The Oquirrhs are under appreciated for their recreational activities, possibly because there is not much information on how and where to access these western peaks and canyons. Many falsely assume Kennecott owns the entire mountain range. It is true they own a large chunk including most of the eastern slopes in Salt Lake County, however in the 90’s the BLM created a wilderness area for non-motorized public access just over the Tooele County line. Each month we will share some of the great hikes available in the Oquirrhs.
This months hike is Barneys Peak. When former United States Interior Secretary, Sally Jewel, made her first official visit to Utah, part of her itinerary was to go on a hike with BLM staff. While the east side Wasatch Mountains may have been the obvious choice, Jewel instead headed west to Tooele County hiking through Pass Canyon to Barney’s Peak. It’s easy to see why once you go on this hike.
Barney’s Peak sits at an elevation of 8,242 feet. While the views from the top are not as good as some of the taller peaks to the north, the trip up Pass Canyon is the highlight of this hike. Pass Canyon is a very large canyon with amazing rock formations, beautiful views, and abundant wildlife.
To get to the trailhead from Salt Lake, head west on SR-201 and merge on to I-80. Take the Tooele exit and head south past Lakepoint, Stansbury, and Erda. As you come into Tooele the highway goes up a bridge and over some railroad tracks, as you come back down take the next left which is 1280 North. Take an immediate left onto 2000 North. Head back north past the movie theater and follow the road as it bends back to the east. Pass through the intersection at Droubay Road and keep heading east until you reach Churchwood Drive. Turn left on Churchwood, and keep going till you come to the gate at the end of the road.
The gate on Churchwood Drive is unlocked from June through October. Open the gate and pass through. Always remember to close the gate behind you. On the other side the road is not paved; you will take an immediate right hand turn and continue on the dirt road. It meanders to the northeast until it reaches the base of the Oquirrhs and intersects another dirt road that head southeast parallel with the foothills. The road gets a little rough at this point requiring a vehicle with good clearance but not necessarily four wheel drive capability. Eventually the road turns back to north and heads straight for Pass Canyon. Find a place to park in between the scattered cow pies and then head on through the small gate to start your hike.
The trail runs along an old dirt road that actually goes all the way up and over into Salt Lake County, which makes for nice easy hiking. There is some good tree cover at points to start with as the trail heads northeast up Pass Canyon. After a mile there will be a small side canyon to the North. Stop here to check out “Cougar Castle”, a huge series of rock fins running up the side of the ridge.
At a mile and a half up the trail, Pass Canyon continues north but here the trail turns to the East. This junction provides some beautiful views of Nelson Peak to the North. There is a large cliff band around the top of Nelson Peak that really can’t be seen except from this due south angle, providing some amazing scenery especially during sunrise or sunset. Pass Canyon continues on for a few miles and is worth exploring, but to reach the summit of Barney’s Peak you must diverge at this point.

Continuing up the trail at mile 2.5 the trail starts to head up side of Barney Peak. It gets a little steeper and gains a thousand feet in elevation as you crisscross through a few switchbacks. As you gain elevation the vegetation and temperature begin to change. The Oquirrh ridge is at 4 miles. This marks the boundary of public land and Kennecott’s property on the eastern slopes.
There are two ways to reach the summit. Once you reach the ridge of the Oquirrh Mountains, there is a small meadow here, the main trail continues to the North around the backside of Barneys Peak. There is also a little trail that cuts through the brush on the east side of the meadow and heads straight up the ridge to the summit. If you follow the main trail north, you find the old road ends after a little bit and a small trail continues until it comes to the top of Barneys Canyon. This spot gives you an amazing glimpse at the reclamation work Kennecott has done and is yet to complete. Barneys Canyon has been heavily mined. While most of the canyon has been reclaimed there is still a huge chunk of the mountain missing.
From this northern side you can head up the steep ridge, from either direction the summit is another half a mile. The views on top are excellent of the Tooele valley and Oquirrh Mountains, but don’t expect to see your house from here. Nielsen Peak towers to the North and blocks much of the view of the Salt Lake Valley.
Total elevation gain for the hike is 2,900 feet, with a round trip distance of 9 miles. Even if you don’t make it to the top there is still plenty to see on this hike, including caves, tree tunnels, giants thumbs, quaking aspen art, elderberries, no trespassing signs, and the northern edge of the world’s largest open pit mine. So hop in the truck and get exploring!

One response
Does anyone know who the peak and canyon of Barney is named after?