Utah · Hiking

Skull Creek

1.6 mi
round trip
171 ft
climb
7,476 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Jun, Aug–Oct
best months

Is Skull Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Ashley National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Ashley National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Skull Creek is an easy hike of about 1.6 miles on natural surface in the Flaming Gorge Ranger District of Ashley National Forest in Utah, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back with a one-way climb of about 170 feet, from a low point of roughly 7,300 feet to a high of about 7,476 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Flaming Gorge put July highs around 87°F with lows near 52°F, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and a few snowy days each month from December through February. Bikes are allowed on the trail. Greens Lake campground sits about 0.8 miles away, and the Lake Creek X-C Ski hike is about 0.6 miles off. Canyon Rim campground is about 1.7 miles away, and the Flaming Gorge climbing area is about 2.9 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Oct

    Best time to visit Skull Creek

    Best months: May–June and August–October. 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.

    1. Jan

      37° / 13°

      4 wet · 4 snow

    2. Feb

      40° / 15°

      4 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      50° / 24°

      6 wet · 3 snow

    4. Apr

      57° / 30°

      6 wet · 2 snow

    5. May

      67° / 38°

      7 wet

    6. Jun

      79° / 45°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      87° / 52°

      5 wet

    8. Aug

      84° / 52°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 43°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      61° / 32°

      5 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      46° / 22°

      4 wet · 3 snow

    12. Dec

      36° / 13°

      4 wet · 4 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Flaming Gorge, UT, 7.7 mi away at 6,244 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.