Backpack Naturalist Basin and Summit Mount Agassiz
15 Miles
3700 Feet
Camping, Fishing, Photography, Backpacking
Advanced
Summer, Autumn
Out-and-Back
Backpack through the High Uintas Wilderness and summit the 12,428 foot Mount Agassiz.
Naturist Basin is a beautiful area in the High Uintas Wilderness with an abundance of mountains, lakes, meadows, and wildlife. It is best hiked July-September.
To get to the trailhead, drive up the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway until you reach the Highline Trailhead Campground, about 3 miles past Mirror Lake. Take the popular Highline Trail for about 4 miles until splitting off to the Naturalist Basin Trail to your left. This trail takes you 2.5 miles into the basin, ultimately ending at Shaler Lake.
The basin is a beautiful area and worth exploring as much as you can. Once at Shaler Lake, we headed off trail to the north to explore Faxon, LeConte, and Blue Lakes, while we looped back toward Mount Agassiz. There are ample places to camp around the lakes.
There is no official trail and multiple routes to summit Mount Agassiz. The easiest approach is to hike to the ridge between LeConte and Blue Lakes, then following the ridge line all the way to the summit. The views from the top are breathtaking and well worth the effort.
Trailhead GPS: 40.723499, -110.864449
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
