Mine Camp Peak is a high peak of the Pavant Mountains in central Utah, and is the highest point of Millard County. For that reason alone I would bother to climb this peak. I was on the end of a multi-day swing through New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and now Utah. I had just climbed Mt. Ellen in Garfield County and had just this one left to do before I headed south to Henderson (NV) to visit with my folks.

The two Utah County Highpoint guidebooks both described a longish hike coming up from the west via Fillmore, the county seat of Millard County (Millard, Fillmore, get it?). Fillmore is just a small town along Interstate-15 about midway up the state from St. George to Salt Lake. The county has high mountains in the east and expansive deserts out west. To be kind, Fillmore and the whole area is very dull, and I really did not want to drive all the way out that way to make a long hike for a peak that really was not a primary goal for this trip. Instead, I saw on the maps that there was another road that got somewhat close to the summit, coming from the south and east. Maybe this would make for a faster trip.

My first try from the east side was from the city of Salina, but the weather was lousy with storms and rain. Nevertheless, I drove in on WIllow Creek Road off of US-50 and got in about 15 miles, into the foothills of the Pavant Range. In dry conditions this route would have worked since the roads looked pretty good and maintained. However, today, the rain had turned the roads into goo and muck. I finally retreated when I came upon a large boulder just sitting in the road, with no safe way around it. It had obviously just fallen from up high. There could be others. And it was foggy. So back to Salina, me.

I tried another option, this time via the city of Richfield along Interstate-70. I had learned that this road I was after was called the Paiute ATV Trail, but was open to vehicles. One "end" of it is in Richfield, but getting to it takes some detective work: On Road 300 North in Richfield, I went west under the Interstate and toward a water tank, where the pavement ended. It looked like nothing special, but the road continues up the hills and in time, meets with the Paiute ATV Trail. Here are my mileages, summarized: 0.0: I-70 underpass; 0.3: water tank; 1.2: gate; 7.6: junction with ATV trail; 13.7: junction, right toward "White Pine Peak"; 15.3: junction, went left; 17.5 miles: cattle grate, road drops steeply, Mine Camp is just across the way.

The weather had been variable: kind of sunny in Richfield, drizzly as I headed north, some rain followed by sunny patches. The road itself was pretty good, but muddy and rocky after about the 11-mile mark. I needed 4-wheel drive and I kicked up a lot of mud, which covered my truck and made me look cool. I only saw a couple of ATVers. When I got to the cattle grate, I parked off the road and onto a small pullout. This route had worked well! And the weather for the moment was calm and sunny.

The hike was short: a steepish drop of 200 feet to a saddle, then up another steep 400 feet and bang, the summit! The one-way hike covered maybe 0.6 mile, was mostly open with spotty trees, and the hillsides were covered in mint brush which gave the whole area a lovely scent. Another scent was that of smoke: a fire was going on somewhere well west of me. I could hear helicopters. After a few moments to rest, I returned to my truck. All that effort for this peak. Yeah, it was worth it, far more interesting than the long west-sdie hike I was trying to avoid.

The drive out was muddy and bumpy, and once on pavement, easy sailing all the way to Henderson, where I spent a couple days with my parents. A long trip, successfully completed!