Box Elder Peak Hike: Granite Flat, Dry Creek & the Summit Ridge

Things to Do September 30, 2026 10 min read ✓ Updated September 30, 2026

Abigail Giordano Senior Writer, Provo.com How we make Provo.com

North of Timpanogos and southeast of Lone Peak there is a clean pyramid of a mountain that most of Utah Valley has looked at for years without ever learning its name. It stands above American Fork Canyon and the town of Alpine, it tops out at 11,101 feet, and on a summer weekend it sees a fraction of the people heading for Timp. That is Box Elder Peak.

It makes a natural next step for hikers who have done Timpanogos and want a big summit without the crowds, and it asks for one thing Timp does not: the last climb to the top is not on an official trail. This guide covers both ways up, that final ridge, the fees and rules, and when to go. Routes, rules and fees were checked against the Forest Service on September 30, 2026.

Quick facts


Summit	11,101 feet
Where	Lone Peak Wilderness, between American Fork Canyon and Alpine
Managed by	Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Pleasant Grove Ranger District
Main routes	Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail from Granite Flat Campground; Dry Creek trail from Alpine
Round trip	Granite Flat: roughly 10.5 to 11.5 miles and 4,300 to 5,000 feet of climbing, per trail apps. Alpine: longer, with closer to 6,000 feet
Permit	None; no weekend ticket system like Timpooneke's
Fee	American Fork Canyon recreation fee to park at Granite Flat; America the Beautiful passes honored
Best season	July through September
From Provo	About 25 miles and 48 minutes to Granite Flat, or 22 miles and 42 minutes to Alpine's Dry Creek Trailhead, by OpenStreetMap routing

The official trails go around it, not up it

Box Elder Peak is ringed by Forest Service trails, and none of them goes to the summit. The Box Elder Trail #044 is, in the agency's words, a wild and rugged 7.5-mile trail that climbs steeply to circle the peak and finishes at the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail #043. The #043 trail, in turn, crosses the saddle at the head of Dry Creek, just north of the mountain. From that saddle, the summit is a climb up the north ridge on a path hikers have worn themselves.

That matters for two reasons. First, there are no switchbacks engineered for you on the steepest part of the day; the ridge goes up the way the ridge goes up, and it is loose near the top. Second, you are in the Lone Peak Wilderness, where the Forest Service warns that trails get little or no maintenance and tells visitors to carry a map and compass. Download the route before you leave the car, because signal is not something to count on up here.

Route one: Granite Flat Campground (the usual way)

Most people start in American Fork Canyon, because Granite Flat sits well above the valley floor and saves a lot of climbing. From I-15 take exit 284 (Alpine-Highland) and follow Highway 92 east into American Fork Canyon. At the fork above the canyon mouth, take the North Fork road (SR-144) toward Tibble Fork Reservoir, and just past the reservoir turn onto the paved road to Granite Flat Campground, about a mile further. The Forest Service lists the campground as open seasonally, run by a concessionaire, with restrooms and usually water during its season.

From there the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail climbs west out of the Deer Creek drainage, through forest and a few rock fields, to an open high meadow and the saddle where the Dry Creek trail comes up from Alpine. Leave the trail at the saddle and turn south up the ridge. The path starts in spruce and breaks out above timberline partway up, and the final stretch is the steep, loose part people remember. From the summit you see the Pfeifferhorn and Lone Peak along the ridge to the north and Timpanogos filling the view to the south.

Trail apps put this out-and-back at roughly 10.5 to 11.5 miles with 4,300 to 5,000 feet of climbing, depending on the exact line on the ridge. Count on a full day.

Route two: Alpine's Dry Creek Trailhead

The Alpine side starts at the Dry Creek Trailhead, a dirt lot at the end of Grove Drive. The first stretch is a very busy trail, because it is the way to Horsetail Falls, and most of the people on it turn around at the falls. Past them, the trail keeps climbing Dry Creek to the same high meadow and the same saddle, and from there it is the same ridge to the top.

This is the longer, harder way to the summit, with closer to 6,000 feet of climbing in total, and its reward is starting from town, with no canyon drive and no American Fork Canyon fee. The access road runs through a neighborhood and the trail begins in city open space, so park only where signs allow and keep noise down early in the morning.

Route three: the loop, or a car shuttle

Because the trails ring the mountain, Box Elder lends itself to loops. A common one goes up the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail from Granite Flat, over the summit, and down the south side to pick up the White Canyon and Box Elder trails back to the campground. Another is a point-to-point between Alpine and Granite Flat with a car left at each end.

Both are good days and both ask more of you than the out-and-back. The descent off the south side is steep and takes some route-finding, and the Box Elder Trail is the one the Forest Service calls wild and rugged. Do the out-and-back first if you have not been up before.

Timing, weather and snow

Summer into early fall. Snow holds on the upper mountain well into the season in many years. A photo on Wikimedia Commons, taken from the valley, shows the summit slopes still white on June 1, 2022. For most people July through September is the dependable window, and Granite Flat Campground's season sets the practical limits on the canyon side.

Start early. Afternoon thunderstorms build over the Wasatch summits through July and August, and both the ridge and the summit are exposed. Pick a turnaround time before you start and keep it.

Carry your water. Do not plan around refilling on the way; Dry Creek runs dry for much of the year. Take more than you think, plus layers, a headlamp and sun protection.

Fall color. The aspens around Granite Flat and on the upper trail turn in late September and early October, which makes this one of the better fall summit days in the valley, as long as the first snow has not beaten you to it.

Fees, permits and wilderness rules

There is no permit for Box Elder Peak and no weekend ticket system. That sets it apart from the Timpooneke trailhead for Mount Timpanogos, where the Forest Service has required tickets on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays since July 7, 2023.

Parking at Granite Flat does cost something. American Fork Canyon is a designated recreation fee area, and the fee attaches to stopping at a developed site such as a trailhead or campground, with the pass displayed in your vehicle; America the Beautiful passes are honored. Our American Fork Canyon guide explains what triggers the fee, and our Tibble Fork guide has the current posted rates.

Inside the Lone Peak Wilderness, the Forest Service's rules apply: no mountain bikes or other mechanized or motorized equipment (a drone counts), no shortcutting switchbacks, campfires and wood gathering discouraged, and groups capped at 15, with 8 or fewer recommended.

A checklist for the night before

Choose your start: Granite Flat for the shorter day, Alpine for no canyon drive.
Download the route, including the ridge above the saddle, and carry the Forest Service map.
If you are starting at Granite Flat, bring a pass or cash for the canyon fee.
Pack all your water, food for a full day, layers, a headlamp and sun protection.
Set a turnaround time and tell someone your route.
Check the summit forecast for afternoon storms.

How it compares with its neighbors

Box Elder sits between two better-known summits. Mount Timpanogos is higher and busier, with maintained trail almost to the top and a weekend permit system at Timpooneke. Lone Peak is rougher, with a steeper approach and a granite scramble at the summit. Box Elder lands in the middle: a long, steep day with real navigation at the end but no scrambling to speak of, and far more solitude than either. If you want a shorter outing on the same mountain, the walk to Horsetail Falls from Alpine is the popular half-day.

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Box Elder Peak?

Box Elder Peak is 11,101 feet, the figure on topographic maps and in most route guides. It sits in the Lone Peak Wilderness between American Fork Canyon and Alpine, north of Mount Timpanogos and southeast of Lone Peak, both of which are higher.

What is the easiest way up Box Elder Peak?

The usual route starts at Granite Flat Campground in American Fork Canyon and follows the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail to the saddle north of the peak, then climbs the north ridge to the summit. Trail apps put the round trip at roughly 10.5 to 11.5 miles with 4,300 to 5,000 feet of climbing. It is the shorter option because the trailhead sits well above Alpine's.

Is there a trail to the top of Box Elder Peak?

Not an official one. The Forest Service trails go around the mountain: the Box Elder Trail #044 circles it and the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail #043 crosses the saddle beside it. The last climb to the summit follows a hiker-made path up the north ridge from that saddle, and it is steep and loose near the top.

Do you need a permit to hike Box Elder Peak?

No permit is required, which sets it apart from the Timpooneke trailhead for Mount Timpanogos, where the Forest Service has required tickets on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays since July 7, 2023. Parking at Granite Flat is a developed site in the American Fork Canyon recreation fee area, so display a pass or pay the fee; America the Beautiful passes are honored.

Can you hike Box Elder Peak from Alpine?

Yes. The Dry Creek Trailhead at the end of Grove Drive in Alpine climbs past Horsetail Falls and on up Dry Creek to the same saddle, then the same ridge. It is longer and involves considerably more climbing than starting at Granite Flat, and the trailhead is reached through a neighborhood, so park only where signs allow.

When is the best time to hike Box Elder Peak?

July through September for most people. Snow can stay on the upper mountain into June; a photo on Wikimedia Commons shows the summit slopes still white on June 1, 2022. Granite Flat Campground is open seasonally, and afternoon thunderstorms are common on Wasatch summits in July and August, so start early.

Is Box Elder Peak in a wilderness area?

Yes. The Forest Service describes the Box Elder Trail as reaching a seldom visited area of the Lone Peak Wilderness. Wilderness rules apply: no mountain bikes or motorized equipment, a group limit of 15 with 8 or fewer recommended, no shortcutting switchbacks, and campfires discouraged.

Can I bring my dog on Box Elder Peak?

The Forest Service's Lone Peak Wilderness rules do not bar dogs, and this site's hike finder lists the Box Elder trail as leashed-dog terrain. Keep the dog leashed, carry water for it, and check what is posted at the Alpine trailhead, where the access crosses a neighborhood and city open space.

Abigail Giordano

Senior Writer

Abigail Giordano is a senior writer at Provo.com covering student life, family resources, and community events across Utah Valley. Her writing focuses on making Provo more accessible and navigable for newcomers, students, and families — the practical guides that help people feel at home faster.

Hiking Box Elder Peak: Granite Flat or Alpine, and the Last Ridge No Official Trail Climbs