USFS · Utah

Mount Nebo Wilderness

The centerpiece of the southern portion of this Wilderness, Mount Nebo rises to a majestic 11,928 feet the highest point in the entire Wasatch Range. The peak looms above a swatch of mountain scenery located between Interstate 15 and the Nebo Scenic Loop Byway. Wilderness elevation starts at 5,400 feet and climbs through mountain valleys and meadows broken by moderate to steep ridges. The climb will take you through great biological diversity, beginning with a sagebrush-cliffrose association, to mountain brush (oakbrush and mahogany), aspen, and white fir, then spruce and alpine fir, until you reach the timberline and an alpine zone with primrose, alpine moss, and tundra plants.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness27,075 acresUSFSUTDesignated 19847 campgrounds within 10 mi5 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Mount Nebo Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateUtah
Size27,075 acres
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point39.83° N, 111.77° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18)

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 Mount Nebo Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.83 inches of precipitation, 13.4 inches of snowFebruary: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 13.3 inches of snowMarch: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 6.9 inches of snowApril: 2.20 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMay: 1.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.73 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 1.80 inches of precipitation, 0.8 inches of snowNovember: 1.53 inches of precipitation, 5.6 inches of snowDecember: 1.92 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.6°F averageFebruary: 33.0°F averageMarch: 41.6°F averageApril: 47.7°F averageMay: 56.8°F averageJune: 67.2°F averageJuly: 76.3°F averageAugust: 74.5°F averageSeptember: 64.5°F averageOctober: 51.0°F averageNovember: 38.5°F averageDecember: 28.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Santaquin Chlorinator, 9 miles from the center point at 5,160 feet, station USC00427686 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 55 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 4,400 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 →

None of the 7 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.

FS · under 0.1 mi
Bear Canyon
Reservable16 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Tinney Flat
Reservable25 sites
FS · 0.8 mi
Ponderosa Uinta
Reservable38 sites
FS · 4.1 mi
Maple Lake Campground
Reservable11 sites
FS · 4.6 mi
Maple Bench Campground
Reservable11 sites
FS · 4.6 mi
Blackhawk
Reservable47 sites
FS · 5.1 mi
Payson Lakes
Reservable146 sites

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 26 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Nebo Bench ↗11.3
North Peak ↗4.5
Nephi Nebo Peak4.1
Willow Creek3.4
Nebo Peak2.3

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 · 21 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 Mount Nebo Wilderness?

27,075 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Mount Nebo Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Mount Nebo Wilderness in?

Utah.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Mount Nebo Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Mount Nebo 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 Mount Nebo Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.830° N, 111.768° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Are there historic places near Mount Nebo Wilderness?

The National Register has 21 listings within 15 miles, including Us Post Office--Nephi Main and Juab County Jail.

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.