Fish Lake Hightop via Pelican Canyon Trail in Fishlake National Forest, UT

Hike Fish Lake Hightop via Pelican Canyon Trail Fishlake National Forest, UT

Class 2 10.2 miles 2700 gain 4-6 hrs Out + Back Sep 15, 2019
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Fish Lake Hightop via Pelican Canyon Trail GPX Track

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Fish Lake Hightop is a pleasant hike on a surprisingly well-maintained trail that leads to the summit. There is another route from the west that travels along an ATV road and would cut off a significant amount of work, but we were more excited to get a hike in by using the Pelican Canyon Trail. The route starts on the west side of Fish Lake off an unmarked dirt road. You can drive a bit higher to 38.57057, -111.69502 with higher clearance than I've got, but pretty much any vehicle can make it to where we started.

We set out up the Pelican Canyon Trail, which hugged a stream for the first half of the route. Parts of the trail have steep sections that appear to be the remains of an old forest road, but the majority is singletrack, and pretty. We missed the aspens changing by a couple of weeks, but the forest was still nice. Roughly haflway up the trail opens up into a meadow, where the official trail heads west toward a small pond. Our route to gain Fish Lake Hightop instead follows an unmarked social trail that headed north. It was easy to follow.

Eventually, we made it to the plateau rim and continued cross-country (mostly following cairns) until we were a few hundred feet from the rocky bluff marking the summit. Just before starting up, we ran into an ATV road and an information panel with info about the plateau. We continued up the Class 2 rocky stuff to gain the summit and took in the nice plateau views.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Fish Lake Hightop
11633 ft
4153 rise

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View toward Fish Lake.
View toward Fish Lake.
Another shot toward Fish Lake.
Another shot toward Fish Lake.
Starting up the Pelican Canyon Trail.
Starting up the Pelican Canyon Trail.
The Pelican Canyon Trail heads through the forest and is easy to follow.
The Pelican Canyon Trail heads through the forest and is easy to follow.
Image 4 from gallery
Image 5 from gallery
Sections of the Pelican Canyon Trail felt like they were on the remains of an old forest road, but has since eroded into a trail.
Sections of the Pelican Canyon Trail felt like they were on the remains of an old forest road, but has since eroded into a trail.
About halfway up, a junction in a meadow. We headed north (right) along the social trail.
About halfway up, a junction in a meadow. We headed north (right) along the social trail.
Cairns leading through the meadow.
Cairns leading through the meadow.
View back toward the junction.
View back toward the junction.
Ascending to the rim of the plateau above.
Ascending to the rim of the plateau above.
View back.
View back.
Image 12 from gallery
More progress up to the rim, visible ahead.
More progress up to the rim, visible ahead.
Image 14 from gallery
Along the top of the plateau, still a ways to go to reach the high point of Fish Lake Hightop.
Along the top of the plateau, still a ways to go to reach the high point of Fish Lake Hightop.
Fish Lake Hightop ahead.
Fish Lake Hightop ahead.
View back, cairns helping mark the way through the open terrain.
View back, cairns helping mark the way through the open terrain.
We crossed over an ATV trail with an information kiosk.
We crossed over an ATV trail with an information kiosk.
Continuing to Fish Lake Hightop.
Continuing to Fish Lake Hightop.
View back as we make our way up Class 2.
View back as we make our way up Class 2.
Image 21 from gallery
Ascending to the high point.
Ascending to the high point.
Fish Lake Hightop summit requires scrambling up a big boulder, Class 2.
Fish Lake Hightop summit requires scrambling up a big boulder, Class 2.
Fish Lake Hightop summit.
Fish Lake Hightop summit.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!