The Dugway Range is a long way from anything. Because of some Geode Beds on BLM land near the base of the range, many city folk have actually been there and know where this little range is hiding. The Dugway Range is just outside the massive Dugway Military Base. Just to the north inside the base is the highly coveted 2000 prominence Granite Peak, the one nobody can get up thanks to the tight security. Even if you did slip by, with target grids surrounding the mountain, one wrong step on an unexploded bomb might end your climbing career quickly. The highest point isn't named on topo maps but a register placed by John Vitz in 1998 uses the standard default name of Dugway Range Highpoint. Only a few have visited the summit since then. One hunter signed the log saying, "looking for the perfect deer". A year later he signed again saying "still looking".

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Follow the Pony Express Road west until you reach the Dugway Range and Dugway Pass. Drop down the west side a mile or so until it flattens out. At a curve in the road sign, the only real road to the right since the pass branches off to the right. If you hit the Dugway Geode Beds sign you went too far (although there is a route through there somewhere in a maze of roads). Follow the side road as it curves along the base of the Dugway Range. A high clearance vehicle is recommended here. At 2.7 miles, a nice side road comes in (the one from the Geode Beds). At 5.3 miles, I took a short road towards the peak until it dead ended in a wash. (see overview map)

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Access:

From the end of the drivable spur road, walk up the wash about 5 minutes to avoid a bump on the right. Gain the ridge on the right at a low point past the bump. Follow this ridge to the summit. The false summit is steep the last 100 feet. Cliffs prevent you from traversing around but it is possible about 40 vertical feet below the summit to traverse the north side. The ridge between the false and true summit is rocky. Plan some side hilling below the ridge or minor scrambling on the ridge top.

My Route:

Distance: 1.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,500 feet
Summit Elevation: 6,830 feet
Access: Rough road

Great Basin Group

True summit from the false summit

Nearing the climb up the false summit

False summit from the road, about a mile south of the start

From road on approach, false and true summit

False Summit

True Summit

Castle Mountain

Dugway Mountains from junction on Pony Express Road

False summit from the true summit

Any idea what this is? It was about 50 feet below the summit, probably tossed there. Top part was in good shape, looked like a military use lever. Smoke charge for helicopters to pick someone up?

Northeast to Peak 5740

East to Peak 6325

Northwest to Castle Mountain

Southern Dugway Range and the Thomas Range

Granite Peak inside Dugway Proving Grounds

Looking south

Rocks on ridge between summits