Mount Nebo (Utah)

Mount Nebo
Mount Nebo
	Mount Nebo, February 2005
Highest point
Elevation	11,933 ft (3,637 m) NAVD 88
Prominence	5,488 ft (1,673 m)
Isolation	75.57 mi (121.62 km)
Listing	US most prominent peaks 91st; US most isolated peaks 87th; Utah county high points 10th;
Coordinates	39°49′18″N 111°45′36″W / 39.8216228°N 111.7599311°W
Geography
	Mount Nebo Location in Utah
Location	Juab / Utah counties, Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Wasatch Range
Topo map	USGS Mona
Climbing
First ascent	1869
Easiest route	Hike

Mount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States, and the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest. It is named after the biblical Mount Nebo,^[4] overlooking Israel from the east of the Jordan River, which is said to be the place of Moses' death.

Mount Nebo has two summits: the northern summit reaches 11,933 feet (3,637 m),^[5] and the southern summit reaches 11,882 feet (3,622 m).^[5] 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 high point of Utah County.^[6]

Mount Nebo is an "ultra", one of 128 ultra-prominent peaks in the United States having more than 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) of topographic prominence. 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!"^[7]

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 Dfc).

Climate data for Mount Nebo 39.8098 N, 111.7651 W, Elevation: 11,371 ft (3,466 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	26.8 (−2.9)	26.3 (−3.2)	31.0 (−0.6)	36.1 (2.3)	45.8 (7.7)	58.2 (14.6)	66.7 (19.3)	64.9 (18.3)	56.6 (13.7)	44.1 (6.7)	32.9 (0.5)	26.4 (−3.1)	43.0 (6.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	17.2 (−8.2)	16.1 (−8.8)	20.3 (−6.5)	24.8 (−4.0)	34.0 (1.1)	45.3 (7.4)	53.5 (11.9)	51.9 (11.1)	43.9 (6.6)	32.9 (0.5)	23.3 (−4.8)	17.0 (−8.3)	31.7 (−0.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	7.7 (−13.5)	5.8 (−14.6)	9.5 (−12.5)	13.5 (−10.3)	22.3 (−5.4)	32.5 (0.3)	40.2 (4.6)	38.8 (3.8)	31.3 (−0.4)	21.7 (−5.7)	13.6 (−10.2)	7.6 (−13.6)	20.4 (−6.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.66 (93)	3.19 (81)	3.28 (83)	3.53 (90)	2.80 (71)	1.56 (40)	1.47 (37)	2.00 (51)	2.25 (57)	2.60 (66)	3.18 (81)	4.11 (104)	33.63 (854)
Source: PRISM Climate Group^[8]

Gallery

Mount Nebo (left of center) aerial view from the south, with Utah Lake and the rest of the Wasatch Range in the background and the Great Salt Lake on the far left horizon
Mount Nebo eastern side during winter
Panorama of Mount Nebo, 2007

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Mount Nebo, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
^ "Utah County High Points". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
^ "Mount Nebo". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
^ Van Atta, Dale (Jan 22, 1977). "You name it - there's a town for it". The Deseret News. pp. W6. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b NAVD 88
^ "Utah County Peaks: Tallest in Each of the State's 29 Counties".
^ "Field Guide: The Peaks of the Wasatch Mountains". 31 October 2019.
^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 6, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.