Kings Peak

I drove from Lincoln, NE, to visit this amazing place. I hiked the place solo, and it was absolutely one of the best times ever. The hike was about 27 miles, but relatively easy with some rock bouldering. I recommend taking it easy and camping for one night to enjoy the nature that we still have.

It’s the highest peak in Utah so you’ve got to do it at least once, right?! Yup! We did it as a one day slog in mid-September: left from Henry’s Fork trailhead around 6:30am and returned back to the truck around 6:30pm. We clocked just over 26 miles. It’s a bit of a grind for the first 11 miles but the terrain is easy and only has a slight incline. When you come out of the forrest after the first few miles, you can clearly view where you’re headed off in the distance. Kings peak is the one sticking up behind the front range ahead of you. The trail on this section is easy to follow and the scenery is beautiful: you’re in a gigantic, lush, high-mountain valley with a river running through it. Kinda Jeremiah Johnson vibes. We heard some Elk bugling, which added to the deep wilderness vibe. The first steep you hit is at about the 11 mile mark: Gunsight Pass. Once you get onto the saddle, bear to the right for a more direct, albeit steeper, route to KP. This more direct route is a little rocky but it shaves distance and time. The scramble/real work begins at the base of the final leg to the summit of KP. This last mile is punishing as you are at altitude and doing an oversized stair-stepper that requires squat trusts. But the views at the top along with the gratification of summiting the highest peak in the Uintas is worth it (at least tell yourself this while you’re in the pain cave). A few tips/observations: be prepared for the weather to change in an instant. The Uintas are a volatile environment. We got lucky as we watched several cloudburst rain storms pass miles ahead and behind us. But keep in mind, walking from cool (early morning) to warmer (mid day) back to cooler (when the sun sets) is a recipe for discomfort. Bring plenty of electrolytes; we had plenty of water but by the last 6-8 miles, we weren’t retaining much of it. Wear comfortable footwear, even if it means looking like a tourist on the trail. Your feet/ankles/knees take a beating covering 26 miles of uneven terrain in a relatively short period of time. I usually wear some firmer Solomon trail shoes for my hikes but I was sure glad I wore my running shoes on this one! Take lots of pictures and save some energy for the drive home because Henry’s Fork trailhead isn’t close to anything!

Getting up to the highest peak in Utah is NO EASY FEAT! But my goodness. I felt like I entered another world! The shortest way up is a 26 mile hike in total. That's right! A 26 mile hike! Somehow, I did it in a day. I do not recommend doing that. The first 10-11 miles are easy peasy. You are hiking along a smooth, well-paved, gently inclining trail. I took the shortcut route through gunsight pass. There, it gets steeper and there is some scrambling involved, but it isn't too bad. Then, I got to Anderson Pass. From there, it is only 3/4th a mile to the top! But from there, it was a SLOW-CRAWLING and GRUELING scramble! It took me over an hour from Anderson pass to get to the top! The whole time, walking felt like jogging, as the air gets thin above 13,000 ft. The stretch between Anderson pass, King's peak, and back down sapped away most of my energy for that day. But once you get back down to Gunsight pass, it's easier going back down as it is getting up there. I highly recommend this as a 2-3 day adventure. Starting this at 3 AM, and finishing close to 8 PM the same day required 2 days of laziness to get back my energy. Oh, and the views are nothing short of incredible!

Great hike! It's 26 miles long, but it's rocky for the last 3 or so miles, so it makes it 10 times worse. We did it in one day; it probably wouldn't be that bad if you did it in two days.

The craziest but most fun experience I have ever had. It was worth the pain. The whole experience gave me lots of lessons like Perseverance/ Endurance, Striving for bigger and greater goals, and conquering fears. I love nature too so me getting to be in it appreciating it was 👌.

beautiful mountain. conditions are demanding and difficult now. make sure you have good hiking shoes and walking poles and a goretex jacket.I was caught by a storm, rain and hail near the summit. The mountain was unfavorable from the beginning, so it was a great pleasure to climb to the top

King's Peak is one of my favorite experiences of my life. I did it with 3 friends and spent one night at the base of the mountain. If you have the time I would recommend planning for 2 nights! My friends wanted to after the exhausting trip to summit and back down but I was supposed to meet another friend back in Salt Lake City. By the end... It felt like a death march! There is hardly any technical difficulty to the hike, and it is more about endurance than anything else. The Uintas all appear within view from 13528' elevation. The views are absolutely stunning. In fact, I did this hike in the summer of 2016! After looking at some of the pictures I took for the sake of the memories, I couldn't resist posting a review :)

Utah's tallest peak and an incredible journey to get there! I took us three days to reach the top and we enjoyed every day due to the unique beauty of the area. Some good advice would be to camp past dollar lake on the night before summit day.