Mirror Lake Scenic Byway

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway Review

Although the Wasatch may be Utah's best-known mountain range, the Uinta Mountains, the only major east-west mountain range in the United States, are its tallest, topped by 13,528-foot Kings Peak. The Uinta Mountains area, particularly in the High Uintas Wilderness where no vehicles are allowed, is prime country for pack trips, horseback day rides, hiking, and overnight backpacking between late June and September. The Uintas are ribboned with streams, and they have hundreds of small lakes set in rolling meadows. Access to the Uinta Mountains is either from Kamas (40 mi east of Salt Lake City on I-80) or from Route 150, 30 mi south of Evanston, Wyoming.

Winding its way up to the High Uinta country is the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, which begins in Kamas. The 65-mi drive follows Route 150 through heavily wooded canyons past mountain lakes and peaks, cresting at 10,687-foot Bald Mountain Pass. A good place to stop en route is at Upper Provo Falls, near mile marker 24, where you can stroll the boardwalk to the terraced falls cascading with clear mountain water. Because of heavy winter snows, much of the road is closed from October to May. You can buy a guide to the byway from the Wasatch-Cache National Forest's Kamas Ranger District office in Kamas.