Wellsville Mountains

Specific Area Information

Location: Northern utah, Southwest of Logan, Utah
USGS Quad: Honeyville, Wellsville,  Brigham City and Mount Pisgah
Difficulty: Moderate to severe with elevations rising to more than 9,300 feet.
Use: Moderate; good opportunities for remote experience.

About the Area

Located northwest of Logan, Utah, the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness consists of approximately 22,986 acres. Extending along the high steep north-south ridge and both sides of the Wellsville Mountains for about 14 miles, the Wellsville Mountains Wilderness encompasses extremely rugged and picturesque terrain. The mountain is one of the narrowest and steepest ranges in the Rockies, averaging only about five miles wide at its base and rising to it's 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.

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 this mountain range as a major flyway and the Hawkwatch International organization comes to the range frequently to record observations. This area is popular for day hiking and hunting.

There are only a few system trails in this wilderness area and access and trailheads are limited. Approximately 17 miles of system trails exist in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness.