Broadhead Ridge

Overview

The 10,400+ ft ridge above Broadhead Lake is a spectacular, and remote, viewpoint, something I call "an overlooked overlook". In addition to the usual Western Uinta vistas (one can see Central Wasatch and the Lakes area mountains from Haystack to Agassiz), Broadhead Ridge also provides an unmatched view into the depth of Duchesne River gorge, flanked by the cliff towers of West Grandaddy and of Iron Mine Creek escarpment.

Ascending the ridge in summer would requre over a mile of off-trail hiking through dense timberland and around cliffbands. In winter it becomes quite a bit more formidable challenge, some 11 miles away from the plowed road. With the short December days, completing the loop from Iron Mine North Bench over Broadhead and down Murdock Basin Road and Mirror Lake Hwy took us a couple hours of moonlight kick-and-glide.

Getting There and Routes Overview

West side of the ridge is accessed from the North Bench road along Iron Mine Mountain. Just over a mile past marked Iron Mine Lake junction, the track drops into a tributary of Cobble Creek. Follow a blocked-off former logging road spur to the left (NW-N). Beyond 9,900 ft elevation, several logging tracks head in different directions, but the woods are open enough at this elevation and off-trail travel to the ridge, half-mile away, is easy.

North-East side of the ridge is accessed from Duschenne Saddle on Murdock Basin Road. An ATV track marked "Canyon Overlook" gradually ascends along a wide bench with young pines and glades towards the slopes separating the bench from Broadhead Lake. We dropped to the bench further East, along a gully draining from Broadhead Lake. But on aerial photo, it seems that a trail may be heading towards the lake along the East side of a nearby gully to the NW. Also on an aerial, it looks like a trail is coming North from the Western-most part of the ridge.

Red Tape

The area is within Mirror Lake Fee Demo area, $3 daily pass or $25 annual pass required.

Camping

A number of popular summer campgrounds dot Mirror Lake Highway, and off-CG camping is also widely popular.

Images

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