Sevier County High Point Trip Report

Fish Lake Hightop

Date: June 2000
Author: Jobe Wymore

From the Northwest side of Fish Lake look for sign on your left that will point you to the Pelican Canyon Trailhead. Turn right off the paved road and onto a dirt road that curves around and brings you to the Pelican Overlook at roughly 1 mile. Pelican Canyon and your route from this point can be clearly seen.

At the parking area there is a break in the fence where a rough 2 track trail extends toward the canyon. Head on through and after about 100 or so yards you'll reach a signed junction. Take a left onto a single tract trail. 1/2 mile down the trail is another junction. Keep going straight into the canyon. After about 2 miles of good, easy-to-follow trail you'll reach a point where a sign will point you to a couple of different options to reach to top of Fish Lake Hightop. Take the longer option which requires you to cut north/northwest (right) across a small meadow. In the summer the grass could probably get quite long and cover the cairns but, the previous heading will get you to the trail again in the trees. The trail is excellent all the way to the hightop with cairns all along it. After a few switchbacks you'll be on top of the plateau. The trail starts to peter out but 2 foot high cairns are still there for you to follow. They eventually peter out to but, at that point the summit is in plain view directly to your northwest.

Head on toward it, crossing a road in route that has a billboard style National Forest sign showing you exactly where your at. Climb up the hill which has tons of huge boulders, get on top, look for largest boulder with cairn on top and climb it. Survey Marker on top (1968 FISH LAKE), no register, and an old survey wood looking thing broken below on the side.

Weibel/Millers book describes the route as having possible route finding problems once you're on the plateau. The route for me was clear as day. Cairns everywhere they needed to be and even when you didn't need them. Just a worry free highpoint.