Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 42.11391°N / 111.59335°W
Additional Information County: Franklin/Bear Lake
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 9216 ft / 2809 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Cub Peak sits at the Eastern end of Cub River Canyon. Its East ridge forms the divide between Snowslide Canyon and the North Fork of St. Charles Canyon. It is very seldom climbed even though the actual summit is only about 150 ft. above the well-used High Line Trail. It sits on the Franklin/Bear Lake County line but the actual high point is just to the West of the line in Franklin County.
From the West the mountain just looks like the high point of a pine covered ridge but from all other directions it looks like an actual peak. The East side is mostly bare and rocky and the West side is steep and thickly forested.
It is only about a mile North of the Franklin County High Point (Pt. 9484) and it offers a spectacular view of the highest portion of the Bear River Range to the South, Franklin Basin, Cache Valley, Bear Lake, and most of the major peaks in the Idaho portion of the range.
It has been officially surveyed by the Forest Service and there is an intact marker on the top.
The climb is an easy class 1 and there is only about 150 ft. of off trail bushwhacking. It is a very easy summit but the view is very rewarding. The main challenge to this mountain is that you must hike for some distance to even get to it no matter which direction you come from.
View to the North
The view to the North

Getting There

From Preston, ID


Go south on Highway 91 til you get to Cub River Road. It's about halfway to franklin. Turn left on this road so you're heading east. Don't turn any where on this road until it splits well past the forest boundary. If you go straight it will take you to the Hull Valley BSA camp. You should turn right here so you're head towards Willow Flat campgraound. There will be a sign. Follow this road until you get to the campground. You will need to go over the bridge and then take the first left and follow this road to the end. It is very short. Park at the end and this is the trailhead.  
Cub Peak Summit Marker
The Summit Marker


The Climb


From the Trailhead follow the Bloomington Lake Trail to the top of the ridge. It is well used and well marked. This first part is actually the most difficult because of the elevation gain. The trailhead is at just over 6000 ft. and it climbs to an elevation of about 8500 ft. within about 1.5 miles. There are very few switchbacks and the trail is quite rocky as well. The other thing about this section of the trail is that there is not much timber and therefore not much shade so it is best to do in the early morning when it is still cool. Otherwise the heat could become a problem. Once you get tio the top of the ridge there will be an intersecion of the High Line Trail with the Bloomington and North Fork St. Charles Canyon Trails. There is a large stone cairn at the intersection and there are a few badly damaged signs on it. From here take the High Line Trail South for about 2 miles. This section is very easy hiking with mostly smooth elevation gain/loss. Cub Peak will be visible as soon as you get around pt. 8897. The rrail will go about 150 ft. below the summit. From there just leave the trail and bushwhack to the top. There will be a Forest Service marker on the top.
Cub Peak Route
The Route

Red Tape

There are no restrictions except fire restrictions in dry years. The highline trail is also open to motorcycles so watch for them. You can usually hear them a long ways off though.
Once you leave the Cub River there is NO water on the trail. You will need to bring your own. It is possible to get water at Bloominton Lake but that is about a mile out of your way to the North.

Camping

 
Cub River Canyon
Cub River Canyon
The best place to camp while climbing this mountain would be at Willow Flat Campground which is at the trailhead. It has over 50 campsites as well as water and restrooms. It is very popular though so it may be difficult to find a spot.
Bloomington Lake also has a few decent undeveloped campsites. There are also restrooms.
There are also many, many beautiful places to camp along the High Line Trail that are not in a campground and are far from any roads. It is possible to camp just below the summit or even on the top!