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Kings Peak - Utah Highpoint - 3 members in 3 triplogs have rated this an average 4.7 ( 1 to 5 best )
3 triplogs
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Sep 10 2022
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 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Kings Peak - Utah HighpointDinosaurland, UT
Kings Peak - Utah Highpoint
Dinosaurland, UT
Hiking avatar Sep 10 2022
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374
Hiking27.05 Miles 4,352 AEG
Hiking27.05 Miles   15 Hrs   15 Mns   1.95 mph
4,352 ft AEG   1 Hour   22 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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Kings Peak Trail
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Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Yes I'm goin'
That Utah line
See if them women
Sweet like mine

With apologies to R. L. Burnside, I thought that I'd use this verse as a segue for a trip report to a day hike to Kings Peak (elevation of 13,528 feet and prominence of 6,348 feet), the highpoint of Utah.

I got a 3:00 AM alpine start, and made pretty good time in the dark. It was 27 degrees, so it was a chilly start. It finally started warming up around 7:00 AM, when the sun came up.

When I got to Gunsight Pass, I took the shortcut over toward Anderson Pass. I took the shortcut on the way back also. Taking the shortcut both ways probably saved 2.5 miles and 800-900 feet of elevation gain.

The hardest part of the hike was the 1.6 mile RT from Anderson Pass to the summit and back. This was a class 2 boulder scramble the whole way, and I bet that it took me 3 hours to do these 1.6 miles.

The 5-6 miles nearest to the TH were mostly in a forest, but you were in scenic open country beyond that.

I was glad to get this hike done. I have now done all 8 Utah ultraprominent peaks, and have now been on the highpoint of 22 of Utah's 29 counties.

Synopsis
This is a tough day hike, due to distance and some of the terrain. A sensible person would do this one as a 2 or even 3 day backpack. There are lots of places to camp and water is plentiful.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bridge
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gunsight Pass  Kings Peak
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
 
Sep 06 2020
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 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Kings Peak - Utah HighpointDinosaurland, UT
Kings Peak - Utah Highpoint
Dinosaurland, UT
Run/Jog avatar Sep 06 2020
ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356
Run/Jog25.95 Miles 4,169 AEG
Run/Jog25.95 Miles   8 Hrs   21 Mns   3.15 mph
4,169 ft AEG      6 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Penciled in the Utah high point for this trip, and a friend of mine wanted to go camping, so I decided to do this over the weekend. Apparently this is usually done as part of an overnighter. Psh.

Considering I finished a 30 mile overnighter on Friday, I was actually moving OK. Wasn't sure how that would play out. Was able to jog quite a bit of the way up to Gunsight. Basically everything up to Gunsight is pretty mellow, and then everything changes...

I took the shortcut over to Anderson Pass, which, from what I could tell, is probably becoming the standard approach. It does involve an annoyingly long trek across talus, but fortunately it's mostly stable.

From Anderson Pass up, it's pretty scrambly, with no set route. This took me way longer than expected. But the summit view was worth it, and there was even a party going on!

The way down was much faster, and the trek back across the shortcut route somehow got easier. I think the wind blew some of the more annoying boulders away.

Obviously started making better time when I got back to actual maintained trail, although I really wanted the last few miles to not exist. After leaving the area, I noticed the air getting extremely hazy. Glad it waited until after I summitted...

I think trying this as a day hike would be torture... the approach is so long.
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  2 archives
Aug 11 2012
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 Guides 13
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60 male
 Joined Nov 15 2005
 Jackson, CA
Kings Peak - Utah HighpointDinosaurland, UT
Kings Peak - Utah Highpoint
Dinosaurland, UT
Backpack avatar Aug 11 2012
toddak • Triplogs 577
Backpack32.00 Miles 5,100 AEG
Backpack32.00 Miles2 Days         
5,100 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Sweet introduction to the magnificent High Uintas. Came in from the north at Henry's Fork trail head and camped in Painter Basin, summited the next day and then exited, with a side loop around Henry's Fork Basin. Water everywhere, all the way up to nearly 12000', and saw more moose (two) than mosquitoes (zero). Perfect!
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Moose
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Henrys Fork Lake  Kings Peak  Painter Basin
_____________________
 
average hiking speed 1.95 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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