe, with elevations ranging from 5,500 ft 0 in (1,676 m) to more than 11,000 ft 0 in (3,353 m). Trails are easy to follow but may cross extremely rough terrain at high elevations. The use of the area is light to moderate, heaviest on weekends and during hunting seasons.

Weather

Summer temperatures can range from near 90 °F (32 °C) in the daytime to below 40 °F (4 °C) at night. Occasional summer thundershowers can be expected.^[3]

References

^ Lone Peak Wilderness - Wasatch-Cache National Forest
^ Lone Peak Wilderness - Wilderness.net
^ Lone Peak Wilderness Archived 2010-05-13 at the Wayback Machine - GORP

Lynna P. Howard, Utah's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide (Westcliffe Publishers, 2005) ISBN 1-56579-388-9
Bill Cunningham & Polly Burke, Wild Utah: A Guide to 45 Roadless Recreation Areas (Falcon Publishing, 1998) ISBN 1-56044-616-1
U.S. Forest Service map, Lone Peak & Mt. Timpanogos Wildernesses (U.S. Forest Service, 2004) ISBN 1-59351-305-4

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lone Peak Wilderness.

Wilderness.net - Lone Peak Wilderness
Wasatch-Cache National Forest - Lone Peak Wilderness
Google Maps satellite view

Protected areas of Utah

Federal

National Parks	Arches Bryce Canyon Canyonlands Capitol Reef Zion
NPS National Monuments	Cedar Breaks Dinosaur Hovenweep Natural Bridges Rainbow Bridge Timpanogos Cave
National Historic Parks	Golden Spike
National Recreation Areas	Flaming Gorge Glen Canyon
National Historic Trails	California Mormon Pioneer Pony Express Old Spanish
National Forests	Ashley Caribou–Targhee Dixie Fishlake Manti–La Sal Sawtooth Uinta–Wasatch–Cache
Forest Service areas	Desert Biosphere Reserve
National Wildlife Refuges	Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Fish Springs Ouray
National Conservation Areas	Beaver Dam Wash Red Cliffs
BLM National Monuments	Bears Ears Grand Staircase–Escalante Jurassic National Monument
U.S. Wilderness Areas	Ashdown Gorge Beartrap Canyon Beaver Dam Mountains Black Ridge Canyons Blackridge Box-Death Hollow Canaan Mountain Cedar Mountain Cottonwood Canyon Cottonwood Forest Cougar Canyon Dark Canyon Deep Creek Deep Creek North Deseret Peak Doc's Pass Goose Creek High Uintas LaVerkin Creek Lone Peak Mount Naomi Mount Nebo Mount Olympus Mount Timpanogos Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Pine Valley Mountain Red Butte Red Mountains Slaughter Creek Taylor Creek Twin Peaks Wellsville Mountain Zion
Wild and Scenic Rivers	Green River Virgin River

State

State Parks Northern Region	Antelope Island Bear Lake Camp Floyd Deer Creek East Canyon Echo Flight Park Fred Hayes at Starvation Great Salt Lake Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail Hyrum Jordan River OHV Park Jordanelle Lost Creek Red Fleet Rockport Steinaker Utah Field House Utah Lake Wasatch Mountain Willard Bay
State Parks Central Region	Fremont Indian Goblin Valley Green River Huntington Millsite Palisade Scofield Territorial Statehouse Utahraptor Yuba
State Parks Southern Region	Anasazi Coral Pink Sand Dunes Dead Horse Point Edge of the Cedars Escalante Petrified Forest Frontier Homestead Goosenecks Gunlock Kodachrome Basin Otter Creek Piute Quail Creek Sand Hollow Snow Canyon