Thick forests of Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine blanket the land below treeline. Above treeline, tundra plant communities thrive in the harsh climate of the highest altitudes. The Uinta Mountains rise from 7,500 to 13,528 feet at the summit of Kings Peak, offering diverse habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Cold, clear rivers plunge from the basins into deep canyons that form the headwaters of Utah's major rivers. Hundreds of picturesque lakes, streams, and meadows lie within sculpted basins. This rugged expanse of peaks and flat-top mountains is the largest alpine area in the Intermountain West and is the setting for Kings Peak, the highest peak in Utah. Massive secondary ridges extend north and south from the crest of the range, framing glacial basins and canyons far below. The main crest of the Uinta Mountains runs west to east for more than 60 miles, rising over 6,000 feet above the Wyoming and Uinta Basins to the north and south. Some of this rock is exposed as colorful quartzite and shales. The Uinta Mountains were carved by glaciers from an immense uplift of Precambrian rock. The High Uintas Wilderness is administered jointly by the Ashley and Wasatch-Cache National Forests. Characterized by the highest peaks in Utah, countless lakes, and a unique alpine ecosystem, it is among the nation's most outstanding wilderness areas. The High Uintas Wilderness envelops the wild core of this massive mountain range. Located in northeastern Utah, the Uinta Mountains were named for the Uintah Indians, early relatives of the modern Ute Tribe.
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