Notch Peak - Delta - Road Trip Ryan

Overview

Thu

49° | 38°

Fri

53° | 37°

Sat

55° | 40°

Sun

55° | 41°

Mon

57° | 43°

( Rated 4.7 / 3 Ratings )

11 Todo Lists / 3 Ticks

RATING: Easy/Moderate Hike

LENGTH: 3-5 hours (8.1 miles)

MAPS: Miller Cove, UT; Notch Peak, UT;

SEASON: Spring, Fall, Winter (when no snow)

GEAR: Standard Hiking Gear

WATER: None

NOTES: High clearance required and 4x4 recommended. The last few miles are rocky and (in 2015) quite rutted in spots.

Thu

49° | 38°

Fri

53° | 37°

Sat

55° | 40°

Sun

55° | 41°

Mon

57° | 43°

Big views of the west desert from the summit of Notch Peak

Notch Peak is considered by most to be a Utah classic. The hike is quite casual, but the summit offers jaw-dropping exposure down the second-highest vertical drop in the United States (the first being El Capitan in Yosemite). Some debate its status as the second-highest drop depending on how you define a pure vertical drop, but it is a stunning drop to stand on top of and a hike I would strongly recommend. The views of the West Desert from its summit give some perspective on the lonely western side of the state and how isolated and expansive it is.

Be aware that the hike is located in the very wild and unpopulated West Desert of Utah. Services, people, and help are a long way away when visiting the area. Given its remoteness, I would rate this as an intermediate hike. Be sure to have a mechanically reliable car, a spare tire, and extra food and water in case of trouble.

There is good primitive camping at and near the trailhead, though no water is available in the area.

Looking north west down from the summit of Notch Peak

Getting There

From Delta, head west on US-50/US-6 for about 40 miles to just after mile post 48. The side road is on the north side of the road:

Reset your odometer as you leave the highway. There are many side roads along the way. Stay on the main road, major junctions are specified. 12S 305376E 4325742N / 39°03'33"N 113°14'58"W

4.35 miles - Miller Canyon on the left. Turn left onto this road. 12S 308034E 4331647N / 39°06'46"N 113°13'13"W

9.5 miles - Picnic area/pit toilet on the right. Junction. Go left, staying on the most used road heading west. 12S 300572E 4335019N / 39°08'30"N 113°18'27"W

11.3 miles - Junction crossing a wash. Stay straight (not left). 12S 298013E 4334063N / 39°07'56"N 113°20'13"W

12.1 miles - Cabin on the right. 12S 296764E 4333784N / 39°07'46"N 113°21'04"W

12.8 miles - Notch Peak and Hell n' Moriah Canyon Trailhead and end of the road. 12S 295705E 4333619N / 39°07'40"N 113°21'48"W

Roadtrip pondering the exposure on a cold november day

Route Description

From the trailhead, begin hiking up Sawtooth Canyon. A towering wall on the left offers a good preview of the immense walls that surround much of Sawtooth Canyon. After just a few minutes, you reach a major junction. Stay left. The trail is an old ATV trail. Follow it up Sawtooth, keeping an eye out for the many arches that dot the walls both high and low. We saw three on our trip.

The ATV trail gives way to a user trail, still following the bottom of Sawtooth Canyon. At a steep, ledgy section, the trail ascends right, crosses the canyon, and ascends out of Sawtooth Canyon on a well-defined social trail, then re-enters Sawtooth above a few small falls. The canyon becomes shallower here.

At a prominent junction, as the canyon becomes more of a wide valley, follow the social trail left and up to a saddle. At the saddle, the hike changes from a canyon hike to a jaw-dropping ridge hike! The views from the saddle are excellent and are the reason to do this hike. From the saddle, hike west up Class 2 slopes to the true summit of Notch Peak.

Return the same way.