Everything you need to know about the Soldier Summit in Utah
Soldier Summit is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.284m (7,493ft) above sea level, located in the U.S. state of Utah.
Where is Soldier Pass Utah?
The pass is located on the boundary between Utah and Wasatch counties, in the eastern part of Utah.
Why do they call it Soldier Summit Utah?
Discovered by Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, the pass is named after a group of soldiers commanded by General Philip St. George Cooke who were caught in an unexpected snowstorm here in July 1861 on their way to join the Confederate Army. Some of them died and were buried on the summit.
How long is the road to Soldier Summit?
The road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called U.S. Route 6 (US-6). The road is 68.87km (42.8 miles) long, running west-east from Thistle (a ghost town in Spanish Fork Canyon, in southeastern Utah County) to Castle Gate (a ghost town in Carbon County, in eastern Utah).
Is the road to Soldier Summit dangerous?
Set high in the Wasatch Mountains, the road is mostly flat, hitting a 5% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. At the summit there’s a ghost town with the same name and a gas station. Open to traffic throughout the year, may be closed for short periods in winter when the weather is bad.