Northgate Peak, East

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 37.32472°N / 113.05343°W
Additional Information County: Washington
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 7153 ft / 2180 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview




Northwest Face
East Northgate Peak, northwestern face


East and West Northgate Peaks are a couple of slickrock mountains that rise above Pine Valley in Zion National Park. Pine Valley is a plateau that is covered by Pine Trees and sits at an elevation of 6800-6900 ft. The valley is far from Zion Canyon. The only vehicle access to Pine Valley area is via the Kolob Terrace Road.

East Northgate Peak is lower than West Northgate Peak and is easier to climb. The eastern, southern and western slopes of East Northgate Peak are made of steep slickrock. Its northern slopes, however, are covered by a growth of Pine trees. This makes the access to the summit much easier. A steep beaten path follows the northern slopes 300 vertical feet up to reach the top of the peak.



Northgate Peaks & North Guardian Angel
L to R: East Northgate, North Guardian Angel & West Northgate


Getting There




East Northgate Peak
East Northgate Peak on the right


From the southern entrance of Zion National Park in Springdale, UT, drive 13.5 miles west on Route 9 to the town of Virgin. Turn north and follow the Kolob Terrace Road 16 miles to the Wildcat Trailhead

This is a narrow paved road. Parts of it are closed in winter, see link below:
Kolob Terrace Road Conditions November Through May.

Route

All distances are per my GPS.

Place
Elevation
Distance
Wildcat Trailhead
6960 ft
zero miles
Connector Trail Jct.
6900 ft
0.95 miles
Northgate Trail Jct.
6900 ft
0.15 miles
Observation Point
6900 ft
1.1 miles
Base of North Slopes
6850 ft
-
Summit
7153 ft
0.3 miles
Total
-
2.5 miles



Map
Map



At Wildcat Trailhead, you will have great views of Pine Valley Peak. Follow the Wildcat Canyon Trail 0.95 miles over Pine Valley to Connector Trail Junction. Turn left (continue on Wildcat Canyon Trail) another 0.15 miles to reach the junction with the Northgate Peaks Trail. Turn right and follow the trail 1.1 miles to the end of it at an observation point. The Northgate Peaks will come to view here.





Pine Valley
Pine Valley
Pine Valley
Pine Valley



At the observation point, you will have to turn east and bushwhack your way down a slope to reach the northern base of the East Northgate Peak.




Bushwhack
Bushwhack




You will find a steep beaten path that follows the northern slopes to the summit.





Steep Path to the Top
Path to the top
Beaten Path to the Top
Path to the top




Views from the summit:













Pine Valley Peak
Pine Valley Peak
West Northgate Peak
West Northgate Peak
Tabernacle Dome
Tabernacle Dome
Jobs Head & Pocket Mesa
Jobs Head & Pocket Mesa
Russell Gulch
Russell Gulch
Russell Gulch/West Canyon
Russell Gulch/West Canyon
West Canyon
West Canyon
Guardian Angels
North & South Guardian Angels
West Temple
The West Temple



Red Tape

You must pay park entrance fee. Please be ware that there are no fee booths on Kolob Terrace Road. You must pay in Springdale or elsewhere.

No permits needed for day hikes. See link below for all rules and regulations:
http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Weather

See the forecast for Springdale, UT

External Links

Northgate Peaks Scramble