Wasatch Mtns, Box Elder Peak, Utah

Extremely rugged, high-relief terrain with narrow canyons and steep rocky ridgelines. Box Elder Peak rises approximately 4,900 feet above American Fork Canyon in under 2.5 horizontal miles. Glaciated cirque basins, exposed quartzite and limestone ridges, and talus fields dominate upper elevations. Elevation range runs from approximately 5,000 feet along valley floors to 11,101 feet at the summit.

The unit boundary runs east from I-15 at the Salt Lake-Utah county line, south along the county line to the Utah-Wasatch county line, then south to Pole Line Pass on the Snake Creek–North Fork American Fork Canyon road, west on that road to SR-92 (Alpine Loop / American Fork Canyon), then west on SR-92 back to I-15. Primary motorized access is via SR-92 (American Fork Canyon) from the south — a fee canyon (annual pass or day fee). The Granite Flats Campground trailhead near Tibble Fork Reservoir provides the main foot access into upper drainages. Dry Creek Trail (from Alpine on the west side) also reaches the peak. The core goat habitat lies within the Lone Peak Wilderness, where all motorized and mechanized equipment is prohibited. Horses are used by outfitters to reach hunting camps. A modest block of private land (estimated 8% of modeled goat habitat) is interspersed at lower elevations. No CWMUs have been identified within this specific sub-unit boundary.

Lower foothills support sagebrush and dense mountain brush (Gambel oak, snowberry, serviceberry). Mid-elevation slopes carry ponderosa pine and oak brush transitioning into stands of aspen, Douglas fir, and subalpine fir, particularly on north-facing slopes. Upper terrain above roughly 9,500 feet becomes alpine — open tundra, rocky ridges, and persistent late-season snowfields. Several small cirque lakes are present. No domestic livestock grazing occurs within mountain goat habitat on this unit.

Mountain goats are the primary managed game species. The sub-unit was first stocked in 1969 as part of the original Lone Peak release program and historically reached aerial survey counts of 143–161 animals (1999–2002) before declining to 30–54 animals in more recent surveys (2010–2017). The 2017 helicopter count recorded 36 goats on this sub-unit. Movements between the Box Elder Peak and Lone Peak sub-units have been documented. Mule deer and elk use the lower and mid-elevation portions of the boundary seasonally (managed and hunted under separate Wasatch Mtns East/West boundaries). Mountain lions (cougars) are the primary goat predator. Black bear, bobcat, and golden eagle also inhabit the area. The Lone Peak Wilderness is designated closed to motor vehicles, limiting disturbance in core goat range.