Kings Peak via Henry’s Fork (Uinta Mountains)

Stats

Length:	32.00 miles
Difficulty:	Extreme
Estimated Hike Time:	3 days
Trail Type:	Out and Back
Elevation Low:	9,427 feet
Elevation High:	13,528 feet
Total Elevation Gain:	4,101 feet
Optimal Season:	Early Summer to Mid Fall
Best Access Point:	Mountain View, WY

Summary

A multi-day backpacking trip to Utah's Highest Peak - 13,528 ft Kings Peak. This hike includes green meadows, lush pine forests, alpine tundra, and awesome lakes for camping and fishing!

Hike Images

Overview

If you are looking for a comparatively quick and easy route to the top of King’s Peak, the Henry’s Fork trail is the best route. This trail can be hiked in all-in-one trip or over multiple days; we suggest taking this over multiple days to enjoy the awe striking scenery and the astounding fishing. This hike is separated into five segments: Trailhead to Sawmill Lake Trailhead, Sawmill to Henry’s Fork Meadows, Meadows to Gunsight Pass, Gunsight Pass to Anderson Pass, Anderson Pass to King’s Peak Summit.

Directions

gps coordinates of trailhead:

40.909115, -110.331442

Trail Information

This hike is separated into five segments: Trailhead to Sawmill Lake Trailhead, Sawmill to Henry’s Fork Meadows, Meadows to Gunsight Pass, Gunsight Pass to Anderson Pass, Anderson Pass to King’s Peak Summit.

· Trailhead to Sawmill Lake Trailhead: After the long early morning drive to the trailhead you will be itching to get out on the trail, but take a little time to familiarize yourself with the Forest Service information located at the start of the trail (plus this is the last chance to use anything resembling a toilet for possibly a few days). The elevation at the trailhead is 9,430 ft. and starts out in a mix of pine and aspen. The trail follows the west side of Henry’s Fork River but will slowly gain elevation as it winds through the forest and meadows. There are a few streams that cross the trail but the forest service has put up a few bridges over the more swampy parts, but as the trail gets used by both humans and horses, some of the bridges have gone into disrepair. Still, you will get over the more swampy parts in this area using these bridges. After two miles you will get to the turn off for Alligator Lake, which is an excellent lake to camp and fish at if you want to take an extra day to acclimate to the elevation. After Alligator Lake, the trail will rise a little more as the river cuts through a couple small gorges. Fly fishing along this area is great, if you have time to spare.

· Sawmill Lake Trailhead/Footbridge to Henry’s Fork Meadows: After 5.5 miles from the trailhead the trail will fork; the trail to the west (right) will take you on a scenic route past Sawmill and Bear Lakes and then on to Grass Lake and Henry’s Fork Lake. This for will add another 3-4 miles but if you have the time it will be worth it, especially for the cutthroat that live in and around these lakes. If you are serious about fishing and want to take an additional day, we suggest additional fishing at Lake Blanchard as well as Castle and Cliff lakes. On this fork, the best camping will be located at Henry’s Fork Lake* since there will be plenty of trees and most of the other lakes will be above the tree line. If you choose to avoid the longer route to Sawmill Lake, continue to follow trail 117 to the left. Here, the trail will immediately drop to the river. At one time there was a nice wooden footbridge built by the Forest Service, but after some intense flooding the bridge was washed out and hasn’t been replaced. Luckily, (by fate or human hands) there are two logs that cross the river here allowing you to cross without having to ford. The trail will now follow the river for a few hundred yards then start to peel away to the East slightly and start climbing a little in elevation. If you have managed to keep your feet dry your luck will run out right here. As you get to the higher meadows, the trail will go straight through 2 or 3 marshes. The trail will actually submerge into a swamp which will make you bush hop (walking on the bushes to keep out of the water) a few times. In this area you will hear the heard of sheep that graze in this valley during the summer. About two miles from the fork on trail 117 you will see thickets of pine trees in front of you and to the left. The trees to the left surround Dollar Lake which is not visible from the trail but has a number of good camping spots*.

· Henry’s Fork Meadows to Gunsite Pass: Whether you have taken the scenic route or not, both trails will meet up about a mile past both Dollar Lake and Henry’s Fork Lake. Right off you will notice Kings Peak straight south from here right below the Rock Chute and framed between two lower unnamed peaks, and looks like a triangle or shark tooth. The trail will start to rise in elevation as you hike and you will come across a couple rock shelves that can give a little wind shelter if caught in a passing summer storm which frequent the High Uintas. Along the way, keep an eye out to the West to see the waterfalls coming from Cliff Lake. About 2 miles past the trail junction you will get to the bottom of Gunsight Pass. You may be tempted to go straight up the pass from here, but the distance is actually further than it looks. We strongly suggest continuing on the trail to the right as it does a huge switchback; you will actually save time and energy this way. Once you get to the top of Gunsight Pass you will see a very large rock cairn marking the top of the pass. Feel free to add a rock to the cairn for good luck as well as marking your success thus far. From the top you will see great views of Painter Basin ahead of you and Mount Emmons in the distance to the South (the 3rd highest peak in Utah).

· Gunsight Pass to Anderson Pass: You will see the trail drop as it goes down into Painter Basin for a time. You will be tempted here to take a trip across the rock field along the mountain, but we suggest against this since it is easier to follow the trail and avoid the loose rock and gravel as well as a cliff face. More importantly, the trail through Painter Basin will give you astounding views of one of the most beautiful spots in all of Utah. As the trail drops (nearly 400 feet) you may cross right in front of a snow shelf or two. Avoid eating the snow if it is red or pink shaded and is scented slightly of Watermelon as it is a bacteria that will make you sick. The trail will skirt the Painter Basin meadows as it swings around for another 2 miles. The trail will meet up with the Highline trail here as it heads to Anderson Pass. The trail will start to ascend sharply to get onto the Anderson Pass shelf and you will climb nearly 2500 feet in a 2.5 mile distance. There will be plenty of water here and will be a good place to fill up before the water disappears. Once on the shelf, you will see some alpine marmots gathering the sparse greenery as they fatten up to hibernate through the long harsh winter. Looking to the East you will see Kings Peak as well as other hikers that may be summiting along the ridgeline. The last ascent to Anderson pass will be about an 800 foot climb and at times the trail will disappear leaving you to rock hop in places. Once you get to the top of Anderson Pass, you will see awesome views of Painter Basin on one side and awesome views of Yellowstone Drainage on the other.

· Anderson Pass to Kings Peak Summit: Looking up from Anderson Pass you will see what looks like the summit not too far away, however this is the false summit so don’t be disappointed when you see more mountain after this. The trail will immediately disappear as you climb and you will resort to rock hopping the rest of the way along the ridgeline, but you will not encounter any rock slides. Also, the trail will climb 900 feet in less than a mile and is the most strenuous portion of your hike. There will be at least two false summits as you climb depending on the route you climb. Once you get to the top you will see even better views: To the south you will see the Yellowstone Creek Drainage, South Kings Peak (Utah’s 2nd tallest peak, only 50 feet smaller) and further on you will see the vast Uinta Basin. You will see Mount Emmons to the South East and Uinta Canyon and Lake Atwood. To the North East you will see Painter Basin and Gilbert Peak (the 4th tallest peak). To the north you will see the green fields and lakes of Henry’s Fork. To the West you will see the Highline trail as it goes to Red Castle. On a clear day you may see even see Timpanogos to the far west. Congrats for making it to the top of the highest peak in Utah!

Additional Information:

· *There are new rules for camping around the lakes in Henry’s Fork. If you plan on having campfires, you must be at least 1000 yards away from the water’s edge and you cannot collect any firewood in this vicinity.

· While on the top of the peak and you have an emergency that requires you to get back to base camp In Henry’s Fork, there is a quicker way to get down instead of going back through Painter Basin. Right as you get back to Anderson Pass look to the Northwest. You will see a small saddle in between two small peaks with Henry’s Fork below. This is called “The Chute” and is nearly 1300 feet of loose gravel, rock, dirt, and mud and has about an 80% grade straight down. Conditions for this route during a storm worsen as the dirt turns to slick mud. If you are in a large group make sure you space each other out since there is a real danger of falling rock. This will save you 2-3 hours of hiking back.

· This is bear country so make sure you keep any food out of your tents and any leftover food either burned or buried.

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Posted By: Adam Gilbert

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