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| The view from Bluebell Knoll |
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| Pleasant Lake |
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| Oak Creek Reservoir |
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| Circle Lake |
⦁ Boulder Mountain is so huge it deserves a page by itself. Some 60 square miles on top are near the 11000 foot level. The best hiking is the east rim accessed by highway 12. A visitor center at mp 106.7 has free maps and trail guides. Cheap campgrounds are along the highway and countless dispersed areas. I was getting a Verizon signal at points along the highway and when hiking the rim. Loa has a Family Dollar and the best supermarket. Torrey and Boulder Town have smaller stores and all have gas. Most trails are shown on the USGS topo maps. An app like peakbagger is essential to have the maps on a phone. Posted 2021.
⦁ BLUEBELL KNOLL el 11317 is the high point of Boulder Mtn. Take highway 24 south from Bicknell for 2 and a half miles and turn on the paved Hatchery Rd. Pavement ends in nearly 4 miles then stay on the main road and keep left at main forks for 20 miles then the summit is a fifth mile away at N38 09561, W111 30009. A gate el 10650 is at the last 3 miles and is locked in winter. Cars will have trouble with the last 3 miles but high powered ebikes should work. The roads are too bumpy for any extended bike riding. Posted 2021.
⦁ LOST LAKE el 9600 is south of Teasdale. The graded Donkey Reservoir Rd leaves town at N38 16367, W111 27588. In a bit over a mile it crosses the national forest boundary and becomes 4wd. It's hard packed with no major issues. At about 3 miles in from pavement go right at a fork then left at the next to the TH reading 15063, 29399 el 8400. The trail goes thru a burn area then at about half an air mile from the start is a fork el 8800 where the trail splits but it comes back together just before Lost Lake. I stayed left to Lost Lake then came back on the other trail which goes by the Bulberry Lakes then back to the fork el 8800. It took 90 minutes to the lake and the same for the return. The lake is at 13693, 30730. Gain is about 1300 and some is steep. Only the last half mile didn't burn. This is a popular trail in spite of the burn. A 38 year old man started the fire on purpose in 2012 and spent some time in jail. Posted 2021.
⦁ BLIND LAKE el 10233 is 9 miles south of Torrey. Various loops can be done. I did one to Donkey Point then walked the the rim to the trail at Fish Creek Point. Take highway 12 to mp 118 and turn on the graded North Slope Rd. Go 6 miles to a main fork el 8650. Shady creekside camps are around there. The left fork is a bad road that goes to Beaver Dam Reservoir. The right fork is easy 4wd that goes 2 and a half miles to the Blind Lake TH el 9794 where there is room to camp and a Verizon signal. I walked the trail to the lake and took a right fork at N38 10812, W111 26311 el 10250 that has no sign. It goes along the north shore then a signed fork points to Green Lake. I took that to the Donkey Pt trail at 11300, 26854 el 10350. I walked that up to the point then left it and walked the rim to the high point el 11200 with a good view. I then retreated from the rim to cross a minor drainage at 10409, 27373 el 11050 and then I should have stayed in the open but snow forced me back to the rim. I had to weave a lot of fallen trees to get to the trail descending the canyon at Fish Creek Point reading 08746, 26109 el 10900. The trail goes down past a 20 foot fall at el 10400 then to the Beaver Dam Res road where I went left then across the dam and followed the Wildcat Trail back with some uphill. That took 8 hours and the app said 2600 gain and 12.7 miles. I might save an hour next time by staying in the open on the mountain top. Mosquitoes were light and I didn't see any on the mountain top where there was a lot of little ponds and lakes. Trails are rocky but not many fallen trees to hop. The topo shows the trails. Posted June 2, 2021.
⦁ CHOKECHERRY POINT el 10770 is on the east rim of Boulder Mtn. A loop can be done using the rim trail to connect to the Rock Creek Trail. Leave a car on highway 12 at mp 12.8 where FR287 meets it. Then take highway 12 to mp 106.8 and turn on a decent dirt road and proceed to the TH at N38 06976, W111 20350 el 8750. The steep trail goes up along North Creek and joins a bad OHV trail at el 9882 then follows that to the rim where a sign points to Chokecherry Point which is at 08233, 21065. The rim trail goes on past the point then at point 10881 the trail splits and I didn't see it. I was on the fake trail on the north side and had to come back to the real one on the south side of the point like the map shows. Shortly I had a view on the rim at 08910,22561 el 10750. I could see a shelf just below that leads to a drainage. A few more feet ahead there is an easy way down to the shelf then I walked it to the drainage at 08923, 22608 el 10700. Then I went down the right side of the drainage until a rock outcrop got in the way. I went right around that on steep dirt and on down to el 10200 where a lot of fallen trees blocked the way. I easily went around the right side of that then left around a pond then I hit Rock Creek Meadow. I walked the right edge then that fizzled and I cut over to the trail at 09333, 22507 el 10050. It was easier to descend off the rim than I had hoped for. The trail had just been cleared down to where the Wildcat Trail crosses at el 9400 but is was easy to step over logs and soon it's an OHV trail. I stayed on it until .38 mile from FR287 which I then shortcutted to at 10968, 21520 el 8150. Then I had a short stroll to the highway. That took 6 and a half hours with about 2000 noticeable gain. Snow was the only water until Rock Creek and snow lingers on the descent drainage. I saw no mosquitoes. The trails are on the topo. It might work better to start this hike on the highway at point 8854 and go up to the OHV trail. Posted June 3, 2021.
⦁ CHOKECHERRY OHV TRAIL starts at mp 109 on highway 12. It's a nasty one but the only motorized route up the east rim. I saw God turning back on it. That's how bad it is. Posted 2021.
⦁ THE TERRACE TRAIL is south of Chokecherry Point. A loop can be done using the rim trail. Take highway 12 to mp 106.4 and turn on the Pleasant Creek road. It's easy 4wd for the first mile to a turnaround at N3806290, W111 21200 el 9000. Serious 4 wheelers and mtn bikers can go the remaining mile and a half to the end at the Meeks Lake TH el 9350. The Terrace Trail branches off to the right but I was using that for the return. I stayed on the Meeks trail up the canyon to the rim el 10650 then followed the rim trail north toward Chokecherry Point. The trail merges with a logging road then leaves it at 07531, 21992. That would be easy to miss but I was on the lookout because I knew they would try and trick me. At 08040, 21365 there is a witness Tantlus BM pointing to Chokecherry Point that is a third mile away. A fifth mile beyond that is the OHV trail that leads down to the Terrace Trail at 07648, 20917 and then I followed that back to the start. 5 and a half hours for the loop and I started at the TH. The gain to the rim is 1300 then some minor dips are on the rim trail. That trail is mostly a series of cairns, blazes and cut logs. It has a lot of smooth walking and no recent grazing. The Terrace Trail goes thru aspen but has heavy grazing. Cattle weren't there on June 5. This loop could be done starting at the North Creek TH which has a better road but is lower. Or just go up the Pleasant Creek road and take the Terrace Trail and come down the North Creek trail. That would be great in autumn when colors are turning. Posted 2021.
⦁ PLEASANT CREEK FALLS el 10400 drains thru the rim of Boulder Mtn a third mile SE of Pleasant Lake. A loop can be done up the Meeks Lake Trail then down Pleasant Creek. I started at the Meeks Lake TH el 9350 as described above and followed the trail to the rim then went left. Before the lake there is a fork but I missed it and went to the north side of the lake. I corrected by walking the shore to the trail at N38 06843, W111 24057 el 10700 on the south side then followed it on to Pleasant Lake. Just past there I came to a rim of a gorge at 05514, 24790 el 10650. I could see a route down into the gorge right below me so I used that but it would be easier to use the route in view on the opposite side of the gorge. As I came to the lip of the fall I could see a cairn on the rim to my left, indicating someone already had this idea. I went over to it then down a gully to the base of the fall. Then I walked level on the right bank to get to a slope leading down to the forest and on to a spring at 05635, 24469 el 10100 with the safest looking water on the hike. Soon there are fallen trees in the way so I moved to the left bank of the main creekbed and followed elk and cow trails. At 05645, 24256 I moved to the right side of the canyon floor then when that was blocked by deadfall I moved left to a meadow at 05656, 24092. I followed the easy ground to 05728, 23964 and made a hard left to get on a real trail. Then it was just easy meadows to a jeep road at 06016, 23286 that goes back to the start. 6 hours for the loop. The gain to the rim is 1300 then there are minor dips on the rim trail. I left a lot of cairns. SHORT VERSION - just going up from below and back down the same way takes less than 4 hours. A third of an air mile beyond the Meeks Lake TH is a sign pointing left to the falls. It's an old road that fades in meadows along Pleasant Creek. I just followed the meadows until the forest closed in then I had cow and elk trails to follow. I moved to the far left at N38 05640, W111 24136 el 9850 then came back to the right bank at 05682, 24305 then weaved on up to 05685, 24405 el 10000. I walked along the right bank there then got in the creekbed for 250 feet to get on the left bank at 05648, 24490 el 10100 and stayed on it to 05548, 24624 el 10350 where I could see the falls a few feet ahead. There was a small flow 40 or 50 feet high. 4 hours with 300 noticeable gain. I could do this in shorts. Cattle have ruined the meadows. A whole herd froze to death in there. But grazing may be on hold because fallen trees are blocking access for cattle and no one is cutting them. Let's hope so. Posted June 6, 2021.
⦁ LOWER BOWNS RESERVOIR el 7400 has a good road. Turn off highway 12 at mp 105.8 then it's 3 or 4 miles. Along the way is a sign pointing to Jorgensen Flats. That road goes 16 miles to connect to the paved road in Capitol Reef NP. It has a few 4wd spots but nothing major. Posted 2021.
⦁ OAK CREEK RESERVOIR el 10100 has a steep road. Turn off highway 12 at mp 105.3 then it's nearly 3 miles. It's hard packed until the last half mile. Posted 2021.
⦁ FR180 leaves highway 12 at mp 100.8 el 9600 then goes a dozen miles and comes back to the highway at the Oak Creek Cg el 8864 which is at mp 104.9. It morphs into FR169 along the way. It's good for cycles and ebikes because it's mostly hard packed but does get bumpy. Good views. Posted 2021.
⦁ BOWNS POINT el 10900+ has a trail. A one way hike can be done up that then down the Behanin Trail. Leave a car or ebike on highway 12 at mp 106.4 then drive to mp 100.9 el 9600 and take an easy 4wd road for 1.2 miles to Sunflower Flat. Walk to the trail at N38 03193, W111 20638 el 10000 and don't get tricked by another trail to the right along a fence. The trail tops out at the point with a good view then a rim trail goes on. It merges with a logging road then veers away at 03787, 22355. At 03769, 22917 it makes a bend to the right to get back on the rim then at 05158, 23327 it drops off the rim. At el 10000 it fades in a meadow with confusing signs, but it's visible again at 05346, 22303 then goes down to the dirt road and on to the highway. That took 5 hours, 45 minutes and the 1000 gain to the point was the only strenuous part. I encountered light mosquitoes. Hikers with only cars have to start at el 9600 and walk the 4wd road. The Behanin Trail was being cleared that day by an outfitter. Posted 2021.
⦁ DEER CREEK LAKE el 9940 is in a nice area that cattle are fenced out of, for now. The lower TH is signed along highway 12 but I used the upper TH by turning off the highway at mp 100.9 and following the sign to Steep Creek Lake. The road goes past the lake to a sign for Chriss Lake at the TH el 9850. I walked the nearly level trail and stayed right at forks to the lake. Gresham Spring is just past the lake at N38 02264,W111 23510 el 9900. It had a good flow. I spent 100 minutes and had a good flower show. The nearly 4 miles of road is mostly good for mtn bikes and so is the trail but I couldn't tell if it was open to bikes. There are loop possibilities here using the trail on to Chriss Lake with a shuttle. Posted 2021.
⦁ TRAIL POINT el 10836 has, of all things, a trail. Who would have guessed? A loop can be done up that then down the trail in the east fork of Boulder Creek. Take highway 12 to mp 92.1 and turn on a graded road and stay right on graded roads for nearly 6 miles to the TH at Kings Pasture reading N38 02187, W111 26870 el 9200. Walk it to Divide Lake where the correct trail forks left at 02797, 27781 el 9550. It goes up to the point then along the east shore of Circle Lake then Halfmoon Lake and then at 05072, 28081 it goes up a hill and on another fifth mile to Horseshoe Lake. At that hill there's a faint hiker trail that stays low to a good view on the rim. I followed the outlet from Horseshoe Lake to the Ledge Lakes at 05165, 27832 then went along the left shore to the rim. Then I went up the rim and down to a canyon at 05186, 27516 el 10600. I walked down that 100 feet or so then got up on the left bank near some trees to get on some dirt and went on down the canyon. At 04998, 27670 el 10150 I got on the left bank then on down to the first spring at 04935, 27708 el 10050 in the main creekbed. I went down the creekbed a few feet to get on the right bank then I could walk that to the main spring 300 feet away at 04896, 27753 in the next little drainage to the right that feeds into the main meadow. I saw cow shit a few feet below that and knew I was home free. I walked the left edge of the main meadow to the trail at the lower end of the meadow. I likely goofed there by crossing the creek and walking back to Divide Lake but I should have followed the trail the other way and down the east side of the creek to the start. 7 hours, nearly 2000 noticeable gain. Light mosquitoes were hanging around the springs. I can't recall seeing a spring that size in the state and it's not even on the topo. Posted 2021.
⦁ RIM BACKPACK - if I wanted to backpack the rim one way, I would go up at Bowns Point. I might try the old road that goes up from Long Lake. It shows on the sat image and might be less steep.
