Uinta Highline Trail: 100 Miles in Utah’s Rugged Backcountry

When I say “Utah backpacking trip,” your mind likely jumps to red rocks, massive canyons, and vast desert landscapes. However, in the northeastern corner of the state, the impressive Uinta Mountain Range boasts countless alpine lakes, 12,000 ft+ peaks, and Utah’s high point at 13,528 feet. When I moved to Salt Lake City a year ago, thru-hiking the Uinta Highline Trail (UHT) was my main objective for my first Utah summer.

In early September, my best friend and I completed a four-day hike through the Uintas. We were blown away by this mountain range.

The Highline Trail is a wonderful alternative or training trip for a hike like the John Muir Trail. It crosses a handful of 11,000 – 12,500-foot passes and mostly stays above 10,000 feet in elevation. You’ll need appropriate rain gear, navigation skills, and strong legs to successfully traverse Utah’s Uinta Mountains.

The Uinta Highline Trail at a Glance

The top of Dead Horse Pass—one of my favorite spots on the trail.

  • Distance: 84 – 102 miles
  • Elevation gain: ~18,000 feet
  • Difficulty: Hard
  • Days to hike: 4-10
  • Camping options: Everywhere, follow LNT guidelines and weather safety
  • Permit required:  No
  • Water availability: First 20 miles dry, then abundant lakes, streams, and rivers
  • Best time of year: July – September
  • Terrain: Rocks, grassy meadows, mud

Why Hike the Uinta Highline Trail?

uinta highline trail

The views were honestly better than I had expected.

The Uinta Highline Trail is ideal for hikers who want a thru-hike that can be completed in a week or less while still offering extremely remote and serenely beautiful landscapes. Though transportation to and from the trail can be a bit tricky, the solitude is worth it. Furthermore, although it’s a relatively short trail, the overall elevation and pass climbs provide a significant physical challenge.

The Uintas are Utah’s highest mountain range and the home of King’s Peak. King’s Peak is Utah’s high point at 13,528 feet and just a 1.5-mile round trip from the trail. On the Highline Trail, you encounter bright blue alpine lakes, jagged peaks, and red plateaus around every corner. Though I just got off trail about a week ago, I am already scheming another jaunt through the Uintas next summer.

Where Should you Start?

Covered in mud and soaked in rain after a four-day thru-hike, finishing at the Western Terminus.

The official 102-mile trail stretches from McKee Draw (the Eastern Terminus) to Mirror Lake (the Western Terminus). Most people choose to hike East to West, but it can be done in either direction. It is worth noting that most shuttle services will transport from the Western terminus to the East, making a Westbound hike more feasible (more on this later). We hiked East to West and would do it this way again.

The pass climbs seemed more gradual coming Eastbound, which made it a more gradual descent each time. We preferred this, as we were able to stretch our legs and pump out some miles on gradual descents and power up steep climbs. Also, from East to West, the passes gradually decrease in size. We enjoyed being able to knock out the hardest days first.

There are different starting points people may choose depending on their desired trail length. The Leidy Peak trailhead is also very popular, and the one we chose. This made our four-day thru-hike about 85 miles total. The first 20 miles of trail are “pointless and worth skipping,” according to the rumors.

I don’t want to dissuade anyone from wanting to hike the whole thing, but the first 20 miles from McKee Draw to Leidy Peak are through cow pasture meadows with no water. The mountainous region actually starts at Leidy Peak, while the first 20 miles are through lowlands. Do it if you feel so inclined, but we didn’t feel as if we had missed out at all in skipping the first day.

Furthermore, there is one more option to make it an even shorter trip. There is a road that connects to Chepeta Lake, which makes it about a 70-mile trail. This could be done comfortably in four days, or three if you’re quick. With the Chepeta Lake option, you only miss out on one pass and immediately start climbing up and over 12,000 feet.

Transportation

uinta highline trail

An incredibly lovely friend woke up at 3 a.m. with us to drop us off at the Leidy Peak trailhead.

McKee Draw is about a 3.5-hour drive from Salt Lake City, and Mirror Lake is about a 1.5-hour drive. It takes roughly four hours to drive between the two termini. Logistically, this poses some challenges.

There are no public transportation options, but there are a few shuttle services (linked below). We chose to stash a car at the Western Terminus the day before, so we could drive home quickly after finishing the trail. With that done, we had either the option of booking a shuttle or finding a ride to the Eastern Terminus for the start.

We looked into shuttle services, but the prices were absurdly high and many were already booked out when we started planning this trip about a week in advance (whoops). An angelic friend and coworker of ours offered to drive us to the Leidy Peak trailhead and back (eight hours round trip). This truly is the most convenient option, but it requires some bribery. If you want to hike the UHT, hit me up. I’m based in Salt Lake City and owe some serious trail angel karma.

If you’re flying in, the largest nearby airport is Salt Lake City. However, there is a small airport in Vernal (a town close to the Eastern Termini options) where you could rent a car and drive yourself. Most of the private shuttle options will take you from the Western Terminus to the East, so if you do rent a car and drive yourself to the Eastern Terminus you could book a ride to take you back at the end of the trail. Here are the most reputable shuttle options:

Mountain Trails Transport 

UHT Shuttle

To park a car at the Western Terminus, you’ll need to display either a self-serve recreation pass ($12 for 7 days) or an American the Beautiful National Parks pass on your dashboard.

Camping Along the Uinta Highline Trail

Our favorite campsite along the trail—about four miles West of King’s Peak in Yellowstone Basin.

With the consistent high elevation of the trail, it’s difficult to find campsites with less exposure to storms. You can camp anywhere adhering to LNT guidelines, but I recommend structuring your days to get below 11,000 feet. Here are a few great campsite options (mileage is from Leidy Peak trailhead):

Chepeta Lake: mile 15

Fox Lake: mile 24

Basin East of King’s Peak: miles ~35-38

Yellowstone Basin: miles ~42-45

Tungsten Lake: mile 48

Dead Horse Lake: mile 66

Carolyn Lake: mile 79

Water Sources

uinta highline trail

We had no trouble finding water to drink and soak our feet (King’s Peak in the background).

There is no water east of Leidy Peak (first ~20 miles of the trail). After that, water is abundant and delicious. The Uinta Highline Trail is dotted with lakes, streams, rivers, and marshes just about every mile. However, cattle graze in the area so be sure to filter all your water.

Best Time of Year to Hike the Uinta Highline Trail

Mid-July through mid-September is the safest time to hike the UHT. Depending on the previous winter’s snowpack, you can also hike in June or early July with extra snow travel considerations. In late September and early October, winter can come any minute. We started our four-day hike on September 8th and were treated to two days of sun and two days of storms.

READ NEXT – How to Stay Safe While Hiking at High Elevation

A Few Pro Trips

There were about five straight miles of this.

  • Don’t underestimate King’s Peak. King’s Peak appears to be a quick detour—1.5 miles round trip—from the trail. However, in the 0.7-mile climb up to the summit, you gain about 900 feet of elevation, entirely off-trail. The scramble isn’t exposed or extremely technical, but it is physically challenging and slow going. We’re both fit and experienced climbers/scramblers and the detour took us about two hours round-trip. It is worth noting we spent quite a bit of time at the summit as well (as you should!).
  • Come in good shape, or plan a conservative itinerary. If you’re coming from sea level or terrain without serious mountains, you may want to consider taking it easy on the UHT. We both frequently run trails in the Wasatch Mountains and are fairly fit, and ~25 mile days was about our max. The consistent high elevation, coupled with tough climbs and some tricky terrain, make for long days if you choose to push the mileage.
  • Prepare for slow miles. Elaborating on the previous point, expect a few sections to be slow. There was one ~5-mile section where the trail was littered with fallen trees, massive roots, and mud. Every few steps we had to step off-trail to get around an obstacle, and that took time. Furthermore, we were constantly double-checking that we were still on trail, as we were mostly following cairns hidden in a dark, muddy section. I’m typically a 3-3.5 mph hiker, and most days we were able to average about 2.5 mph.

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Safety Considerations: Weather, Elevation, and Route-Finding

uinta highline trail

Descending our last pass with a storm chasing us.

This trail requires flexibility. In heavy storms, you may need to hunker down and finish miles at night or early in the morning. Additionally, there are sections of trail that are only marked by cairns and require keen attention to route-finding.

  • Thunderstorms. Afternoon and/or all-day storms are guaranteed on the Uinta Highline Trail. They roll in and pass over quickly, but if you’re caught in the wrong place it can be incredibly dangerous. Do your best to climb passes in the morning, and if you see gray clouds forming hunker down until the storm passes.
  • High elevation camps and passes. If you’re traveling from sea level, take the first couple of days easy. There are no options to camp below 10,000 feet, and you’ll spend most of your days climbing up and above 12,000 feet. Melatonin and/or CBD are great sleep aids if you’re like me and have trouble resting while camping this high.
  • Alpine sun. I relied heavily on the Uinta’s rainy and chilly reputation. I didn’t bring a sun shirt and threw a tank top in my bag last minute. The first two days we hiked in constant 80-degree heat, which is scorching at 10,000 feet. Even with multiple layers of sunscreen, I got absolutely fried in my tank top.
  • Cold nights. I recommend bringing a three-season setup even if you’re hiking in the dead of summer. “Summer” in the Uintas is a loose term—you can expect sizable temperature swings from day to night. On the first day, we hiked through 80 degrees and sun and then woke up to 25 degrees the following morning.
  • Route-finding. There are long sections of the trail where the route follows cairns across unmarked meadows or rocky sections. Additionally, one long section of the path is mostly covered with fallen trees. It’s very easy to completely lose the trail as you navigate around the debris. I highly recommend having a downloaded or paper map accessible, as it’s incredibly easy to lose the trail with no cairn in sight.
  • Remoteness. The only spot of service on the entire trail was on top of King’s Peak. Additionally, there is no cell reception at either of the termini, so be sure to have your rides planned ahead of time. I recommend carrying a Garmin inReach or similar GPS device so you can check the weather or use it in an emergency.

READ NEXT – Gear Review: Garmin inReach Mini

Closing Thoughts

uinta highline trail

I would hike the UHT again next summer in a heartbeat. The high alpine terrain coupled with its accessibility and length make it the perfect quick trip. Even for those traveling out of state, in can be hiked in its entirety (including transportation time) in under a week. I highly recommend the Uinta Highline Trail for hikers in search of a quick trip to an extremely remote, rugged, and beautiful backcountry area.

Featured image: Photo by Katie Kommer. Graphic design by Chris Helm (@chris.helm).

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Comments 14

  • C Kidd : Oct 3rd

    Nice narrative, lovely photos and excellent trail advice.

    I walked the route in 1973, intending the Highline to be the first leg of the journey, returning to Leidy Peak by way of the North Slope Highline — but, by Mirror Lake was stymied by blisters, sunburn and just worn out. I hitched a ride with a logging truck into Kamas.

    The Uintas are home ground — never felt comfortable elsewhere, including the Escalante River and the Wind River range.

    Reply
    • Katie Kommer : Oct 6th

      I absolutely love to hear that!! As a new Utahan, I’m slowly learning about all the beauty around us. I hope to do some sort of Red Castle / King’s Peak loop this next summer, and potentially some backcountry skiing in the winter! It’s such a fantastic area.

      Thanks for sharing about your travels!

      Reply
  • Owen Eigenbrot : Oct 5th

    Super cool, Katie. Thanks for the info on this route. It’s been on my mind since I saw the Uintas from a cross-country flight. I thought, “wha? An east-west mountain range. What the heck is that. Looks cool.” And yeah, it still looks cool. Moving higher on my list.

    P.S. Love the hiking jorts. Style > everything else.

    Reply
    • Katie Kommer : Oct 6th

      Hahaha, thanks Owen! If you ever make your way out here I’m so serious about offering a ride either way, I have some serious trail karma to pay back 🙂 and I’m blaming the chafing on the rain… not the jorts. They can do no wrong

      Reply
  • Peter : Jan 5th

    Great write up! Just the info I was looking for.

    I’ve got my eye on this trail for summer 2022. The latest I could go would be mid July, so I guess I’ll have to see how the snow is this year.

    Reply
  • Seth S. : Mar 9th

    Great post! A few of us are looking to hike this trail later this year (2022). Maybe we could cash in some of those karma points? If not, any advice would be welcome.

    Reply
  • Abigail Lackey : Apr 22nd

    Hello! Thanks so much for this detailed review! Me and boyfriend came across this trail and are planning on doing it at the end of May this year. A little nervous as it’s very early season and we’re not sure what the weather will be doing then. Definitely going to be using your blog as a starting guide though!

    Reply
    • Katie Kommer : Apr 22nd

      Best of luck Abigail! Feel free to email me if you have any questions. My main issue for you to look at though would be road closures! I know you can’t get to Hayden Pass until June or July, it would be an extra 20ish miles of hiking along the Mirror Lake Highway until the road is opened!

      Reply
  • Stephanie N Jackson : Aug 2nd

    Hi, I’m trying to hike the UHT this year and am trying to find shuttle options. Could I potentially pay you to drive me from SLC to leidy trailhead?

    Reply
  • Nate C : Aug 14th

    Katie thanks for the great article. Just to verify did you start from Chepta and cut out the 20 useless miles? We were looking to start from there and head to Mirror Lake. I was thinking it’s close to 80 miles but maybe it’s closer to 68? Also you mentioned you would do it again. My buddy was supposed to accompany me but he may be bailing last minute. I’m trying to do it Aug-Sept timeframe. Wanting to have it all done in 4 days. I need at least one other person to join me for safefty purposes. Keep me posted.

    Reply
    • Katie Kommer : Aug 16th

      Hi Nate! I did cut out those first 20 miles – the entire distance of the trail was slightly over 80 for us with the King’s Peak add on. I wish that would work out for me but unfortunately I can’t take time off work with that short notice 🙁 4 days / 3 nights was the perfect amount for us when we did it though – totally doable. Long days on feet because some of the higher elevation miles are slow going but it was great!!!

      Reply
  • Andrew Duncan : Oct 19th

    Hi Katie,

    Just found your blog while searching for shuttle options. A few of us would love to cash in also on your trail Karma if possible? We would be willing to chip in of course. Hoping to get the whole thing bagged summer 2024. Most likely August. If not any shuttle services other then the two mentioned would be great. One was way to expensive for us and the other doesn’t seem to be operating anymore.

    Thanks for any insight and a great blog on the subject btw.

    Andrew.

    Reply
    • Katie kommer : Oct 27th

      Hi Andrew! Message me on Instagram 🙂 @katelyn_ali

      Reply

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