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Park geography

Detailed analysis of terrain elevations, mountain features, and protected land coverage

Lone Peak Wilderness: Comprehensive Geographic Profile and Mapped Protected Area Boundaries

Examine the geographic characteristics and physical extent of the 121.76 square kilometer Lone Peak Wilderness in Utah. This profile details the alpine landscape, including the Wasatch Range, high-altitude peaks, and various stream networks, providing a precise spatial context for the protected area.

Related tags

wilderness areaalpine terrainWasatch Rangemountain wildernessglacial cirques

A high alpine wilderness in the central Wasatch Range, overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.

Lone Peak Wilderness

Lone Peak Wilderness is a roughly 30,000-acre federally designated wilderness area in the central Wasatch Range of northern Utah, lying within the Uinta and Wasatch-Cache National Forests. It sits along the Wasatch Front, with the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys to the west and the American Fork Twin Peaks to the east, and is bounded by Little Cottonwood Canyon to the north and American Fork Canyon to the south. The wilderness protects an alpine landscape of rugged peaks, glacially carved cirques and narrow canyons, with elevations ranging from canyon bottoms near 5,500 feet to summits above 11,000 feet. The area is most recognized for its high Wasatch scenery, including Lone Peak itself and the Pfeifferhorn, often called "Little Matterhorn Peak." It functions as both a wild backcountry landscape and a visual backdrop to one of Utah's fastest-growing urban corridors, offering a striking contrast between protected wilderness and the densely populated front-range communities. Establishment in 1978, as part of the Endangered American Wilderness Act, gave the area a strong conservation identity early in the modern Utah wilderness system. Within the broader context of American wilderness preservation, Lone Peak Wilderness holds a notable place as the only designated wilderness in Utah at the time of its creation, a status that would change only with the later Utah Wilderness Act of 1984.

Location
United States of America
Park type
Wildlife reserve
Established
1978
Area
121.8 km²
Highest point
3,452 m
Lone Peak Wilderness Map and Geography
Location overview

Recorded Country and Administrative Location Details

Geographic Overview of Lone Peak Wilderness and Regional Setting

Lone Peak Wilderness is situated within the United States of America and the state of Utah. Recorded location memberships define the administrative boundaries and high-level geographic status.
Countries
United States of America
Regions
Utah
Primary location
Utah
Geographic setting
Inland
Boundary and coordinates

Interactive spatial geometry and calculated regional measurements

Lone Peak Wilderness Boundary Map and Geographic Extent

Mapped boundary outlines provide spatial context for protected-area geography. Accompanying measurements supply area calculations, coordinate limits, and geographic spans for analytical reference.
Pigeon | © OpenStreetMap contributors
Boundary area
123.4 km²
Boundary perimeter
65.1 km
Northernmost point
40.5732° N
Southernmost point
40.4344° N
Easternmost point
111.6494° W
Westernmost point
111.8012° W
Geographic centre
40.5083° N, 111.722° W
North–south span
15.4 km
East–west span
12.9 km
Lone Peak Wilderness
Elevation and terrain

A 1,676-to-3,452-metre summary with twenty records within

Lone Peak Wilderness mountain terrain, elevation, and features

Lone Peak Wilderness has mountain relief with elevations from 1,676 to 3,452 metres and a 3,452-metre highest point. Twenty within-area cards cover streams, peaks, cliffs, a valley, and Horsetail Falls, with names and feature types preserved.
Minimum elevation
1,676 m
Maximum elevation
3,452 m
Highest point
3,452 m

Selected named natural features

Streams

Newton Canyon

Peaks

The Pfeifferhorn

3,453 m

Streams

East Fort Creek

Streams

Maybird Gulch

Mountain ranges

Wasatch Range

Streams

Fortknocker

Environmental setting

Alpine climate zones, partial forest cover, and diverse mountain relief classifications

Environmental Classifications and Physical Settings of Lone Peak Wilderness

Recorded landscape features and habitat types serve as interpretive categories for reading physical terrain settings across Lone Peak Wilderness. Structured classifications link stored environmental properties to relevant protected area destinations within the atlas.
Relief
Mountain
Climate
Alpine
Water
Minor water
Forest cover
Partial forest
Seasonality
Seasonal

Landscape features

Mountains · Valleys · Cliffs · Canyon · Forest · Grassland · Lakes · Rivers · Glacier

Habitat types

Temperate coniferous forest · Alpine meadow · Grassland · Glacial habitat

Park atlas

Compare adjacent Wasatch Range wilderness areas and connected regional protected lands.

Explore Parks Near Lone Peak Wilderness and Surrounding Protected Mountain Landscapes

Browsing other parks near Lone Peak Wilderness reveals the wider ecological context of the central Wasatch Range and surrounding alpine terrain. Comparing these adjacent protected landscapes provides deeper insight into regional mountain geography and conservation corridors.
A soft watercolor illustration depicting layered green hills in the foreground with faint mountain outlines in the background against a white background.
Wildlife reserveUtah
2.1 km away#1 closest

South

Mount Timpanogos Wilderness: Mapping the Protected Alpine Landscape and High Wasatch Terrain

An iconic Utah protected area within the northern Wasatch Range.

Mount Timpanogos Wilderness preserves a dramatic segment of the Wasatch Range, centering on an iconic summit that rises above glacial basins and forested slopes. This protected area offers a distinct study of alpine geology, featuring high-altitude cirques, steep ridges, and the prominent presence of Emerald Lake. As a critical piece of Utah wilderness, it anchors the skyline above the urban corridor, providing a concentrated look at regional mountain ecosystems and rugged natural terrain.

Area
42.56 km²
Established
1984
IUCN
Ib
Relief
Mountain
A pale watercolor painting showing a wide, panoramic view of layered mountains with light green and muted red hills in the foreground and clusters of pine trees.
Wildlife reserveUtah
About 9.5 km away#2 closest

Northwest

Mount Olympus Wilderness: Geographic Overview of the Iconic Wasatch Range Protected Landscape

Steep granite massif and alpine terrain in northern Utah

Explore the distinct topography of Mount Olympus Wilderness, a protected sanctuary in Utah featuring soaring granite outcrops and deep drainage systems. The park is anchored by a recognizable twin-peak silhouette that rises abruptly from the Salt Lake Valley, encompassing high alpine ridges and one of the deepest known cave systems in the United States within its rugged forested boundaries.

Access
Easy access
A watercolor painting showing a panoramic view of rolling green mountains with a winding stream through a forested valley.
Protected landscapeUtah
56 km away#3 closest

South

Manti, La Sal National Forest: Geographic Overview of Utah's Mountain and Canyon Landscapes

Mapped protected forest boundaries across the Colorado Plateau

Spanning over one million acres, Manti, La Sal National Forest defines a critical segment of Utah geography. This protected landscape encompasses diverse terrain including subalpine mountains, aspen-rich uplands, and deep canyon networks. Use this atlas to examine the distinct environmental characteristics that separate the northern forested plateaus from the southern wilderness canyons.

Area
5,143.09 km²
Established
1950
IUCN
V
Visitors
900K annual
Watercolor painting of a soft landscape featuring distant mountains, rolling hills with light vegetation, and a winding stream in the foreground.
Wildlife reserveUtah
About 68 km away#4 closest

South

Mount Nebo Wilderness: Protected Alpine Ridges and Canyons of the Southern Wasatch Range

Exploring the high-elevation terrain and geological diversity of central Utah

Mount Nebo Wilderness offers a detailed look at the southern terminus of the Wasatch Range, featuring high-altitude summits, subalpine forested corridors, and the iconic badland formations of the Devil's Kitchen. This protected area provides a critical geographic anchor for the region, overlooking Utah Valley and connecting to the wider desert landscapes of the Great Basin through a series of rugged mountain canyons and high-elevation ridgelines.

Relief
Mountain
Climate
Alpine
Access
Moderate access
Scope
Terrestrial
Protected landscapeUnited States of America
About 121 km away#5 closest

North

Wasatch-Cache National Forest Protected Area: Geography, Mountains, and Wilderness Mapping

Analyzing high-mountain terrain and watershed connectivity across the Intermountain West

Wasatch-Cache National Forest serves as a major ecological anchor in the United States. Its territory encompasses the iconic Wasatch Range, extensive designated wilderness zones, and alpine basins. The region provides critical watershed protection and supports diverse high-altitude ecosystems, from narrow, dissected ridges to broad, glaciated terrain throughout northern Utah and surrounding areas.

Area
6,504.01 km²
Established
1906
Relief
Mountain
Access
Easy access
Wildlife reserveUtah
131 km away#6 closest

North

Mount Naomi Wilderness: Mapping High-Altitude Protected Landscapes in Northern Utah

Alpine summits, forested ridges, and subalpine lake basins

Situated in the Bear River Range of northern Utah, Mount Naomi Wilderness stands as a protected corridor of rugged mountain terrain. This wilderness area preserves a diverse high-elevation environment, spanning from the steep western canyons of the Logan River to the prominent summits of Naomi Peak. It serves as a vital point of geographic interest for understanding the subalpine ecosystems and wilderness boundaries within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Area
180.18 km²
Established
1984
IUCN
Ib
Relief
Mountain
A watercolor painting showing a stylized landscape with a light blue lake, soft green rolling hills, and hints of red rock cliffs against a white background.
Protected areaWyoming
168 km away#7 closest

East

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area: Protected Reservoir and Canyon Landscape Atlas

High desert geography and canyon terrain on the Wyoming and Utah border.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area features a complex geography where the Green River carves through vivid red sandstone cliffs. This protected area integrates large-scale reservoir management with mountain forest slopes and diverse river corridors, creating a unique mapped landscape that reflects the geologic character of the intermountain West.

Area
839.17 km²
Established
1968
Relief
Upland
Climate
Arid
Protected areaIdaho
179 km away#8 closest

Northwest

Curlew National Grassland: Protected Area Geography and Sagebrush Steppe Landscape in Idaho

Mapped regional geography and rangeland conservation context

Located in southeastern Idaho, Curlew National Grassland offers an expansive view of the Intermountain sagebrush steppe. This protected area provides a historical example of Depression-era land restoration and currently functions as a vital habitat for sagebrush-associated wildlife, showcasing the unique, rolling plains and semi-arid terrain characteristic of the northern Great Basin.

Area
193.4 km²
Established
1934
Relief
Upland
Scope
Terrestrial
MoriAtlas Explorer

Continue Exploring the Alpine Landscape and Boundaries of Lone Peak Wilderness

Deepen your understanding of Lone Peak Wilderness through our structured atlas data. Examine the glacially carved basins, granite ridgelines, and protected terrain that make this a vital feature of the Utah mountain geography. Explore the unique topography and mapped boundaries of the central Wasatch Range with MoriAtlas.