Mount Nebo

At 11,928 feet, Mount Nebo is the highest point in Utah County, and is a popular destination for hikers during the late summer months. The trail to Mount Nebo crosses through fields of wildflowers, stands of tall pines, and then culminates with a steep ascent up scree and talus to the summit, where the hiker will be rewarded with amazing views in all directions.

Mount Nebo via Mona Pole Trailhead Hike Details

Distance – 9.75 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 6 to 10 hours
Elevation at Mona Pole Trailhead – 9277 feet
Elevation on top of Mount Nebo – 11,928 feet
Elevation Gain – 2651 feet
Difficulty – Strenuous
Trail – dirt and rock, Class 3 scramble last half mile of hike
Amount of water recommended – 3 liters or more
Bathrooms – None, although bathrooms are located at the Monument Trailhead parking area
Season to hike – Late July to early October, but it depends on the weather
Hiking Hazards – Exposure to dropoffs on last mile of hike
Permits – None needed

How to get there:

Mount Nebo can be approached several ways: The north route via the Mona Pole Trailhead, the south route via Andrew’s Ridge, or via the town of Mona. Nearly all summer hikers going to Mount Nebo begin on the east side of the mountain which is accessed from the Nebo Loop road, which spans from Payson Canyon all the way down to Nephi. The approach from Mona is on the west side, and is seldom used. The route described in this trip report is the north approach starting at the Mona Pole Trailhead off the Nebo Scenic Loop Road.

Mona Pole Trailhead

Follow Interstate 15 south from downtown Salt Lake for approximately 58 miles to the town of Payson. Take Exit 250, and head south (under the overpass) on UT-115, which is also Payson Main Street. Follow Main Street south to the stoplight at 100 North. Turn left at the stoplight, and head east for six blocks, where you will turn right (south) onto 600 East. Before you make the turn, you’ll see a brown street sign that reads Nebo Loop road with an arrow to help point you in the right direction. You will pass the old renovated Peteetneet building on your right on 600 East. You’ll continue through neighborhoods for several blocks, and be sure to watch your speed. Even though it’s tempting to go faster, the limit is 25 mph. This road will turn into the Nebo Loop Road. From the mouth of the canyon, follow the road for 22.8 miles, until you see a sign on the right that says Monument Trailhead. Turn here. As soon as you turn in, you will see another smaller sign on your immediate right that says Mona Pole Road. You’ll follow this road for about 0.4 miles to the trailhead and parking area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re coming from south of Utah County, take I-15 north to Exit 225 at Nephi and drive east on UT-132 for approximately 4.5 miles. Take a left (north) on the Salt Creek Canyon Road/Nebo Loop Road. Drive 3.3 miles and follow the main road (Nebo Loop Road) as it curves to the right. Drive 10.1 miles to the Monument Trailhead, turn left, and then immediately right on the dirt road signed Mona Pole Road. Take the dirt road for 0.4 miles to the trailhead and parking area.

Hitting the Trail!
From the small parking area, you will see the trail heading west, up and along a fence line. Just 100 yards up the trail is the trail register for Mount Nebo. The trail passes through sagebrush as it parallels the fence. At 0.85 miles from the trailhead, the trail leaves the fence line and continues in a west, slightly northwest direction. The first mile or two of the hike is a very pleasant as it gradually climbs.

The trail then passes through several patches of wildflowers, pines and aspen. As the trail turns south out of the tall pines, you see a steep meadow that leads up to a saddle. You’ll cross the lower part of the meadow and then your first steep stretch begins as it climbs up the right side of the steep meadow through pine trees. The trail switchbacks as it reaches the towards the top of North Peak.

The picture here is of North Peak, which many confuse the name with the north peak of Mount Nebo. North Peak is separate from Mount Nebo, and the Nebo trail passes the base of North Peak, and is just about 300 feet below the summit. Many choose to stay on the trail and continue to Wolf Pass, which is the saddle between North Peak and Mount Nebo, while others go ahead and hike to North Peak which has an elevation of 11,174 feet. To summit North Peak, just break off the Nebo main trail, north of North Peak when you see the ridge the leads up off the trail. There really isn’t a marked trail to the top of North Peak, but is easy enough to follow the ridge to the top.

At the top you have great views of your next objective, Mount Nebo. At the summit of North Peak is a small rock cairn with a summit register in the middle of the cairn. To get back on the Nebo trail, you’ll see a faint trail that leads south along the ridge for about 200 yards then it disappears. No worries though, just continue south. Soon, you’ll see a saddle between North Peak and Mount Nebo below called Wolf Pass, which will come into view 500 feet below. Just wind your way down the bare ridgeline to Wolf Pass, and you’ll meet back up with the Nebo trail at Wolf Pass.

Once at Wolf Pass, rest for a couple of minutes, and drink some water, because the toughest part of the hike begins. It is straight up from Wolf Pass, and be prepared to stop and rest every ten minutes for a breather as the trail is steep the rest of the way. You will quickly make your way above the tree line and find yourself crossing loose rock and scree on your way up the steep ridge. There is a trail that leads you up the ridge along with other faint side trails that also make their way up to the top of the first sub-peak. From here, you can see your destination. Unfortunately, you’ll find that between the sub-peak and Mount Nebo, you have several hundred more vertical feet to climb to reach the summit.

The ridgeline from the sub-peak to Mount Nebo is flat for a short stretch, which gives you some time to recover from the steep trail you just came up, and prepare yourself for the final push to the summit. Carefully pick your way up the trail to the summit. There is some exposure to dropoffs so be attentive of where you step, but I found that most of the trail is wide and the exposure to dropoffs is limited. I would liken it to the summit push to the top of Mount Timpanogos. If you find that someone in your group is a little wary of the exposure, a good solution is to have that hiker be in the middle of two experienced hikers, so he sees and follows the easiest and safest way up. Most hikers though, will find the exposure on ridge up to the summit of Mount Nebo a real non-issue. Once up at the top, there is a summit register secured at the top with several small note pads of other hikers who have completed Mount Nebo. Be sure to take pictures in all directions, as the views are spectacular everywhere you look, as seen from the pictures below. If you see storm clouds rolling in, that’s your queue to get off of Mount Nebo. As it’s the highest point and tree-less, you will be the tallest thing on the mountain. Storms can come in quickly, especially when doing mountain peak hikes. While the day was beautiful at the start of my hike, it rained not 2o minutes after I made it back to the trailhead.

Coming up to Mount Nebo, the weather was perfect, and as I descended, clouds blocked the sun for most of the way down. Take extreme care coming down the steep trail from Mount Nebo and the sub-peak, or you may have a sore backside from falling on it. The rock is very loose. One you’ve retraced your steps and made it back to Wolf Pass, the rest of the hike is a piece of cake back to the trailhead.

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