Deseret Peak Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Deseret Peak Wilderness is located in the Stansbury Mountains of Tooele County
, Utah
, near the towns of Tooele
and Grantsville
, not far from the Great Salt Lake
. It is part of both the Uinta
and the Wasatch-Cache
National Forests. This semi-arid wilderness is part of the Great Basin
ecosystem. Elevations range from about 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) to the top of Deseret Peak
's limestone
escarpment at 11031 feet (3,362 m). In this high country, with barren Skull Valley
to the west, you'll find some springs and intermittent creeks, despite the general dryness of the area.
The Stansbury Mountains occupy a biological transition zone from the Great Basin
to the Rocky Mountains
. Much of the wilderness is alpine
, with open basins and barren rocky ridges. From December through May, you can expect the upper elevations to be covered in snow. Douglas-fir
, alpine fir and aspen
are commonly found growing on high north-facing slopes. Juniper
, mountain brush, sagebrush
, and grass cover much of the lower terrain. Cattle are still allowed to graze on range allotments in portions of the area.
The summit of Deseret Peak
offers a splendid 360-degree view. Backpackers and horse packers enjoy this area. Hunters come in search of mule deer
. Some very steep terrain is traversed by the trails. Deseret Peak Wilderness has about five system trails totaling approximately 19 miles (31 km). South Willow Canyon is the most popular trailhead. Access is limited on the west, where the Skull Valley Goshute
Reservation is adjacent to the wilderness.
The Deseret Peak Wilderness was a late addition to the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984. The original Stansbury Mountains RARE II roadless area was contiguous to Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) wildlands on both north and south. Adjacent Forest Service roadless areas and BLM wilderness study area
s remain eligible for designation as wilderness
.
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, near the towns of Tooele
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
and Grantsville
Grantsville, Utah
Grantsville is the second most populous city in Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,015 at the 2000 census. The city has grown slowly and steadily throughout most of its existence, but rapid increases in...
, not far from the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. It is part of both the Uinta
Uinta National Forest
Uinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by Grover Cleveland on February 2, 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh which means pine forest...
and the Wasatch-Cache
Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is a United States National Forest located primarily in northern Utah , with smaller parts extending into southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming . The name is from the Ute word Wasatch for a low place in high mountains, and the French word Cache meaning to...
National Forests. This semi-arid wilderness is part of the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
ecosystem. Elevations range from about 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) to the top of Deseret Peak
Deseret Peak
Deseret Peak is the highest peak in the Stansbury Mountains. It is located in the Deseret Peak Wilderness area west of Grantsville, Utah and east of Skull Valley Indian Reservation. The site is a popular destination for hikers as the area is a contrast of the alpine wilderness with the surrounding...
's limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
escarpment at 11031 feet (3,362 m). In this high country, with barren Skull Valley
Skull Valley
The Skull Valley Indian Reservation is the Goshute Indian reservation located approximately 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It belongs to the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah, a federally recognized tribe....
to the west, you'll find some springs and intermittent creeks, despite the general dryness of the area.
The Stansbury Mountains occupy a biological transition zone from the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Much of the wilderness is alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
, with open basins and barren rocky ridges. From December through May, you can expect the upper elevations to be covered in snow. Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, alpine fir and aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
are commonly found growing on high north-facing slopes. Juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, mountain brush, sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
, and grass cover much of the lower terrain. Cattle are still allowed to graze on range allotments in portions of the area.
The summit of Deseret Peak
Deseret Peak
Deseret Peak is the highest peak in the Stansbury Mountains. It is located in the Deseret Peak Wilderness area west of Grantsville, Utah and east of Skull Valley Indian Reservation. The site is a popular destination for hikers as the area is a contrast of the alpine wilderness with the surrounding...
offers a splendid 360-degree view. Backpackers and horse packers enjoy this area. Hunters come in search of mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
. Some very steep terrain is traversed by the trails. Deseret Peak Wilderness has about five system trails totaling approximately 19 miles (31 km). South Willow Canyon is the most popular trailhead. Access is limited on the west, where the Skull Valley Goshute
Goshute
The Goshutes are a band of Western Shoshone Native American. There are two federally recognized Goshute tribes today: the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation and Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah of the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.-Name:The name Goshute derived either from...
Reservation is adjacent to the wilderness.
The Deseret Peak Wilderness was a late addition to the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984. The original Stansbury Mountains RARE II roadless area was contiguous to Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
(BLM) wildlands on both north and south. Adjacent Forest Service roadless areas and BLM wilderness study area
Wilderness study area
A wilderness study area contains undeveloped United States federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and managed to preserve its natural conditions...
s remain eligible for designation as wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
.
See also
- National Wilderness Preservation SystemNational Wilderness Preservation SystemThe National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...