Hike Candland Mountain Manti-La Sal National Forest, UT

Jul 21, 2022 — Candland Mountain is a nice peak on the Wasatch Plateau that has a trail to nearly the summit. When I got to the trailhead I was greeted by an ugly dirt road and a ton of recently cut trees rather than a pretty trail. I later encountered someone on the trail who said normally the start of the trail switchbacked through the forest and that the logging operation started this summer (2022). I don't know if they will restore the trail back the way it was, but at least for this foreseeable future the trail begins on the logging road and the main Candland trail is a little tricky to find. I included the trail and the road on my attached map for reference. If you do miss the trail and stay on the road, the road leads to the ridgeline where you can pick up the trail anyway, so it's not a big deal.

After following either the trail (or road) through the forest, I reached the ridgeline where the Candland Trail continued through open meadow, heading south. The views opened up and it was very pretty despite the recently cleared forest to the east. Alternating between steep forest hiking and flat open meadows with views to the surrounding reservoirs and expansive landscape, the hike was really enjoyable. A mile or so later I reached the base of Candland Mountain's false summit, and the trail made an ascending traverse along the west slope. Once the trail reached the ridgeline again, I left the trail (which continued away from Candland Mountain) and followed a social trail along the ridge crest, gaining the summit. The views and wildflowers were excellent.