High Uintas Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Summit and Duchesne counties, Utah
High Uintas Wilderness is a protected area in northeastern Utah, covering parts of Duchesne and Summit counties within Ashley National Forest and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. It takes in the Uinta Mountains, where pale gray and tan rock faces rise in angular blocks and slabs above valleys holding small lakes and scattered dark trees. Kings Peak, Utah's highest summit, stands here among peaks above 13,000 feet (4,000 m).
The area gained official wilderness status through Congress in 1984 and has since been managed by the Forest Service. The boundaries were drawn to protect a continuous ecosystem of nearly 460,000 acres.
The name Uintas comes from the Ute people, whose ancestors traveled these mountains for centuries. Their traces remain visible today at certain spots where traditional paths lead through valleys and over passes.
Access roads lie near Kamas, Duchesne and Roosevelt, from where various trails lead into the area. In winter most roads close, leaving only a few entry points accessible on snowshoes or skis.
The Uinta range runs east to west, making it the only major North American mountain chain oriented this way rather than north to south. Its rocks belong to some of the oldest exposed formations on the continent, dating from Precambrian times.
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