Box Elder Trail Peaks

Distance: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,000ish feet for both
Summit Elevation: 10,626 & 10,057 feet
Access rating: Level 1
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These two summits both break the 10,000 foot mark but are overshadowed by nearby 11,000 foot Box Elder Peak. Luckily, a trail passes right between them making for easy off trail scrambles...once you climb the 3,000 foot vertical to the saddle between them. The second half of the Box Elder Trail 044 is quite dramatic, as good as anything on Mt. Timpanogos. Even with the trails, I doubt this area of the Lone Peak Wilderness gets much use.
Look for a sign at the far end of the picnic area. After a few minutes walking you enter the Lone Peak Wilderness and an unsigned trail merges in from the right. This trail follows the wilderness boundary connecting to other trails north. The next mile plus is really boring through forests. At times, the trail seemed really steep to me. An interesting old shelter is passed on the left just before a final trail split. A large loop can be made going right along the east side of Box Elder Peak reaching the north ridge and back down to the campground. I ran into several hunters doing this. Go left instead, following the sign for Box Elder Trail 044. Not to far further (shown as a star on the map) is where the trail now becomes very nice. The alpine terrain has huge open slopes with a few massive ravine/washes. Follow the trail through all this up to a pass at 9,700 feet. At the pass the trail splits. Left is a quick 350 foot climb to the Box Elder SE Peak. Game trails will lead most of the way up the ridgeline. For the better summit, turn right at the pass following the main trail as it drops down a bit into meadows. Continue following west as it drops a bit to a boulder field then climbs up to a rib coming south from the summit. Once on the rib and past the cliffs you've been hiking under, you can climb steeply north up to the summit ridge. On the ridge it's easy walking to the summit.
Exit Interstate 15 on exit 287 and head East towards Alpine on SR 92 for 8 miles to the mouth of American Fork Canyon. Continue 0.5 miles to the fee Station and another 4.7 miles to a Y. Take the left onto SR 144 (North Fork). Drive this road north for 2 miles to Tibble Fork Reservoir. Just past the reservoir is a sharp left hand turn, go left and continue ahead for � mile to the campground. Enter the camp, proceed past one or two trailheads until you see a sign for Box Elder Trail 044 (just after crossing a creek on a small bridge). There will be several parking spots before a (locked) gate for a picnic area/group camp.
Box Elder Trail Peaks from Timpanookeke Road
10,626
10,057
From Timpanooneke Road
Box Elder Southeast Peak Shelter on Box Elder Trail Box Elder South Peak Box Elder Trail Box Elder Peak Box Elder Trail Box Elder Trail Box Elder Trail Box Elder Trail Box Elder Peak from south Mount Timpanogos Mill Canyon Peak Box Elder Trail Map Mahogany Mountain and Dharma Peak Box Elder Peak
Box Elder SE Peak 10,057 from trail
Old shelter along the trail
First views of Box Elder South Peak 10,626
Trail crosses this wash
Looking back to Box Elder Peak
Working up to the 9,700 pass
Meadows and Box Elder Peak
Final bit up to the 9,700 pass
Cliffs to pass below on the east ridge of Box Elder South Peak
Final ridgeline up to the summit of Box Elder South Peak
Pano shot north from the summit to Box Elder Peak
Mt. Timpanogos
Mill Canyon Peak
Mahogany on left, Utah Lake and Dharma Peak on right
Sun going down on Box Elder Peak
Utah Climbing
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