Wellsville Mountain Wilderness

The Wellsville Mountain Wilderness extends along the high, steep north-south ridge and both sides of the Wellsville Mountains for about 14 miles, in northern Utah southwest of Logan, and encompasses extremely rugged and picturesque terrain. The mountains are one of the narrowest and steepest ranges in the Rockies, averaging only about five miles wide at the base and rising to their tallest summits, the Wellsville Cone at 9,356 feet and Box Elder Peak at 9,372 feet. Canyons cut into the mountains from the east and west, and the water that runs out of the Wellsvilles is enough to supply many small Utah communities. Once devastated by overgrazing, the Wilderness is on the road to recovery and now supports populations of deer, moose, and mountain lions, not to mention the occasional bighorn sheep. Raptors use the range as a major flyway, and Hawkwatch International comes here frequently to record observations. Day hikers and hunters are the primary visitors. There are only a few system trails and access and trailheads are limited — three system trails totaling approximately 17 miles. The Wilderness is managed by the Forest Service and was designated in 1984.