Burger Peak: 10,320' - Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, Utah

When temperatures soar in St. George, Utah, head up to the Pine Valley Mountains to look over Southern Utah and Arizona mountains in a cool, beautiful forest with mature stands of aspens, Mountain Mahogany trees, and plenty of trails and peaks to explore.

Related: 
Canaan Mountain via Squirrel Canyon
Angels Landing in Zion:  Not for the Faint of Heart
​Double Arch Alcove Hike - Kolob Canyons in Zion NP

Trip Stats
Location:  Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, Dixie National Forest, near St. George, Utah
Distance/Elevation gain:  12.8 miles out and back/3,670'.     Trailhead = 6,650',  Summit = 10,320'
Difficulty:  Strenuous Class 1 on Summit Trail; Class 2 on short spur trail to Burger Peak
Date Hiked:  May 28, 2020
Trails:  Forsyth Trail #31012 to Summit Trail #31021.
Map:  Trails Illustrated #702:  Cedar Mtn/Pine Valley Mtn - Dixie National Forest, Utah
Coordinates:  Forsyth Canyon Trailhead = 37.3836  -113.5068.  Burger Peak = 37.3248  -113.5016
Considerations:  Creek crossings shallow in late May; snow bank negotiation in shaded western-facing slopes.  No permits, dogs must have strict voice control, preferably on leash.
Geology:  Pine Valley Mountains form the Pine Valley Laccolith, made of monzonite porphyry (intrusive igneous rock).  This dome-shaped laccolith was formed when magma was injected between existing rock layers because an outlet for the magma (vent) had been closed.  This is the largest laccolith in the U.S.  Lakkos is greek for reservoir, lith = stone.

Driving Directions and Hiking Directions

View of southern aspect of Pine Valley Mountains, the largest laccolith in the U.S., from Hurricane, Utah
The highest peak is Signal Peak at 10, 365 feet.

North side of Pine Valley Mountains, from town of Pine Valley, Southern Utah
Forsyth trail passes by large crags

Our Hike:   Forsyth Trailhead --> Summit Trail #3021--> spur trail to Burger summit
Many people consider Southern Utah synonymous with slot canyons and colorful cliffs, hoodoos, and mesas.  Its famous national parks - Zion, Bryce and Arches are gems with spectacular scenes.  Except when the temperatures reach 100 degrees.  In a way you could say we were lucky because of the hot temps in St. George - otherwise we might have never discovered the cool Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, where we summited Burger Peak to see a vast view of the hot desert below.

The Pine Valley Mountains are less than an hour's drive north of St. George, and provide the forested backdrop to the little town of Pine Valley.  The drive itself is beautiful, as you pass by a huge cinder cone and gorgeous Snow Canyon State Park.  We felt lucky to have "stumbled" onto this wilderness, the second-largest in Utah because of the many trail and peak opportunities.  It has the most diverse flora of any Utah mountain range, with ~ 1,000 species identified so far, and numerous meadows.  We met a backpacker on a separate hike near Whipple Valley who said he had to go "two meadows over" for his first night.  He was doing a loop trip using Summit Trail, which treks 35 miles between entry points at Whipple Valley and Forsyth trailhead, up and along highest Pine Valley Mountains ridge.

The first mile wanders through large stands of mature Mountain Mahogany and Ponderosa Pines.  Stream crossings over Forsyth Creek are easy, with low stream flow.  This forest is so unique, because it has such a wide variety of trees.   Tree dead fall on the first mile attests to destructive bark beetles that have plagued many forests throughout the west.  At mile two, the trail steepens and follows Forsyth Creek as the canyon narrows.  It climbs steadily for the next 4.5 miles to the peak; we ran into our first snow bank around 9,000 feet.  A spur trail heading north from Summit Trail takes you to the peak.  The view of Southern Utah from the steep cliffs at this intersection is incredible.

Forsyth Creek video

First mile of Forsyth Trail 

Forsyth Creek

This forest is filled with large, towering aspens.  I make a mental note to return in the autumn.  Many had names and dates carved into their trunks.  The carving above has a date of August 24, 1951.  The depiction of a mountain range with a moon overhead made this one unique.  This is possibly a Basque sheep herder carving or "arborglyph".   There are many Basque carvings in the high countries of the west; the sheep herders had a lot of time to pass and many carved not only their names, but also simple scenes of life in the mountains.

Sue on the trail!

Lunch break at small meadow - 4.2 miles in on Summit Trail

At 4.2 miles, the trail reaches a great flat spot where we took a break to appreciate the height of the aspens.  Here, the trail departs from Forsyth Creek to travel to the west of it .

Reach a sign at ~5.1 miles that indicates three more miles to "Further Water", which on the map appears to be a spring.  This also appears to be the intersection with the Blake-Gubler trail that heads southwest to Cottonwood Creek.  There's a great camp spot adjacent.  

Snow bank navigation is the next task.  We met a descending hiker that told us he turned around because one snow bank was too steep.  We managed this snowbank by hiking below and around it, climbing back to identify the trail before it disappeared into another snow bank.  Tedious it was, but we made it through many steep patches of snow, through forest until we took a turn to the south at mile 5.7,  elevation 9,900 feet where it was sunnier and the snow banks ended.  They resumed again on the spur trail to the summit, as we followed a previous hiker's boot prints.

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The spur trail that leaves Summit trail is easy to spot on the left once you walk past killer views of the desert floor below:  Snow Valley, Red Mountain, and Zion National Park.  Ponderosa Pines and firs, and steep crags dominate Burger's summit.  For all practical purposes, we made it to the summit; we stopped at 10, 240 feet due to deep large snow fields.  We savored the smell of pines and cool breezes while we looked down at the baking desert.

Finally get an opening in the forest ~ 5.7 miles into the hike to view vast Southern Utah:  St. George, Zion National Park

View of Signal Peak, highest point in Pine Valley Mountains from near Burger Peak's summit

Rock walls to walk between and around at Burger Peak's summit 

The 6.4 mile hike back gave us a lot of time to appreciate this beautiful forest with its mature, towering canopy.  We had made a trail through the snow that others could follow easily to the summit.  We saw only 4 other hikers the whole day.  We were so impressed with this wilderness that we hiked to Whipple Valley a few days later.

Pine Valley has an interesting history.  It was discovered by Mormon pioneers Gunlock Bill Hamblin, Jacob Hamblin, and Isaac Riddle when they were moving cattle north of Santa Clara for summer grazing.  A sawmill to process lumber was erected in 1856.   The tall white Pine Valley Chapel stands out as you drive through town.  Built in 1868 according to Ebenezer Bryce's plan, it is the oldest meetinghouse in continuous use of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Bryce reportedly followed a lost cow later into a beautiful canyon - the now famous Bryce Canyon National Park.   He had huge granite boulders placed at the corners of the foundation.  Bryce's experience in Scotland as a shipbuilder was the impetus for the well-constructed chapel.

Regrettably, The Pine Valley Heritage Center in town was closed as we finished the hike.  We will be back to explore more of this exquisite wilderness.  Possibly some snowshoeing in the winter?  For now, we head back to the sweltering St. George heat and its red sandstone to look up to the granite crags and cool Pine Valley Mountains.  

Break at the intersection sign -  done with most of the large snow drifts!

Descending rugged Forsyth Canyon

Pine Valley Chapel
Downloaded from internet:  https://www.thisistheplace.org/pine-valley-chapel-rental

Topo map and elevation profile for Burger Peak, Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, Dixie National Forest, Utah
3,670' elevation gain in 6.4  miles
Town of Pine Valley north, trail heads south 
click on map for larger image

Google Earth image of our tracks from Pine Valley (north, or top of image) Utah to (almost) Burger Peak summit via Summit Trail.  Deep snow prevented us from getting to true summit.

References
Pine Valley Mounains - Wikipedia
​Exploring Burger Peak via Forsyth Canyon.  Don Gilman, September 26, 2018.  Southern Utah Now.  
Pine Valley Utah Official Home Page - History.  pinevalleyutah.org
Pine Valley:  More than a Chapel - Church History.  history.churchofjesuschrist.org
​Pine Valley Chapel brochure from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints