Solidiers Pass / Lake Mountain

Soldiers Pass
(Lake Mountain)

Utah Valley from Soldiers Pass by Jeff Cooper ©Jeff Cooper

(Submitted by Jeff Cooper -- Jun 2016)

Directions: Drive approximately 16 miles south on SR 68 from from the Pioneer Crossing and SR 68 intersection. Turn right onto Soldiers Pass Road (gravel road running west). Or from Elberta drive approximately 16 miles north on SR 68 and turn left onto Soldiers Pass Road. Follow the main gravel roads or venture onto trails with a high clearance vehicle.

Description: Soldiers Pass is primarily sagebrush-juniper habitat and becomes a breeding ground for many desert specialties that are rarely seen in Utah County. Spring and summer are the best times to bird this area due to the variety of birds breeding in the area.

Good Birds: Sagebrush Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Bewick's Wren, Gray Vireo, Gray Flycatcher, Northern Mockingbird, and Ash-throated Flycatcher are more easily seen here than most other Utah County locations. Other good birds are migrant warblers, Chukar, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, and Sage Thrasher.

Rare Birds: Sagebrush Sparrow and Pinyon Jay are considered rare by eBird filters, but they are often seen in the right habitat at Soldiers Pass.

Birding: Sagebrush Sparrows are most often seen on the west side of Soldiers Pass where there is a broad stretch of low-level sagebrush spreading toward Cedar Valley. Pinyon Jays are hard birds to find, but they are seen somewhat consistently in the juniper areas of Soldiers Pass, especially south of the mouth of the canyon leading north to Lake Mountain.

eBird Data: | Lake Mountain -- Soldiers Pass Rd. | SR 68, Westlake Road or Redwood Road |