Find Nearby Peaks

Climbing and access information for this peak is on Page 255 of the book.

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Swede Peak is a handsome, rocky hump that sits at the head of the Buckhorn Creek and Kale Creek drainages. It is overshadowed by its higher neighbors to the north on a long, high ridgeline–Peak 8569 and Mandolin Benchmark (9,189 feet). Due to the gated closure of FSR-130 at Mormon Hill, Swede Peak is no longer a “short hike from the nearest trailhead” as the website indicates. It is a good 2.5-mile hike (one way) with almost 1,000 feet of uphill. It requires an off-trail scramble to reach the top. USGS Star Hope Mine

Access

The Mormon Hill trailhead is located at the top of FSR-130. To reach it, drive north up Copper Creek Road/FSR-134 to a signed junction with the Garfield Canyon Road/FSR-228 (which goes to the Garfield Guard Station and beyond). Go left at this junction to stay on FSR-134. About 0.7 miles farther up FSR-134, reach a signed road junction in a large, open meadow. FSR-134 goes right here and follows Copper Creek. However, it is now closed to motorized vehicles and is only a foot trail.

Go left onto FSR-130 as it begins its steep climb to the Mormon Hill trailhead. A 4WD vehicle is required but high clearance is not necessary. After 2.3 miles from the open meadow, you reach the large trailhead parking area for the [signed] Mormon Hill trailhead (FST-329). There is a horse rail and a bathroom here (7,625 feet). The road is not too bad and people pull horse trailers all the way up here.

Northeast Face, Class 2

The Climb

From the Mormon Hill trailhead, hike northwest up FST-329 (still open to MCs) as it initially follows an old, muddy forest service road. This trail is heavily used by horses. After about 1.3 miles, reach a signed junction with FSR-327, a ridge crest trail that heads right/north the skirts the right/east side of Mandolin Peak and continues on to Peak 9043 and beyond. Continue straight on FST-329. The trail heads uphill and crosses the south ridge of Peak 8569.

It then drops a bit and traverses the southwest face of Peak 8569 to reach the 8,340-foot connecting saddle between Swede Peak and Peak 8569. From the saddle, scramble southwest up a face of short sagebrush to reach the cairned summit of Swede Peak. Swede Peak is the first peak of a 4-peak adventure that includes Swede Peak (8,512 feet), Peak 8569, Mandolin Benchmark (9,189 feet), and Peak 9043. Peak 8569 is up next.