Mill B North Fork Trail

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 4 hours
Elevation gain: 4,000 feet
Difficulty: 3
Overall: 8
Reference: North-central Utah, just east of Salt Lake City, in the Mount Olympus Wilderness.
User groups: Hikers. No wheelchair access.
Pets are not allowed on this trail
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.

Directions

From Wasatch Boulevard in Salt Lake City, drive east on 7200 South into Big Cottonwood Canyon for a total of about 4.5 miles to the trailhead on the north side of the road.

Maps

Trails Illustrated's Wasatch Front/Strawberry Valley. For a USGS topographic map, ask for Mount Aire.

Contact

Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District, 6944 South 3000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84121; (801) 943-1794.

Trail notes

For someone semi-fit and ready to prove it, this hike climbs steadily but unhurriedly to the summit of Mount Raymond and a splendid view of the steep western slopes of the Wasatch Front. The trail starts up a few switchbacks, but only for about a quarter mile before descending to Mill B North Fork Creek. It follows the creek for about another quarter miles, passes through a stand of tall firs, and starts uphill--and keeps on uphill all the way. You will have no difficulty staying on the obvious footpath, and several overlooks offer lunch stops and places to turn back if the going gets too tough. At about 3.5 miles, the trail meets the Desolation Trail at a signed junction. Turn north on this trail. When Mount Raymond stands due west of the trail, leave the trail for an easy ridge climb to the top. At 10,241 feet, Mount Raymond offers a panoramic view: the Great Salt Lake west, Uinta Mountains to the east, the Wasatch Range north and south.

Information courtesy of Buck Tilton, author of Utah Hiking.