Uinta Highline Trail (Vernal, UT)

When people head to Utah for an adventure vacation, 90% of them stop in Park City just minutes outside Salt Lake for a winter ski trip. During the summer, numbers dwindle and even fewer think to hike the more remote Uinta mountains.

This trail runs among open views and above-treeline panoramas that look out through the flat expanses of Utah’s high deserts. Alpine lakes, scree fields, and other great mountain top features will greet you on this journey.

Make no mistake, this 100+ mile trail will keep you in the backcountry for a while so you’d better go in prepared.

This area of the world remains cold and non-navigable for backpackers through much of the year. Up until June some years the snow pack will still be quite healthy here though often the melt will leave the passes mostly open by late May.

August may be the most enjoyable time of year to head out as the temperatures will be the most summery. When September and October start to roll in, expect the cold and nasty weather to start making a re-appearance.

Most people seem to attack this trail from Vernal, Utah where you can overnight before heading out. It’s a pretty small town but there are plenty of amenities for a quick stop before you head to the trail in the morning.

Getting to Vernal means flying into Salt Lake City which leaves a 3-hour drive out to Vernal.

From Vernal, you’ll be driving 40 minutes in the morning to launch from McKee Draw.

After that, you’ll be hiking westward and eventually end up at Hayden Pass near Mirror Lake, Utah.

Getting back from the other end of the trail can be done with a shuttle from Wilkins Bus lines located in Vernal so call and talk to them if you can’t park a car at the terminus.