Great Western Trail: Big Mountain Pass to Grandview Peak

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This trail has very little shade and no water. Come prepared with extra water and sunscreen.

The trail starts at the top of Big Mountain Pass, along state highway 65. The pass has a large parking area with pit toilets, but it is typically crowded on the weekends. This is a very popular mountain biking area, so there is some competition for space.

The trail begins on the other side of the road from the parking lot (where the communication tower is). It starts out going pretty steep up the side of a ridge, with several switchbacks helping you out during the climb. Once you ascend the first 800 feet, the trail levels out and follows a ridge for several miles. There are a few beautiful meadows full of flowers, and some fantastic aspen groves.

There are several small ascents and descents as you follow the main ridgeline. Several portions of the trail connect with ATV trails, so you might run into a little traffic here and there. These are usually people coming up from the East Canyon Resort. There are signs posted everywhere that say keep out of the resort property, so respect the private property.

The trail is well-defined for the most part. There may be a few places here and there that are a bit overgrown, but the trail itself is easy to follow.

In order to climb Grandview peak, you have to leave the trail and descend down a small spur trail. As long as you stay on the ridge the entire way, you won't get lost. The trail to Grandview is difficult to follow in some places, and requires a small bit of scrambling along parts of the ridge, but isn't technical at all.

There isn't a trail for the final few hundred feet, but the route is obvious. The peak has stellar views of the surrounding mountains.

Paintbrush, Balsamroot, and Bluebells