Red Castle
The Uinta Mountains stretch 150 miles from Kamas, Utah, to Cross Mountain, Colorado. One striking and aptly named peak, Red Castle, stands tall beside its lower lake companion.
In July 2024, I joined a group of friends on a backpacking trip into the Uintas to see it for ourselves. I talk a big hiking game at times, but I truly lean towards nature walks rather than hikes. Luckily for me, it was only a 1,400-foot elevation climb to the lower lake. It ain’t no Everest, but the thin air and gusty winds become more apparent at that height.
We split the ascent into two days and hiked back on the third day. This allowed us to enjoy both the sunset and sunrise over Red Castle, illuminating the warm, rich colors of the monolithic formation.
Hiking Details:
20 mi round trip to the lower lake of Red Castle
Native Reservation history?
Elevation: 12,676
Additional Trail Info (AllTrails): https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/lower-red-castle-lake-via-e-fork-smiths-fork
@brookstmcfadden A special thanks to @Renée Carver, @meganrobinson8188 ♬ Forever Noah Kahan 2.9 - Noah Kahan