The Bearwallow Mountain Hiking Trail is part of the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail system, comprising a 1.0-mile access trail climbing from the trailhead to the peak of Bearwallow Mountain.
Bearwallow Mountain Trailhead
The trail is steep and littered in many places with moderate-sized rocks and boulders, and in some sections the footing is quite treacherous. Near the top hikers are likely to meet cattle along the trail, in the woods, and certainly in the open bald at the top of the mountain.
Fire tower and antenna array at the top of Bearwallow Mountain
The top of the mountain hosts an array of antenna systems and a working fire tower that is not open to public exploration. The view is impressive in all directions and is well worth the climb.
View from the top of Bearwallow Mountain
Following the climb, hikers spend time admiring the view and recovering from the steep trail. Dogs are welcome on the trail but must be leashed at all times since this is actually a farm with a number of cattle pastured here.
Enjoying the view from the top of the Bearwallow Mountain
Cattle watering trough along Bearwallow Mountain access road
The return to the trailhead can be accomplished by going back down the same route or by following the gravel access road which is used for servicing the antenna systems and fire tower at the top of the mountain. We chose to follow the road on our return to the parking area.
Grand Highlands housing development near the Bearwallow Mountain Trailhead
Bear statue in the Grand Highlands development near the Bearwallow Mountain Trailhead
The main entrance to the sanctuary.
The 50-80 Tour of Utah National Parks
The year 2022 is significant in the life of my family in that I will reach my 80th birthday on November 8 and my son Peter reached his 50th birthday on March 21. This seemed like a coincidence (?) requiring some kind of recognition, so when we planned a tour of the “big five” national parks in Utah, Peter immediately named it “The 50-80 Tour.” Introducing ourselves along with this name for the tour at the first evening meal proved to be popular, and many of our co-travelers readily adopted the name.
I came to the tour prepared to photograph almost everything, including the “smiley-face” chrome wheel of the coach.
Some of the photo ops were truly spectacular, like the sunrise on Earth Day, April 22. We were staying at the Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah and we had waked up before dawn to see (and hopefully photograph) the Milky Way. This was a bust since there were clouds and a half moon obscuring the starfield but being out and about for the sunrise was a big winner!
Sunrise on the Colorado River at Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab, Utah. Earth Day, 2022.