Lone Peak Wilderness
The largest of a trio of wilderness areas just southeast of Salt Lake City, the Lone Peak Wilderness contains very rugged terrain with narrow canyons and high peaks. It is located on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and is managed by the Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove Ranger Districts. Among the highest peaks are the Little Matterhorn at 11,326 feet and Lone Peak at 11,253 feet, where snow often can remain until midsummer. Much of the higher elevation is alpine, with large, open cirque basins and exposed rocky ridges. The region is geologically complex. You'll see sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock formations in dramatic relief, as well as colorful bands stretching for great distances across mountainsides.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Utah |
| Size | 30,632 acres |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.51° N, 111.72° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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
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
None of the 11 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 fishing. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 5 miEcho Reservoir ↗Fishing
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
13 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 48 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Creek-Dry Creek ↗ | 8.6 | |
| Box Elder ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Jacobs Ladder ↗ | 6.1 | |
| Second Hamongog ↗ | 5.1 | |
| Bells Canyon | 3.2 | |
| Phelps Canyon | 2.8 | |
| North Mountain | 2.5 | |
| Red Pine | 2.5 | |
| White Canyon | 2.5 | |
| Silver Lake | 2.2 |
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedThaynes Canyon 2026 Piles Rx
15 mi from the center point · 73 acres
- PrescribedTaylors Fork Rx
28 mi from the center point · 300 acres
- PrescribedWest Fork Rx
35 mi from the center point · 730 acres
- PrescribedPitt And Page Rx
39 mi from the center point · 170 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 mi
- 0.8 mi
- 0.9 miMoyle House and Indian Tower ↗Alpine, UT
- 1.1 miSpencer Homestead Site ↗Sandy, UT
- 1.4 miMuir, James A. and Janet, House ↗Sandy, UT
- 1.5 miAlpine City Hall ↗Alpine, UT
- 1.5 miAlpine Lds Church Meetinghouse ↗Alpine, UT
- 2 miGreen, Alvin and Annie, House ↗Cottonwood Heights (formerly Sandy Cty), UT
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.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Lone Peak Wilderness?
30,632 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lone Peak Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lone Peak Wilderness in?
Utah.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lone Peak Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lone 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 Lone Peak Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.508° N, 111.722° W. Timpanogos Cave National Monument is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Lone Peak Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Thaynes Canyon 2026 Piles Rx at 15 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Lone Peak Wilderness?
Timpanogos Cave National Monument (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Lone Peak Wilderness?
The National Register has 553 listings within 15 miles, including Upper American Fork Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District and Granite Lds Ward Chapel--Avard Fairbanks Studio.
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.