Utah State Route 150
Encyclopedia
State Route 150, also known as the Mirror Lake Highway, is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Utah
. It is named for Mirror Lake
, a picturesque lake that the highway passes along the way. It is also a USDA Forest Service Byway.
and heads east on the latter as a two-lane undivided highway. Once exiting Kamas, the route dips southeast and continues as such until reaching Samak
, where the road turns northeast briefly. Soon after, the highway turns south and southeast again. After continuing in a general southeast direction, the highway turns northeast and north and continues as such until reaching the Wyoming
border south of Evanston
.
The road is the highest paved road in Utah when it crosses Bald Mountain Pass
at an altitude of 10715 ft (3,265.9 m).
During the winter months the road is closed to automobiles and is used by snowmobiles.
boundary. In 1953, it was extended east and north via Mirror Lake
to the Wyoming
state line.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is named for Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake (Utah)
Mirror Lake is a lake in the high Uinta Mountains in Utah. It is a popular fishing and recreation spot. The lake has a Forest Service campground, picnic facilities, and a boat ramp for non-motorized watercraft...
, a picturesque lake that the highway passes along the way. It is also a USDA Forest Service Byway.
Route description
The highway begins at the intersection of Main Street (SR-32) and Center Street in KamasKamas, Utah
Kamas is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,274 at the 2000 census....
and heads east on the latter as a two-lane undivided highway. Once exiting Kamas, the route dips southeast and continues as such until reaching Samak
Samak, Utah
Samak is a census-designated place in Summit County, Utah, United States. The population was 161 at the 2000 census. The name is simply the reversal of the name of the nearby city of Kamas.-Geography:Samak is located at ....
, where the road turns northeast briefly. Soon after, the highway turns south and southeast again. After continuing in a general southeast direction, the highway turns northeast and north and continues as such until reaching the Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
border south of Evanston
Evanston, Wyoming
Evanston is a city in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Uinta County.-Geography:Evanston is located at...
.
The road is the highest paved road in Utah when it crosses Bald Mountain Pass
Bald Mountain Pass
Bald Mountain Pass is a high mountain pass in the high Uinta Mountains in eastern Utah. It is the highest point on the Mirror Lake Highway , near the trailhead for Bald Mountain and is the highest paved road in Utah....
at an altitude of 10715 ft (3,265.9 m).
During the winter months the road is closed to automobiles and is used by snowmobiles.
History
The state legislature designated SR-150 in 1933, running east from SR-35 (now SR-32) in Kamas to the Wasatch-Cache National ForestWasatch-Cache National Forest
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is a United States National Forest located primarily in northern Utah , with smaller parts extending into southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming . The name is from the Ute word Wasatch for a low place in high mountains, and the French word Cache meaning to...
boundary. In 1953, it was extended east and north via Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake (Utah)
Mirror Lake is a lake in the high Uinta Mountains in Utah. It is a popular fishing and recreation spot. The lake has a Forest Service campground, picnic facilities, and a boat ramp for non-motorized watercraft...
to the Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
state line.