After a series of wet years, the lake's surface area may be much larger but it will be only a little bit deeper. The present lake is about 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, with a maximum depth of 33 feet. It is the largest lake in the Western United States. Anyone who has seen a map of Utah will notice the lake that dominates this area. Many of the mountain ranges in Northern Utah are located around the Great Salt Lake. Several of these ranges extend into Idaho. Then there is the Northern Wasatch including the Monte Cristo Range and links to the Bear River Range, and Wellsville Mountains. Other ranges on the Northern Utah Ranges page are the Grouse Creek Mountains, Goose Creek Mountains, Hansel Mountains, Blue Spring Hills, Crawford Mountains, West Hills, Bovine Mountains, Raft River Mountains, and a few others. I’ve included info about some of the ranges on both pages. This includes ranges and peaks north of Interstate-80 and south of the Idaho border. Mountain ranges that are located in this area of the west desert and northern Utah include: the Southern Promontory Mountains, Antelope Island, Stansbury Island, Newfoundland Mountains, Hogup Mountains, Matlin Mountains, Grassy Mountains, and Lakeside Mountains.įor more information about the northern ranges, click on the link above. The main thing I have noticed about hiking and climbing in the lesser known areas of the state is the feeling of isolation. When people want to visit Utah for the first time, they think about the national parks in the south or the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. Utah is a state with alpine mountains and desert terrain. Just don't bring any new fancy gear if you go. Though mostly left for motorized recreation, this is also a place where one can sand-ski in summer. North-East of Delta, a large area of sand dunes is known as Little Sahara. It is a giant white geyser tufa cone amidst vast lava fields and stands as a unique monument to the past geothermal activity. Further West and South of highway 6 is Crystal Peak in the Northern Wah Wahs. ![]() Lava fields and tubes, and geothermal hot springs may be found both North of Delta and further South across the Sevier Desert, where Meadow Springs, Pahvant Butte, and Tabernacle Hill are all prominent reminders of the recent volcanic activity. Ibapah Peak is one of the 3 rare 5,000 ft. The highest summits of the Western Desert are the legacy of metamorphizing intrusions, which left behind the granites of Deep Creek Range near Nevada state line. The weakened, rift-ridden crust resulted in strong recent (Tertiary) volcanism. Further south, it is carved by unique limestone slot canyons such as Upper Hell'n Moriah. A sheer limestone cliff of Notch Peak, over 4,000 feet tall, has a number of technical rock climbing routes. The west escarpment of the House Range, near the geographical center of the area, stands out as the most prominent. In the past 20 million years, the Earth crust here has experienced extension by as much as factor of two. The area was stretched in East-West direction by mighty tectonic forces, creating a series of sunken valleys separating ranges and escarpments running North to South. The western desert of Utah is located near the eastern boundary of the Great Basin. ![]() This page is at the moment, the best resource for learning about this area on the web at this time. How about the Confusion range containing peaks like King Top or Conger Mountain? Or the Drum or Keg mountains ranges? Well, you may be getting the picture I am trying to paint here, there are a lot of varied ranges in the western Utah great basin/desert area and all are worthy of exploration. Nor are they aware of the wonders of the Newfoundland range or the sheer drop from the summit of Notch Peak to the desert floor below. Few have heard of Ibapah Peak, a gem on the nevada border nor of the Wah Wahs or the Fish Springs range that contains George Hansen Peak. ![]() ![]() Mainly ignored by the large population base of the Ogden-Salt Lake-Provo urban areas, the western desert area of Utah is a true treasure waiting to be discovered. Now, onto the main body of work, which is a work in progress. Perhaps the best way to look at the information contained on this page is to think of the Great Basin with this page covering those ranges and peaks that are contained in the portion that is in Utah. Armed with a sturdy vehicle, proper preparation and good maps, you can minimize the middle of nowhere feeling. Oftentimes, when you are in the western Utah desert, you feel like you are indeed in "the middle of nowhere".
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