Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published June 2021

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Peak 9856 lies due south of Smiley Mountain. Its summit provides stunning views of the Fishpole Lake Cirque and the main Pioneer Mountains Crest. USGS Smiley Mountain

Access

Turn off US-93 10.5 miles north of Arco and follow Antelope Creek Road west into the mountains. At the Antelope Guard Station, continue on FSR-137 to Iron Bog Campground. A 4WD is recommended for travel past the campground entrance. Continue to a fork in the road and stay left on FSR-220. Drive to the road’s end at the trailhead for Iron Bog Lake.

Northwest Face Trail, Class 2

From the parking area for the Iron Bog Lake trailhead, head southwest across a passable bog and proceed along an unmarked ATV road bed that narrows to a trail. Cross a bridge over a small creek and then parallel a gully above a larger creek. We followed this trail to around 8,200 feet where we headed off trail toward the base of the peak. During our research, we had found a pack trail on an old map that traverses the peak’s northwest face to its upper southwest ridge. We were now trying to find this trail.

As we crossed an open meadow area, we found two cairns that led to the (surprisingly well-defined) pack trail that we had hoped to find. We used the steep, narrow trail as it approached the upper ridge until it petered out. We reached the ridge and hiked northeast to the summit where there is a cairn. On our way back, we attempted to stay on the trail the entire time, but in the lower reaches, downfall and vegetation growth over time has obliterated most of the trail that used to be there.