East Coast to Unitas Trip Recommendations

[jimjangles52]

If I fly into Salt lake whats the best trail head to enter in? I would be going in late august or early September. I want to avoid crowds and bugs. This would be a week long fishing trip. Any recommendations? Naturalist basin looks cool but I hear it is very crowded. I do not mind hiking but I would rather be fishing than hiking.I guess I could drive up to around 3 hours from Salt lake to whatever trailhead you guys think is best.

 

[WasatchWill]

Bugs typically aren't much an issue at all in late August and early September. June and July are when they peak. The eastern end of the range, that is anything east of Kings Peak/Henry Fork area will be a lot less crowded than areas along the west. And anything along the Mirror Lake Highway along the western end are the areas that get hit the hardest by crowds and Naturalist Basin is part of that area. It will be interesting to see if that range and so many other popular recreational areas blow up again with crowds after restrictions are relaxed or not.

 

[ridings82]

So many options... As Will said, I would avoid anything along Mirror Lake Highway if avoiding crowds is high on your lists. Mosquitoes are non-existent at that time of year. Even in a late snow year, they're pretty much gone by early August.

If we're combining fishing with avoiding crowds, I have two suggestions, both are entrances along the south. The first is to use the Swiftcreek Trailhead and hike up to Timothy and/or Farmers Lakes. The fishing is great up there and those lakes rarely see much in the way of traffic. There are about a dozen lakes in that area that are worth fishing and making a basecamp in that area for a few days would make for a nice trip. It is about a 12-mile hike in, there are a ton of lakes to explore, and there is an option to make it a minor loop.

The second suggestion would be to use the Lake Fork Trailhead and head towards Brown Duck Basin and potentially Squaw Basin from there. The TH itself can be busy because of Moon Lake, but almost no one hikes into the Uintas from there. The fishing is fast at Kidney Lake (there are a few kidney lakes in the Uintas). On your way out, stop at the north end of Moon Lake and drop your line in there as well. Good luck!!

 

[Bob]

Couple hours more drive... Get the wind rivers....way better fishing....and more

 

[b.stark]

Couple hours more drive... Get the wind rivers....way better fishing....and more

I've been hiking up there for years trying to find something worth seeing... still looking...