Nelson Peak (Utah)

Nelson Peak is a 9359 ft mountain summit located on the common boundary that Tooele County shares with Salt Lake County in Utah, United States.

Description
Nelson Peak is located 19 mi southwest of Salt Lake City and 7 mi northeast of Tooele in the Oquirrh Mountains which are part of the Great Basin Ranges. It is the highest point in the northern Oquirrh Mountains. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains to the nearby Great Salt Lake. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4400. ft above Tooele Valley in 3.5 mi. The east side of the mountain is private land owned by Rio Tinto, so hiking access to the summit is from Bates Canyon or Flood Canyon on the west side which is public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. This mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

Climate
Nelson Peak is set within the Great Basin Desert which has hot summers and cold winters. The desert is an example of a cold desert climate as the desert's elevation makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts. Due to the high elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Summer nights are comfortably cool. Winter highs are generally above freezing, and winter nights are bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping well below freezing.