Deseret Peak

11,031'
Stansbury Mountains, Tooele

Take I-80 toward Tooele, get off on exit 99 to Grantsville, go until you get to the Grantsville exit ( Highway 138 ) take a right. Go toward the end of Grantsville ( 11 miles ) turn south at the sign "Wasatch National Forest"
Take a right down South Willow Canyon, from here it turns into a bumpy dirt road. This road is riddled with pocketed limestone rock climbing. Drive to the end of Loop Canyon.

After hiking for about 3/4 mile you will come to a stream crossing, go LEFT, soon after, you will reach another fork, with a sign, go LEFT again. The trail meanders far out of the way through Mill Fork. And it feels like you are going away from Deseret Peak but keep going, it seems like the trail makers were looking for more of a scenic route, than a direct approach. Once you reach the saddle, you continue right up the trail to the summit.

Going down, I would suggest taking the loop north, everybody went down the first saddle (the one that has a sign that says "Trail" and points north toward the second saddle) They said it was good the whole way. Doug and I took the tough-guy scenic trek around the next mountain, and through Dry Lake Fork. It took us about 45 minutes longer than if we would have taken the first descent.

(I was following the route descriptions from two guidebooks)

Suggestion (But don't blame me):
You should be able to summit by gaining the first saddle on the north side of Deseret Peak. In this case you would want to take a RIGHT when you get to the sign (it tells you to go LEFT to get to Deseret Peak)
Go up Dry Lake Fork Don't follow it past the stream, as it goes backwards and around an unnecessary mountain, there should be a trail the whole way.

NORTH WEST UTAH

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Sunday, August 19, 2001