![]() Most of the mountain slopes are forested. Summer afternoon thunderstorms may occur with little warning. Night temperatures during summer are 30-40 degrees, with freezing possible at any time. Temperatures in areas above 10,000 feet are seldom above 80 degrees during summer days. In contrast to the surrounding desert, the Uintas receive about 40 inches of precipitation annually, mostly as snow. Parent rocks are primarily quartzite with sandstones and shale beds. These ancient rocks were elevated under tremendous pressure to form nearly vertical faults. The mountains' skeleton is pre-Cambrian rock over 600 million years old. Ridges divide the area into large, scenic basins many ridges rise abruptly several thousand feet above the basins. Elevations range from 8,000 feet in the lower canyons to 13,528 feet atop Kings Peak - the highest point in Utah. The Uinta Range is the highest in Utah, and is the only major range in the contiguous United States with an east-west orientation. Over 2.5 million visitors come to the Ashley National Forest each year for outdoor recreation. There are also over 400 miles of streams. There are well over 1,000 natural lakes in the Uintas and more than 500 of them support populations of game fish. It includes 460,000 acres and is the largest wilderness area in Utah. The High Uintas Wilderness was established by Congress in 1984. The western portion lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, which was created by presidential proclamation in 1906, and the Cache National Forest, which was designated in 1907. ![]() Most of the Uinta Mountain Range is contained within the Ashley National Forest, which was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. In addition, a few trails are open to ATVs. The mountains pick up heavy snowfall and include several areas designated for snowmobile recreation. ![]()
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