UINTA
HIGHLINE

High Uintas Wilderness, Utah · 8 days · ~66 miles · Proposed: Jul 24–31, 2027

Duration
8 Days · 7 Nights
Distance
~66 Miles
Elevation Gain
~9,500 ft (cumulative)
High Point
Kings Peak · 13,528 ft
Dates
Jul 24–31, 2027 (proposed)
Permit
None required — Mirror Lake Hwy pass for trailhead parking
View Map ↗

Day 1: Fly to Salt Lake City, Drive to Chepeta Lake

Travel day · Easy
Fly SFO → Salt Lake City (SLC)
Drive SLC → Chepeta Lake TH (~4.5 hr, via Vernal)
Lodging Camp, Chepeta Lake trailhead area

Fly into Salt Lake City, pick up the rental vans, and make the long scenic drive east through Vernal to the Chepeta Lake trailhead — the eastern gateway to the Uinta Highline Trail. Set up camp, run a full gear check, and hold an altitude briefing: tomorrow the crew steps onto the trail above 10,000 ft and does not come back down all week.

🚐
Shuttle: This is a point-to-point trek ending at Hayden Pass on the Mirror Lake Highway, roughly 4 hours by road from tonight's trailhead. Pre-arrange a shuttle service or a two-van swap before the trip — it is the biggest single logistics task on this trek.
🏔️
Altitude: The entire route stays above 10,000 ft. Tonight's camp is the first acclimatization step — hydrate aggressively and keep tomorrow's pace conversational.
🧭
No permits: The Highline has no quota, lottery, or reservation system — one of the simplest big treks in the West to plan around.
Elevation
~10,400 ft (trailhead camp)
Terrain
Highway · forest road · lakeside camp
Highlight
Sunset over Chepeta Lake

Day 2: Chepeta Lake to Chain Lakes

~11 mi · +1,400 ft
Start Chepeta Lake Trailhead
Route Highline Trail, westbound
Camp Chain Lakes basin

First trail day heads west on the Highline through lodgepole forest and open parks into the Chain Lakes basin, in the headwaters of the Uinta River. A steady, moderate day by design — the goal today is altitude adaptation, not miles. The lakes hold cutthroat trout for anyone carrying a rod.

🎣
Fishing: The Chain Lakes are known for healthy cutthroat — a Utah license and a light rod earn their weight here.
💧
Water: Reliable at lakes and creeks all day — and still filter every drop.
⛺
Camp craft: First night of food-storage discipline — the Uintas are black bear and moose country, and the routine set tonight carries all week.
Elevation Range
10,400 → 11,200 ft
Terrain
Forest trail · lake basin
Camp
Chain Lakes

Day 3: Chain Lakes to Upper Yellowstone Creek

~12 mi · +1,600 ft
Start Chain Lakes basin
Route Highline Trail west, past the Atwood Basin junction
Camp Upper Yellowstone Creek

The trail settles into the Highline's signature rhythm — pass, saddle, basin, repeat — before dropping into the broad Upper Yellowstone Creek drainage, one of the prettiest valleys in the range. Red Castle, a sheer red-rock fortress, dominates the northern skyline; a short spur reaches its lake for a crew with legs to spare.

🏰
Red Castle: The spur to Red Castle Lake adds roughly 3 miles round trip — an optional side trip for a strong sub-group.
🌦️
Afternoon storms: The summer monsoon pattern is reliable — plan to be off exposed saddles by early afternoon, every day.
🥾
Pace: Second full day at altitude. Headaches mean slow down and hydrate — that is the acclimatization plan working, not a problem to push through.
Elevation Range
10,800 → 11,600 ft
Terrain
Alpine passes · creek basin
Highlight
Red Castle on the skyline

Day 4: Over Anderson Pass to Four Lakes Basin

~12 mi · +1,900 ft
Pass Anderson Pass · ~12,800 ft
Camp Four Lakes Basin
Highlight First full view of Kings Peak

The biggest climbing day of the trek: up and over Anderson Pass at roughly 12,800 ft, with Kings Peak — the highest summit in Utah — filling the northern view. Descend into Four Lakes Basin, a cluster of alpine lakes tucked under the crest, and make camp with a rest afternoon built in before tomorrow's summit push.

⛰️
Anderson Pass: Steep, rocky, and fully exposed — start early and keep layers and rain shells in hand, not in the bottom of a pack.
👀
Scout the summit: Tomorrow's Kings Peak route leaves from this same pass — study the line tonight while the crew still has light.
🔋
Recovery: Early dinner, early bed. Summit day starts before dawn.
High Point
Anderson Pass · ~12,800 ft
Elevation Range
10,900 → 12,800 → 11,300 ft
Terrain
Alpine pass · lake basin

Day 5: Kings Peak Summit Day

~6 mi · +2,200 ft · Light packs
Start Four Lakes Basin camp
Summit Kings Peak · 13,528 ft
Camp Four Lakes Basin (same camp)

The centerpiece of the trek. Leave camp with light packs, re-climb to Anderson Pass, then follow the rocky ridge and boulder fields to the summit of Kings Peak at 13,528 ft — the roof of Utah, and a genuine mountaineering-feel day for a scout crew. Back in camp by mid-afternoon with time to swim, fish, and recover.

🌅
Alpine start: Headlamps on by 5 AM. The standing rule is off the summit before the noon storm window.
🧗
Terrain: The final stretch is a hands-on boulder scramble — no ropes needed, but poles get stowed and it's three points of contact.
🏅
The summit: A Utah state high point for every scout who stands on it — this is the day the crew will talk about for years.
Summit
Kings Peak · 13,528 ft
Elevation Range
11,300 → 13,528 ft
Terrain
Ridge walk · boulder scramble

Day 6: Four Lakes Basin to Naturalist Basin

~13 mi · Rolling
Start Four Lakes Basin
Route Highline Trail west, basin to basin
Camp Naturalist Basin, beneath Mt. Agassiz

A classic Highline day: basin to basin over rocky saddles, past a chain of lakes, ending in Naturalist Basin beneath the cliffs of Mount Agassiz — arguably the most scenic camp of the trip, and the classic alpenglow photo of the Uintas.

📸
Photography: Naturalist Basin at sunset is the postcard shot of the whole range — plan camp chores around it.
🦌
Wildlife: Mountain goats and moose both frequent this basin — admire the goats, give moose a very wide berth.
🌌
Night sky: Zero light pollution at 11,000 ft — a constellation talk after dinner earns its place tonight.
Elevation Range
11,000 → 11,800 ft
Terrain
Lake basins · rocky saddles
Camp
Naturalist Basin

Day 7: Out at Hayden Pass, Hotel Night

~12 mi · Final saddle, then descent
Exit Hayden Pass Trailhead, Mirror Lake Hwy
Drive Hayden Pass → Kamas → Park City (~1 hr)
Lodging Hotel, Park City / Kamas area

Last trail day: climb out of Naturalist Basin over the final saddle, then follow the Highline down to the Hayden Pass trailhead. Group photo at the trailhead sign, then into the vans for the short drive down the Mirror Lake Highway — real beds, real food, and a full gear dry-out before tomorrow's flight home.

🏁
Finish line: ~66 miles, point to point. Log the trek for the 50-Miler Award tonight — the award also requires 10 conservation service hours per participant, planned as a pre-/post-trip project.
🍔
Celebration dinner: Kamas or Park City. The crew has earned it.
🧺
Gear: Hotel night means everything gets dried before it's packed for the flight.
Elevation Range
11,200 → 10,400 ft
Terrain
Alpine trail · scenic highway
Finish
Hayden Pass Trailhead

Day 8: Depart Salt Lake City

Travel day · Easy
Drive Park City → Salt Lake City (~45 min)
Depart Salt Lake City (SLC), midday flight
Arrive SFO, afternoon

Easy morning — final gear check-in, a short drive to Salt Lake City, van return, and the flight home. Deliberately unhurried: nobody should end a summit week with a dawn-patrol airport run.

✈️
Flight timing: Book midday or later departures — the buffer is intentional.
🎒
Van return: Return vans fueled, and sweep them twice — trail crews always leave one headlamp behind.
Terrain
Highway · airport
Elevation
~4,200 ft (Salt Lake City)
Finish
Home

Essential Trip Info

Permits & Regulations

📝
No backcountry permit required: The Uinta Highline Trail has no quota, lottery, or reservation system — the High Uintas Wilderness is open access, with self-registration at trailheads where boxes are provided. Parking at the Hayden Pass end needs a Mirror Lake Highway recreation pass (America the Beautiful pass accepted).
👥
Group size: Wilderness party-size limits apply — confirm the current cap with the ranger districts when planning; a crew of ~19 may travel and camp as two pods, as on other wilderness treks.
🏔️
Altitude is the main event: The whole route lives above 10,000 ft with a 13,528 ft summit. The prep program (info meeting in December, escalating prep hikes, pack checks — the 2026 model) should include altitude-specific fitness and a staged first two days on trail.
🐻
Food storage: Black bear and moose country — bear canisters or proper hangs at every camp, and a strict no-food-in-tents rule.
🚐
Shuttle required: Point-to-point, with the two trailheads roughly 4 hours apart by road. Book a shuttle service or plan a two-van driver swap well ahead — don't improvise this in Vernal.
💧
Water: Plentiful at lakes and creeks along most of the route, and the late-July timing keeps sources reliable. Filter or treat everything.
🌦️
Weather: Monsoon thunderstorms most afternoons — passes before noon is the standing rule. Nights drop into the 30s even in late July; full rain kit every day.
📅
Why Jul 24–31, 2027: Highline snowfields (Anderson Pass, the Kings Peak ridge) typically clear by mid-July. Late July balances snow-free passes against still-reliable water, and it matches the troop's traditional 50-Miler week — the 2026 Emigrant trek ran Jul 25–31.

Budget Planning

Cost Estimate (Per Person)

Rough 2027 planning numbers — no permit fees and no outfitter keep this the leanest of the 2027 50-Miler proposals; the long shuttle drive is the main cost driver after flights.

✈️ Round-trip flight, SFO ↔ Salt Lake City (sample fare) $190 – $280
🚐 Rental vans (split across group, 8 days) + fuel incl. the long Chepeta shuttle $150 – $210
🏕️ Trailhead camp night (Day 1) + hotel night, Park City area (Day 7, split rooms) $45 – $75
🅿️ Mirror Lake Highway recreation pass (per vehicle, split) $0 – $10
🍲 Backcountry food, 6 days on trail $90 – $130
🎣 Utah fishing license (optional) $0 – $35
🩺 Travel insurance (incl. medical/evac) $40 – $80
🚕 Airport transfers, incidentals $30 – $60
Estimated Total Per Scout $550 – $880

Excludes: personal spending money, souvenirs, and any troop fundraising offsets. Adult leaders should budget similarly. The trade-off on this proposal is altitude, not cost — cheapest per person of the 2027 options, and the highest sleeping elevation of any of them.

Contact & Info

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest — Heber-Kamas Ranger District

Phone: +1 (435) 783-4338
Office: 50 East Center Street, Kamas, UT 84036
Website: fs.usda.gov — UWC offices
Note: The Chepeta Lake (east) end of the route is managed by the Ashley National Forest — check with its Duchesne Ranger District for east-end trail and road conditions. Confirm snowpack on Anderson Pass and current conditions with both forests in the weeks before departure.