The Deep Creek Mountains Utah Hiking Camping Ibapah Peak
Deep Creek Mountains Utah "Isolated"! These mountains are about halfway between the town of Wendover to the north, and the town of Baker and Great Basin National Park to the south. There is no easy way to get to the Deep Creek Mountains. Every route has dirt roads or washed-out dirt roads to access the range. The Deep Creeks are the highest mountains in Utah's West Desert. This range is isolated. I highly recommend making the trip to experience the big peaks amongst the unique geography and unexpected foliage. No trip to the Deep Creeks would be complete without visiting the "nearby - 50 miles south" Gandy warm springs.
The highest point in the Deep Creek range is Ibapah Peak (12,087 ft), With a topographic prominence of 5,247 feet, it is the fifth-most prominent summit in Utah. Ibapah Peak has the highest summit and naturally the most hiked peak in the range.
Deep Creek Mountains Utah
Hiking and Camping Deep Creek Mountains Utah
Hiking And Camping Ibapah Peak The Deep Creek Mountains Utah
Hiking Ibapah Peak
Hiking Ibapah Peak is a long day. Most people will need about 5hrs to the summit and 8-9hrs round trip. Starting from the end of the Granite Creek 4 x 4 road, you need to go around a wilderness study area gate on foot. The gate blocks what looks like an old road. This is where the trail begins. The trail is unmarked and not maintained, making it slightly difficult to follow at times. The trail will be faint and have some deadfall obstacles to get over and around. As you gain elevation, the trail gets more pronounced and much easier to follow.
Water - Although the Deep Creeks are smack dab in the middle of one of the largest deserts in the Great Basin; it is not difficult to find water when hiking Ibapah Peak. There is access to water most of the way up the mountain. The trail follows Granite Creek most of the way up to the saddle. As long as you bring a water filter you will have access to water.
Camping In The Deep Creek Mountains
Camping - The camping options in the Deep Creek Mountains are primitive. There is a campground nearby called the CCC campground. This campground is very unremarkable and in my opinion only suitable for RV camping. If you're comfortable with primitive camping there are much better camping options in the canyons. In Granite Canyon, there are options at the entrance to the canyon. The camping spots are off the left side of the road and have access to running creek water and an old mine and mining camp ruins to explore. If you have a med-high clearance vehicle the best place to camp would be at the end of the 4x4 road. The spot at the top of the 4x4 road has a nice flat grass-covered area for tents and easy access to the creek.
How to get to Ibapah Peak
DO NOT go the Dugway route. Dugway is a military proving ground. When you use Google Maps, it will auto-generate a route through Dugway Utah. The soldiers at the entrance will turn you around and send you back. It's a long way to the Deep Creek range, don't make it even longer by going to Dugway. I recommend driving south through Delta Utah, it's more scenic and dirt roads are easier to drive. There is NO easy way to get to the Deep Creeks.
There are 2 possible routes to drive to the Deep Creeks and both are long and include dirt roads.
