USFS · Utah

Deseret Peak Wilderness

Deseret Peak Wilderness is located in the Stansbury Mountains of Tooele County, near the towns of Tooele and Grantsville, not far from the Great Salt Lake. This semi-arid Wilderness is part of the Great Basin ecosystem. It contains rugged terrain and high peaks that include Deseret Peak itself at 11,030 feet and many steep-walled canyons shadowed by rocky outcroppings. The summit of Deseret Peak offers a splendid 360-degree view Here in the Stansbury Mountains, with barren Skull Valley to the west, you'll find some springs and intermittent creeks, despite the general dryness of the area.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness25,078 acresUSFSUTDesignated 19847 campgrounds within 10 mi6 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Deseret Peak Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateUtah
Size25,078 acres
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point40.46° N, 112.63° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Deseret Peak Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.55 inches of precipitation, 14.2 inches of snowFebruary: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 15.3 inches of snowMarch: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 10.0 inches of snowApril: 1.68 inches of precipitation, 7.2 inches of snowMay: 1.85 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowJune: 0.99 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.92 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.16 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowNovember: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 7.5 inches of snowDecember: 1.39 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.7°F averageFebruary: 32.7°F averageMarch: 40.4°F averageApril: 46.2°F averageMay: 56.0°F averageJune: 66.2°F averageJuly: 75.2°F averageAugust: 72.9°F averageSeptember: 63.2°F averageOctober: 50.0°F averageNovember: 37.5°F averageDecember: 28.4°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Johnson Pass, 9 miles from the center point at 5,580 feet, station USC00424362 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 68 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 4,200 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 5 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Boy Scout
Reservable12 sites
FS · Inside
Upper Narrows
Reservable8 sites
FS · under 0.1 mi
Lower Narrows Campground
Reservable4 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Loop Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · 0.5 mi
Intake Campground
Reservable6 sites
FS · 1.1 mi
Cottonwood Campground - Slrd
Reservable5 sites
BLM · 3.8 mi
Clover Springs Campground
Reservable11 sites

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 42 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Stansbury Front ↗20.7
Stansbury Crest ↗10.4
North Willow/Pass Canyon ↗5.1
Mill Fork Canyon3.1
Dry Lake (Pockets Fork)1.5
Mining Fork1.4

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 16 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Utah

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking from here to Wow: Utah Canyon Country
    Kathy Copeland, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Utah's high Uintas
    Jeffrey Probst, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 100 classic hikes Utah
    Julie K. Trevelyan, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands And Arches National Parks
    Bill Schneider, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City
    Greg Witt, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Deseret Peak Wilderness?

25,078 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Deseret Peak Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Deseret Peak Wilderness in?

Utah.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Deseret Peak Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Deseret Peak Wilderness?

Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Deseret Peak Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 40.460° N, 112.632° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Are there historic places near Deseret Peak Wilderness?

The National Register has 16 listings within 15 miles, including Iosepa Settlement Cemetery and Clover Ward Lds Meetinghouse.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.