Sawmill Bench Road
- 5.5 mi
- round trip
- 1,774 ft
- climb
- 8,354 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Sawmill Bench Road open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Fishlake National Forest.
PST 66 Rock Canyon Trail Temporarily Closed
Agency alert covering Fishlake National Forest · USFS · Fishlake National Forest
TERMINATION OF STAGE 1 FIRE RESTRICTION ORDER
Agency alert covering Fishlake National Forest · Order 0408-26-10 · USFS · Fishlake National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Fishlake National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sawmill Bench Road is a hard hike in Utah's Fishlake National Forest, within the Fremont River Ranger District. The route is an out-and-back that climbs from about 6,566 feet to 8,354 feet, a total gain of 1,774 feet over 11 miles. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Loa, Utah, show July highs around 83°F with lows near 50°F, while temperatures on this route run cooler because the station sits about 1,300 feet lower. The South Fork Oak Creek Trail lies about a mile away, and the Quaking Aspen trail is roughly 3 miles off. For an overnight stay, Lower Bowns campground is about 3 miles away. Green Lake, about 9 miles out, offers fishing.
Local outfitters
- Sand Creek RV Park & Campground19 mi away
- Escalante Outfitters30 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Sawmill Bench Road
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 10°
4 wet
Feb
43° / 14°
4 wet
Mar
51° / 20°
4 wet
Apr
58° / 26°
4 wet
May
67° / 35°
5 wet
Jun
78° / 43°
3 wet
Jul
83° / 50°
7 wet
Aug
81° / 48°
8 wet
Sep
75° / 39°
5 wet
Oct
63° / 27°
4 wet
Nov
50° / 18°
3 wet
Dec
40° / 9°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Loa, UT, 31.9 mi away at 7,070 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Bluegrass Trail
~9 min drive
2.00-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 198 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway
~10 min drive
3.94-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 520 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Stair Canyon Trail
~13 min drive
16.16-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 2,900 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Pleasant Creek
~16 min drive
6.79-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 1,412 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Deer Creek Trail
~16 min drive
2.48-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 611 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Indian Trail Bench
~11 min drive
1.75-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 62 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Great Western Trail
~15 min drive
40.00-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 2,761 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Deer Creek Lake Trail
~16 min drive
1.44-mile out-and-back trail to Deer Creek Lake in Utah with 111 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Quaking Aspen
~5 min drive
5.00-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 118 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Friskey Trail
~16 min drive
7.26-mile out-and-back hike in Utah with 1,996 ft elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
