Boulder Top Trails

Boulder Mountain   |  Andrew Burr
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Boulder Mountain, south of Torrey, is one of the less publicized wonders of southern Utah. It ascends to more than 11,000 feet, starting at Capitol Reef National Park and climbing from piñon-juniper slickrock canyons, through ponderosa pine forests, aspen hillsides, and spruce-fir forests, up 500-foot basalt cliffs onto the subalpine meadows and forests of Boulder Top.

The views from the All American Road: Scenic Byway 12 are spectacular enough to gain it recognition as one of the ten most scenic highways in America. The views from the rim of Boulder Top, 2,000 feet higher, are even more spectacular. The LaSal Mountains east of Moab, the Henry Mountains, the San Rafael Swell, Navajo Mountain, Monument Valley, and even the Kaibab Plateau (north rim of the Grand Canyon) in Arizona can all be seen in the breathtaking panorama.

Hiking Trails

Four major trails are easily accessed from Highway 12 and travel short but steep distances to Boulder Top. The Great Western Trail to Bowns Point is the shortest at 1 mile.

All four trails are accessed from Highway 12. Drive about 14 miles north from Boulder Town to Forest Road 554 and turn left (west) for 1 mile to the Great Western Trail (Bowns Point) access trailhead on your left. The 1-mile climb to Bowns Point, at the southeast point of Boulder Top, offers the most panoramic views.

To reach the Behunin Point Trail, continue north on Highway 12 for 6 miles and turn left (west) onto Forest Road 247 (Pleasant Creek Trail 158). Almost 2 miles on an unimproved four-wheel-drive road brings you to the trailhead of Behunin Point Trail 117, which takes off to the left, roughly following Behunin Creek and climbing 4 miles to Boulder Top.

For Meeks Lake, continue on FR 247 for 0.5 mile to the trailhead for Meeks Lake Trail 118 on your right. Trail 118 connects with Great Western Trail 001 and Rim Trail 005.

Two miles farther north on Highway 12, Chokecherry Point Trail leaves the highway and accesses Boulder Top via Forest Road 177. For more information contact the Dixie National Forest.

Map: DeLorme: Utah Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 28 C1.

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