Central Utah's Mount Nebo is an extremely challenging day hike - more difficult, most will find, than Timp, and one of the toughest in all the Wasatch Mountains.
What makes Nebo harder than Timp are a slightly higher climb, a trail that's narrower and less used, with more rocks and obstacles, and the sheer distance from trailhead to peak. There are also no steady streams in the area most of the year and no scenic waterfalls, but Nebo does offers much more solitude than Timp.According to the Spanish Fork Ranger District, there have been few accidents on Nebo hiking trails. People seem to be careful on its challenging slope, a district spokesperson said.
The district's main advice is don't take this hike early in the season. Mid-June would be the earliest, depending on snowfall the previous winter. The trail is usually snowed in by sometime in October. Also, no one should hike alone. Other good advice is to carry adequate water and to be prepared for weather ranging from hot to cold, dry to wet. (It's not at all unusual to meet up with all of the extremes on a single day.)
There are four main routes to Nebo's summits, all merging along the mountain saddle above and between Mona and Nephi for the final two or so miles to South Nebo Peak. After reaching the end of the basic trail on South Nebo, some adventurous hikers follow the mountain's slim backbone to the slightly higher North Nebo Peak or forge their own trail to this more rugged and less accessible prominence by apparently traversing a section of thenorth Nebo Bench trail.
Here's a brief summary of each trail:
- The Andrews Ridge/South Nebo Bench Trail. This route climbs 8 miles to saddle, then two miles to peak for a 20-mile round-trip distance. Starting point is 6,600 feet above sea level. Basic elevation gain is 5,300 feet. To reach the trailhead, take I-15 to the middle Nephi exit and head east on U-132 toward Fountain Green. Take the Nebo Scenic Loop road turnoff and then turn again into Salt Creek Canyon (left fork). Take the second trailhead turnoff. The hike begins at about 6,600 feet above sea level. All these roads are paved, except the trailhead parking lot. There are several Forest Service campgrounds in the area.
- The North Nebo Bench Trail. This trail begins higher on the Nebo Scenic Loop road. It climbs 12 miles to mountain saddle and then merges with Andrews Ridge one mile before that. It's two extra miles to South Nebo Peak for a round-trip distance of about 28 miles. Basic elevation gain is 2,624 feet. To reach the trailhead, take the 38-mile long Nebo Scenic Loop from either the south end (above Nephi) or the north end (Payson). The trail begins at the Monument Trailhead at the road's highest point.
- The Willow Creek Trail. This track begins above the town of Mona at the top of a 3-mile-long dirt road that starts east of the Mona exit on I-15. The trailhead is at a 6,600-foot elevation. It's extremely steep, but climbs to Nebo's saddle in 3 miles, with a 10-mile roundtrip to the south peak. Basic elevation climb is 5,300 feet.
- The Nephi Nebo Peak Trail. Beginning at the top of a dirt road 2.5-miles north of U-132, this route starts at Rees Flat, with a 6,600-foot elevation, and climbs 6 miles to the saddle. It's 16 miles round trip to the south peak. Basic elevation climb is 5,300 feet. To reach the trailhead, take the middle Nephi I-15 exit and go east on U-132 for about 2.3 miles. A 2-mile dirt road (Forest Service No. 463) leads to the trailhead.
Virtually all the Mount Nebo trails are in the 28,170-acre Mount Nebo Wilderness area, created in 1984. This means horse or foot travel only here. No motorized vehicles or even mountain bicycles.
When hiking Nebo, a good reference to take along is a Uinta National Forest Trails Guide for the combination of Mount Nebo, Lone Peak and Mount Timpanogos by the U.S. Forest Service. It costs $8.25 and is tear-resistant and waterproof. The guide is available at most Forest Service offices in Utah. The closest ranger district to Nebo is the Spanish Fork office, phone 798-3571.
Perhaps the main dilemma when choosing the best Nebo hiking trail is distance vs. altitude. The trail from Andrews Ridge is 20 miles long, up and back, but climbs 5,277 feet. The path from Monument Trailhead is 28 miles long roundtrip, but climbs only 2,624 feet. My group chose the Andrews Ridge trail.
This trail offers a good deal of shade below the timber line and travels through pines, oak brush and aspens. In fact, halfway up to the mountain saddle is a spectacular grove of quaking aspens - the tallest I've ever seen. Many hikers have carved their names on these trees over the years. One appeared to have been carved in the 1920s. Several primitive camping areas are also found along the trial, but water must be carried in.
It took us four and one-half hours to reach the mountain saddle. A sign there where the trail merges with the Willow Canyon path lists the remaining distance as 1 mile, but it's actually 2 miles.
We encountered a 20-minute rain/hailstorm during those last 2 miles, but fortunately no lightning. No one should attempt to hike the final 2 miles to Nebo with lightning storms overhead.
Despite the storm and a lunch stop, we were on the south peak by 3 p.m. - seven hours after our morning start. From here, the other two Nebo peaks are visible to the north. Parts of Mona, Nephi, Fountain Green, the Devil's Kitchen and the Nebo Scenic Loop road are also readily visible. How far you can see depends on the day's haze level.
It is also interesting to observe the San Pitch Mountains, just south of Nebo. They mark the end of the Wasatch Mountains and the start of a new range composed of different rock material.
My group enjoyed the top of South Nebo Peak for about an hour, but we lacked the time and energy to attempt the additional 1.5 miles to the North Nebo summit, which is 51 feet higher.
When hiking Nebo, don't feel shortchanged if you only reach the south peak. It may be lower than the north pinnacle, but it's still 127 feet higher than Timp and basically offers the same commanding views as the north peak. Do not hike from the south to the north peak if you're made uncomfortable by the exposure along the knife-edge rock formations. Also don't go if you're in a hurry, if there are thunderstorms in the area or if you are very tired from the initial hike to the south peak. The trek to the north peak is more of a climb than a hike and can be risky.
It took my group 11 hours and 10 minutes for the entire round-trip hike, but that included numerous photo stops. Nebo may not be a hike you want to do every year or two, like Timp, but the physically able might find it worth doing at least once.