Utah · Rock climbing · Wasatch Resort

Upper Fin

Upper Fin in Utah offers 8 traditional climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

8 routes
5.10 – 5.12d
Trad

Is Upper Fin open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Upper Fin

Best months: April–June and September–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

    34° / 22°

  2. Feb

    40° / 24°

  3. Mar

    49° / 31°

  4. Apr

    56° / 35°

  5. May

    66° / 44°

  6. Jun

    78° / 52°

  7. Jul

    88° / 60°

  8. Aug

    86° / 58°

  9. Sep

    76° / 50°

  10. Oct

    60° / 39°

  11. Nov

    44° / 30°

  12. Dec

    33° / 22°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Timpanogos Cave, UT, 9.4 mi away at 5,740 ft. The station sits about 600 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.

Upper Fin is a climbing area in Utah's Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, within the Salt Lake Ranger District. It sits in a cluster of climbing spots, with The Fin and Lower Fin each about 0.1 mile away, which makes it an easy addition to a day spent exploring this corner of the forest. The climbing here is all trad, and the routes run from about 5.10b to 5.12d. Among them are The Fin Arete, a 5.10b route first climbed by Smoot & Smoot in 1978, and The Gills, a 5.12d route completed by Lance Bateman and Ben Folsom in September 2008. The Fin Arete and Hook, Line and Sinker sit at the easier end of the scale, while Fins and Needles at 5.12b and The Gills at 5.12d are the harder options. For timing, the most comfortable months tend to be June and September. Typical averages from the nearby Timpanogos Cave weather station run from highs around 78°F and lows near 52°F in June to highs around 76°F and lows near 50°F in September. That station sits about 630 feet lower than the area, so temperatures at Upper Fin may run slightly cooler. Winter is cold, with January highs around 34°F and lows near 22°F. The Little Cottonwood Creek Trail is about 0.4 mile away, and Tanners Flat Campground is roughly 3 miles off. Lake Lillian and Lake Florence, both about 4 miles away, offer fishing.

Routes (8)