| The High Uintas Wilderness encompasses 460,000 acres and is the largest wilderness in Utah. Elevations vary from 8,000 feet in the lower canyons to 13,528 feet atop Kings Peak, the highest in Utah. Ridges divide the area into large, scenic basins interspersed with glacial moraines and drifts. These basins are in spectacular contrast to the abrupt ridges which may rise several thousand feet above them.About half of the area is forested. Coniferous trees (lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir) occur in large continuous stands on lower slopes. Quaking aspen occurs in scattered patches throughout most of the lower elevations of the area. Alpine and subalpine plant communities which contain many unique plants, cover about one third of the area. Variety is added by isolated meadows and willow fields which occur throughout the timber. The remaining area is talus slopes, boulder fields, and water.The Uinta Mountains have outstanding wilderness qualities and are geographically unique as the highest mountain range in Utah. The crest of the range is a high, narrow ridge more than 60 miles long and rarely more than a mile wide at its base. The crest extends from Hayden Peak on the west to Leidy Peak on the east.Below the main ridges, the range is divided into numerous alpine basins, dotted with scenic lakes and meadows. Rivers descend from the basins into glacially carved, "U" shaped canyons. Below the 10,000 foot timberline, the area is forested with conifers, consisting of predominantly Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine.The High Uintas furnish summer habitat for moose, elk, and deer. A variety of mammals, fish, birds, and a few reptiles and amphibians live in the area. |
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