Mount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range ( ) or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Gr ...
of
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the
Uinta National Forest. It is named after the
biblical Mount Nebo in
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, overlooking
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
from the east of the
Jordan River, which is said to be the place of
Moses
In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...
' death.
Mount Nebo has two summits: the northern summit reaches ,
and the southern summit reaches .
Early
surveys placed the southern peak as the highest, but the mountain was resurveyed in the 1970s and the northern peak was found to be higher. It is the highest point of
Utah County and is located in the southern part of the county.
Mount Nebo is an "ultra", one of 128 ultra-prominent peaks in the United States having more than of
topographic prominence
In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...
. The mountain is typically partially or completely covered in snow from mid-October until July. Nearby towns include
Mona (closest),
Payson,
Nephi, and
Provo.
A substantial trail leads to the south summit, accessible from starting points on the east or west of the mountain. Another trail accesses the north summit, starting northeast of the mountain. A "bench trail" runs along the mountain's east side from north to south at roughly 9,000 feet elevation. Although strenuous, all of these trails are popular with hikers; many are dangerous places for horseback riders. One old-time local rider warns: "There's dead horses in every canyon on that mountain!"
The Mount Nebo Scenic Byway is a federally designated
National Scenic Byway which departs
I-15 at
Payson and travels south through the Mount Nebo Wilderness, climbing to over 9,000 feet before rejoining the interstate at
Nephi. The route features panoramic views of Mount Nebo, the Utah Valley, and
Utah Lake far below. There are numerous trailheads along the route for the hiking enthusiast, including a short walk to the "Devil's Kitchen", an area that has been described as a "mini
Bryce Canyon".
Climate
There is no weather station at the summit, but this climate table contains
interpolated data for an area around the summit. Mount Nebo has a
subalpine climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfc'').
Gallery
See also
*
List of Ultras of the United States
References
External links
Mt. Nebo.SummitPost.
Mount Nebo, Utah.Peakbagger.
Mountains of Juab County, Utah
Mountains of Utah
Mountains of Utah County, Utah
Uinta National Forest
Wasatch Range
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