South Mountain

Overview

This is the mountain that dominates the skyline to the south of Kanosh, Utah. It is a difficult place to get to. From the south, it requires traversing a completely different mountain known as Red Ridge, which is a challenge in its own right. The summit offers views from Lone Peak 130 miles to the north to Wheeler Peak 102 miles to the west.

Getting There

From Richfield, drive west on I-70 to Exit 7, which is the western intersection of I-70 and Clear Creek Canyon Road (28.8 miles). Turn right (East) and drive 1.2 miles. Turn left onto FR106/Pavant Corn Creek Road and drive 10.2 miles. Sharp turn left onto FR108 toward Bull Valley, but stop after about 0.2 miles.

Route

Follow the faint trail on the map (or see satellite image). This will take you about 1/3 of the way up Red Ridge. As it peters out, simply continue up the slope through, and around scrub oak patches to the summit. Elevation gain is 1300 feet over 1.75 miles to get to Red Ridge summit.

From the summit of Red Ridge, continue down the northwest slope to the saddle. Cross the creek that gets to 3-4 feet wide at its highest flow. Meander through the scrub oak and juniper to the summit. This section requires an additional 784 feet of elevation gain from the saddle. The distance between the two summits is 1.1 miles.

Red Tape

The peak is in the Fishlake National Forest. Practice Leave No Trace ethics as best as you can.

When to Climb

Year-round is possible though snow travel would be required for an additional 10 or so miles to get to the peak in winter. Spring through fall are the best times.

Camping

There are many primitive sites throughout this mountain range. Castle Rock Campground south of Fremont Indian State Park is one of the closest developed campgrounds.