From Utah's Mirror Lake Highway, many places to sit and reflect

Mirror Lake • The U.S. Forest Service often greets visitors to the areas it manages with signs that read, “Land of Many Uses.”

That certainly fits the 78-mile stretch of Utah Highway 150, commonly known as the Mirror Lake Highway, that runs from Kamas to Evanston, Wyo.

This National Scenic Byway is a place where ATV and four-wheel-drive trails can be found at the edge of Utah’s largest wilderness area.

On a given day, sightseers drive the scenic road to elevations as high as 10,715-foot Bald Mountain Pass, watching the forest flora and fauna change.

They marvel at the Provo River Falls, Hayden Peak, Bald Mountain and the Slate Gorge. Some take short day hikes while others strap on their backpacks and head into the wilderness.

The nearly 30 developed campgrounds along the way fill many nights, creating miniature mountain cities. Most visitors brace for the rains, which occur almost every afternoon in the high country of one of the nation’s few mountain ranges running east to west.

“Plan ahead,” advises Matt Lane, recreation staff officer for the Kamas-Heber Ranger District. “You can make reservations six months out on recreation.gov. It is more and more difficult to find a spot. There are a few first-come, first-served campgrounds and sites. Some come up as early as Tuesday to get a spot. Don’t expect to come up Friday night and get a spot.”

When there isn’t a developed spot, there are many pullouts and side roads where dispersed packing is allowed. But remember to pack out all your garbage. Lane said litter is an increasing problem along the highway.

This is a place that includes a Boy Scout camp and a YMCA camp. Generations return again each year to enjoy fishing, wildflowers and the beauty of high mountain lakes.

“When I was growing up, my friends and I spent all summer fishing and hiking up here,” said Leo Butters of Lehi as he showed off the Provo River Falls to his grandkids and daughter. “It is cool up here. I want them to see how nice it is. It is just a beautiful place.”

John Peterson of Payson offered similar sentiments as he prepared to fish Mirror Lake.

“I come up once or twice a year to enjoy the pine trees and to get away from it all,” he said. “It’s just nice. The fishing is usually good.”

The variety of experiences along the way makes the trip a family adventure.

Some enjoy touring the Kamas Fish Hatchery, where guided tours are available at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

To others, a stop at the Kamas Drug Store for a malt or Volkers Bakery for some fresh bread to enjoy around the camp is a necessity.

A few like to challenge themselves by taking the steep hike to the top of Bald Mountain, while others enjoy an easy stroll around Mirror Lake.

While motorboats are not allowed on any of the mountain lakes, float tubes, canoes, kayaks and even paddle boards are popular.

Simply enjoying a picnic lunch, looking out at a meadow filled with wildflowers or driving the road on a motorcycle or in a convertible can be a joy.

But come prepared for mosquitoes and rain. Don’t be surprised if the temperatures dip down into the high 30s at night and don’t reach 60 during the day.

In fact, though snowmobilers and cross-country skiers enjoy the highway and surroundings in the winter, perhaps a reason this area is so loved is that its season is so short.

Campgrounds and lakes often don’t open until mid-June. Some of the higher-elevation areas begin closing after Labor Day. Some years, the lakes are accessible into October, but other years they can close in mid- to late September.

Still, this is an area close to 2 million Wasatch Front residents who, in the heart of a scorching summer, flock to their traditional playground to enjoy the pleasant temperatures and amazing mountain scenery.