Mount Ellen, 11,522'; Mount Ellen Peak, 11,506'; South Summit Ridge Peak, 11,419'; Henry Mountains

Essence: Mount Ellen is one of 57 mountains in the Lower 48 with 5,000 feet of topographic prominence or more. Driving to the highest peak in the Henry Mountains is complicated but the trail and route to the summit could not be more straight forward. This is obstacle-free ridgeline hiking on rolling terrain with a sky so big you are left gazing into the imponderable. Climb three ranked summits in one effort. The Henry Mountains are in remote terrain in south-central Utah. It was the last range in the American West to be mapped and surveyed. The name is a tribute to Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Mount Ellen was named in honor of John Wesley Powell's sister. The hike is within Bureau of Land Management property with the exception of the Mount Ellen summit, managed by the State of Utah.
Travel, East Side, From UT 95 and UT 276: Measure from the intersection of UT 95 and UT 276, 26 miles south of Hanksville at mile marker 26. A tenth of a mile north of the UT 276 turnoff, go west on a good gravel road, BLM 14900. Immediately, cross North Wash and a cattle guard. Caution: the wash can be a show stopper; I've seen it running like a mighty river. A sign directs to Eagle Bench 10 miles, and Crescent Creek 15 miles. The road goes up a short hill, levels out and then bends slightly to the right onto an asphalt strip briefly. Cross two cobble-filled wash beds at 3.9 and 4.3 miles. Right after the second crossing turn left on BLM 14000 at a signed junction: Eagle Bench 6 miles, Sawmill Basin 15 miles, The Horn 18 miles. At 5.0 miles, go right toward the same three destinations. At 5.6 miles make the first of several Crescent Creek crossings. Cross a cattle guard at 8.3 miles. There is dispersed camping throughout the drive. At 11.0 miles, begin climbing steeply into the mountains on a good gravel road. At the three-way intersection, 12.9 miles, the main road takes a jog to the right. Make a serious hook to the right at 13.9 miles, following the sign for Wickiup Pass, 3 miles, staying on BLM 14000. The track constricts on a shelf with a well maintained surface. Go by the turnoff to Granite Ridges at 16.3 miles. There's good camping at Wickiup Pass, 17.2 miles, elevation 9,200 feet. Turn left toward signed Bull Creek Pass, 2.6 miles to go. The road surface is good but it's narrow and steep. Park on Bull Creek Pass at 19.8 miles. 
Travel, East Side, From Hanksville: Drive south on UT 95 and turn right on BLM 0095 at mile marker 9.9. The road to Granite Ranch goes left at a Y at 2.6 miles. Take the right branch toward Lonesome Beaver Campground, staying on BLM 0095, also Fairview Road. The road ends at Fairview Ranch and a T intersection at 6.0 miles. Turn left on BLM 0096, also Sawmill Basin Road. The good gravel road passes to the west of Bull Mountain. Cross Bull Creek twice at about 14 miles. Do not attempt this ford when the creek is flowing swiftly. The Dandelion Flat Recreation Area, 14.9 miles, is in an old-growth ponderosa forest with picnic tables and a pit toilet. The Lonesome Beaver Campground, 15.5 miles, has seasonal water, tables, fire grills, a group site, and pit toilets. Please leave a donation to keep this beautiful campground operational, maintained by the Henry Mountains Field Station. Pass a corral and enter a mature aspen forest. The road gets rough and steep as it winds up to Wickiup Pass, 17.1 miles. Turn right toward Bull Creek Pass and park at 19.7 miles.

You will need 4WD (low is helpful for long, steep grades) with good clearance and sturdy tires for either of these routes. Roads are vulnerable to early summer snow drifts, mid-summer wash outs, and raging stream crossings. If in doubt, check first with the Bureau of Land Management in Hanksville. Travel up the west side from Notom is well documented on the internet. 

Distance and Elevation Gain for Three Summits: 8.4 miles; 2,950 feet of climbing
Total Time: 5:00 to 7:00
Difficulty: Trail, off-trail; navigation easy; no exposure; Class 2. Carry all the water you will need. As with any sustained ridge hike, be wary of electrical storms mid-summer. Don't be a sitting duck. 
Map: Mount Ellen, Utah 7.5' USGS Quad
Date Hiked: October 2, 2020
Quote: This land I love--this small corner of America--holds its broad shoulders firm and strong against the sky. Its personality is as varied as its people. Deserts are tossed against mountains. Canyons cut deep into the solid rock of plateaus. Rocky peaks, which should have perished long ago against the onslaughts of time and the weather, point bravely at the endless clouds drifting by. Raymond Carlson

In autumn, the glowing Henry Mountains emit golden light. This image looks north from "South Summit Ridge Peak" to Mount Ellen and Mount Ellen Peak. (Thomas Holt Ward, photo)

Route: When seen from afar, the north to south-running range presents in three blocks: Mt. Ellen, Mt. Pennell, and Mt. Hillers. Bull Creek Pass is located in the saddle between the north and south summit ridges of the Mt. Ellen massif. From the trailhead, hike north to Mt. Ellen and Mt. Ellen Peak either on the trail or right on the ridgetop. Return south to the trailhead going back over the crest of Mt. Ellen. To climb South Summit Ridge Peak, hike off-trail staying on the north ridge of the mountain. 

Mount Ellen, 11,522'

The trail to Mount Ellen heads north from Bull Creek Pass, elevation 10,485 feet. The constructed trail provides a good platform as it flanks Point 10,865' and subsequent prominences on the west. This is open country with sweeping views westward to Waterpocket Fold. However, in October, 2020, the normally pristine Utah-blue sky was dimmed and smudged by a thick pallor of smoke generated by wildfires of historic proportions in western states. The rocky trail plows through a talus field composed of an intrusive igneous granitic, likely porphyritic diorite. The concept of a laccolith was developed in the Henry Mountains by G.K. Gilbert in 1877. Pass through a small stand of stunted aspen and a forest of limber pine. Bristlecones are also members of the white pine family. A friend spotted two of the ancient trees well down the east slopes of Mount Ellen. 

The trail tags the saddle north of Point 10,865' at 0.7 miles and then sweeps below Point 11,296'. We stayed on the trail while heading north but on our return we walked the ridgeline to get a better feel for the terrain. (THW, photo)

North of Point 11,296', the trail makes contact with the ridge crest at 1.3 miles. A tall cairn signifies this spot. The official trail skirts the next prominence on the west. However, the talus-filled track is more trouble than it is worth. The ridgetop trail softens to a social path and then disappears in a fell field that transitions to a friendly block field. There is a sense of sailing up into the sky while climbing Point 11,491', shown. The false summit is so exhilarating it is celebrated with three substantial bivouacs. Keep going. Mount Ellen is visible now and less than a half mile stroll away, image-left.

Crest the highest prominence in the Henry Mountains at 2.0 miles after just 1,100 feet of vertical. 

I had been looking at this mountain from points west, south, and east for decades. The sky was too smokey to locate those familiar landmarks. Despite the compromised view, the curvilinear and lofty bastion garners respect. An old mail box is encased in the summit cairn. In 2020, the peak register was located in an ammo box. This image looks west to Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park. (THW, photo)

Mount Ellen Peak, 11,506'

Heading north, ascend a small roller and then get a good look at the tetrahedron at the far north end of the range. This most enticing mountain is accessed by a one-mile traverse. The 400-foot descent is easy on small rock with slate chips. (THW, photo)

Reach the saddle quickly at 2.6 miles, 11,100 feet. We were surprised and delighted to find a cairned and even constructed use trail to the summit. This path is not visible from a distance. It saves the chore of climbing straight up talus perched on the open slope at the angle of repose. The brilliant orange sunburst lichen seen below is plastered on stones all along the north and south summit ridges. (THW, photo)

Crest the airy perch at 3.0 miles. Our view was severely limited but Bull Mountain is nearby to the northeast. 

The northernmost summit is only 16 feet shy of the ultra-prominent peak to the south. With 5,862 feet of prominence, Mount Ellen is ranked number 29 among the 57, P1500 summits in the Lower 48. Still, I found the tetrahedron the most enchanting of the three peaks on the north block.  

To return to Bull Creek Pass, descend to the saddle and then climb back over the top of Mount Ellen. Faint trails originating in the saddle appear to flank the summit on the west but they dwindle and disappear. Consider walking on the ridgeline back to the trailhead. It is rocky and requires more mindfulness but the ridge is irresistible. It is broad and yet falls off sharply and dramatically on either side for almost 6,000 feet to the desert floor. We startled a deer herd taking cover in the limber pines on the north slope of Point 10,865', image-center.

South Summit Ridge Peak, 11,419' 

Upon returning to the pass, you will have climbed 2,020 feet over 6.0 miles. South Summit Ridge Peak is 2.4 miles roundtrip with a little over 900 feet of vertical. The off-trail out-and-back takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Looking at the image below, my partner is approaching the parking lot on Bull Creek Pass. From there, we crossed the road and climbed due south on the rounded north ridge of the mountain. The roller, image-center, obscures the summit, a short distance further south. 

A game trail will get you started as you rise up from the pass. Stay in the middle of the ridge while climbing, steeply at first, through the uncluttered forest. 

Break out of the trees into the big sweep, softly rounded landscape. The peak is festooned with a solar-powered communication tower and small building, image-right.

This image depicts the North Summit Ridge, softly lustrous Point 11,150' on the right, the roller (elevation 11,300'), and the abandoned chipped rock road up a mellow grade to the peak. 

The South Summit Ridge continues but steps down. Barton Peak, shown, cradles Bromide Basin and the headwaters of Crescent Creek. Further south are Mount Pennell and Mount Hillers. The Little Rockies, the most southerly sector in the Henry Mountains, are just visible above the east ridge of Mount Hillers. While Mount Holmes (7,998') and Mount Ellsworth (8,235') are considerably lower in elevation, they present a more significant challenge to the climber than the Mount Ellen group. It's a quick cruise back to Bull Creek Pass.

Travel Photos

The hiking ridgeline is seen while approaching the Henry Mountains from the junction of UT 95 and UT 276. Starting on the left is Barton Peak, South Summit Ridge Peak, Mount Ellen, Mount Ellen Peak, and Bull Mountain.

This coarsely but beautifully crafted stone hut is located on BLM 14000.

The south and east slopes of Bull Mountain quicken at twilight. (THW, photo)

There is a large, group campsite on Wickiup Pass.

There is an astonishing maze of roads in the Henry Mountains. This sign board is posted on Wickiup Pass. 

The west slopes of Bull Mountain are visible from BLM 0096.