Mount Nebo, Utah
Mountain Description
Mount Nebo is 11,928 feet tall and is the tallest mountain in the Wasatch Mountain Range as well as Utah County. It surprises some people to hear that it is taller than the more popular Mount Timpanogos, but it is 179 feet higher. Three major peaks comprise the summit of Nebo, the highest of which is the north summit which you shouldn’t confuse with “North Peak” that you pass on your way to the summit.
From the summit, you can see awesome views of the southern Wasatch Mountains and the valley to the West.
Mt. Nebo is typically best climbed in the months of June-October. The road leading to the trailhead, Nebo Scenic Byway, is not plowed in winter and there is a lot of snowmelt in the Spring.
Trail To The Summit
Rated as a difficult or strenuous hike, the northern route to Mount Nebo’s highest peak is a 9.3 mile out and back trail with around 3,589 feet of elevation gain.
The first couple of miles are on an easy trail that is worn to dust by equestrian traffic with little elevation gain. It is a pretty hike across the “bench” of grassy meadows to the north of Nebo.
Once reaching the north side of the mountain, the trail weaves up through mountain meadows and pine trees until reaching the shoulder of what is called North Peak at 10,640 ft.
As you wrap around the west side of North Peak, the steep north side of Mount Nebo presents itself and the trail connects to the saddle between the two mountains which is referred to as Wolf Pass.
The trail starts to get steep and aggressive at this point so you may want to consider refueling at Wolf Pass. Plan to scramble up shale and solid rock as you ascend 1300 ft in under a mile. The trail starts to climb aggressively from the saddle up to the ridge of Mount Nebo along a rocky path to a false summit at 11,460 ft.
The stretch to the summit is a steep scramble and the narrow ridge can feel treacherous but leads to the summit. There are so many mountain goat trails merging with the hiking trail that it is hard to feel confident that you are on the “best path” heading in the general direction of the summit.
Once you reach the summit you can clearly see the next peak to the south but you can see that you are at the highest point.
The Hiking Experience
Hiking to the summit of Mount Nebo takes people 5-8 hours. My climb took me just under 3 hours to get to the top with a faster descent.
There are no water sources along the trail up to the summit of Mount Nebo. I consumed 2.5 liters of water when I hiked it. Since the water bladder I have for my pack only holds 2 liters I carried an additional liter in a bottle. The trick there is to stache it strategically while you are hiking up for the trip to the bottom. On my way up I shed the weight of the bottle and stashed it near the trail close to the tree line. This happens to be about the middle of the hike from a distance perspective. I finished the two liters in my pack right as I got back to that spot on the descent so it worked out perfectly.
Directions To Mount Nebo Trail
The trailhead to hike up to Mount Nebo is near Payson and Santaquin, Utah
Search for the Nebo Bench/Monument Trailhead in your GPS. If you are traveling from the north on Interstate 15 you should take exit 252 at Payson, UT and then follow the Nebo Loop road to the turnoff for Nebo Bench/Monument Trailhead. If you are traveling from the south you should take exit 225 at Nephi and proceed on Nebo Loop road.
There is a paved parking lot and trail just off the Nebo Loop road that has a bathroom. From the paved trailhead parking lot, there are two trails including the Nebo Bench trail at the south end of the parking lot.
This trail also goes to the summit but is longer than the trail that I recommend. I suggest taking the dirt road named Mona Pole Road to the right of the turnoff for a half mile to a dirt parking area and starting the trail from there.
This trail heads up the hill on what feels like an equestrian to the west next to a barbed wire cattle fence. As you reach the top of the hill you can see that the trail will take you into the trees before turning south toward the mountain.
