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Mount Nebo Wilderness

General Contacts Area Management Wilderness Laws
Photograph taken in  the Mount Nebo Wilderness
Utah Wilderness Association


The United States Congress designated the Mount Nebo Wilderness (map) in 1984 and it now has a total of 27,008 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Utah and is managed by the Forest Service.


The centerpiece of the southern portion of this Wilderness, Mount Nebo rises to a majestic 11,928 feet the highest point in the entire Wasatch Range. The peak looms above a swatch of mountain scenery located between Interstate 15 and the Nebo Scenic Loop Byway. Wilderness elevation starts at 5,400 feet and climbs through mountain valleys and meadows broken by moderate to steep ridges. The climb will take you through great biological diversity, beginning with a sagebrush-cliffrose association, to mountain brush (oakbrush and mahogany), aspen, and white fir, then spruce and alpine fir, until you reach the timberline and an alpine zone with primrose, alpine moss, and tundra plants. Bobcats, mule deer, and elk are commonly seen here; black bears and mountain lions are more elusive. Numerous streams are rich with rainbow trout. Wildflowers abound in late spring and summer. Devil's Kitchen Geologic Site, adjacent to the eastern Wilderness boundary, will remind you of a miniature (but not as grand) Bryce Canyon. There are 4 Forest Service maintained trails, totaling approximately 21 miles in the Mount Nebo Wilderness. There are several other trails that border the Wilderness and allow access as well.

Planning to Visit the Mount Nebo Wilderness?

Leave No Trace

  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  3. Dispose of Waste Properly
  4. Leave What You Find
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
  6. Respect Wildlife
  7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

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