Ben Lomond Peak

Ben Lomond is the star of the Northern Wasatch making it the most well known. It is the prominent, pyramid shaped peak that is north of the city of Ogden. It is part of a long ridge that extends north to south between Brigham City and North Ogden Canyon. Willard Peak is located farther north along the same ridgeline and is the highest mountain in the Northern Wasatch and the highpoint of Weber County. From most vantage points Ben Lomond looks taller but Willard Peak happens to be over fifty feet higher. Ben Lomond stands out more so it receives the majority of people.

The name Ben Lomond comes from early Scottish settlers. Someone said it resembled the mountain of the same name in their country of Scotland, and somehow that stuck. The Ben Lomond in Scotland is located east of Loch Lomond, and is the most southerly of the Munros. You may notice that we often refer to this mountain as Ben Lomond Peak. This is actually redundant since the word, Ben or Beinn, means hill, peak, or mountain in Gaelic/Scottish. This would be like saying, Peak Lomond Peak, which sounds a little odd. The USGS has it labeled as Ben Lomond on maps, but we have gotten into the habit of calling him Ben Lomond Peak. On a clear day, The Scottish Ben Lomond is perfectly visible from the higher ground areas of Glasgow. Its name translates into "Beacon Peak". This also seems appropriate for the Ben Lomond in Utah which can be seen from many miles away.

The summit is located at a small point on top of the ridge. There is a metal box that may contain a register. The views in all directions are spectacular. Looking north you will see Willard Peak with its large and rocky summit knob. Farther behind are the Wellsville Mountains and Bear River Range. To the west you can see Willard Bay and the northern end of the Great Salt Lake. Looking south and slightly east from Ben Lomond is Chilly Peak at 8459 feet, which can easily be added to a hike up Ben Lomond. To the south across North Ogden Canyon is Lewis Peak, 8031 feet. Farther to the south is Allen Peak which is next to Mount Ogden with Malans Peak below. The view looking southwest stretches from North Ogden to Davis County.

The standard route up the mountain starts from North Odgen Divide. The elevation gain is gradual and follows the ridge most of the way. Some people have said that this route is too long, but we believe that most experienced people should have no problem hiking to the top in one day. The second most used route starts from Willard Basin to the north. This is the shortest and easiest way to climb the mountain but requires a long drive on dirt roads south of Mantua. This route goes to the top of Willard Peak and then traverses the ridge over the Ben Lomond. All other routes on the mountain are climbed less and are usually never crowded. Two trails start on the east side of Ben Lomond. One goes up to Cutler Basin and the other starts from North Fork Park.

Elevation Gain:

3618 Feet (N.Ogden Divide TH) 3000 Feet (North Fork) 1584 Feet (Inspiration Point TH)

15 Miles RT (N.Ogden Divide TH) 12 Miles RT (North Fork) 6 Miles RT (Inspiration Point TH)

Moderate to Difficult

8 Hours Ave (N.O. Divide TH) 2-3 Hours Ave (North Fork) 2-3 Hours Ave (Inspiration Point TH)