Mirror Lake Highway closes for season just ahead of the holidays

Mirror Lake Highway at Bald Mountain Pass from a UDOT traffic camera on Dec. 21, 2025. Photo:

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation closed Mirror Lake Highway early Friday morning, marking one of the latest winter closures for the scenic mountain route in recent years.

The delayed shutdown was due to a lack of snow and continued passable conditions along the highway, which typically closes in late November or early December as winter weather intensifies in the Uinta Mountains.

The unusually late closure allowed recreationists extra time to access trailheads and high-elevation areas along the route, with hikers, hunters and sightseers taking advantage of the extended season.

UDOT officials closed and locked the gates at Soapstone, where the highway will remain inaccessible to vehicle traffic through the winter. The road is expected to reopen in spring 2026, depending on snowpack and weather conditions.

Mirror Lake Highway, also known as State Route 150, closes each winter due to heavy snowfall, avalanche risk and the inability to safely maintain the road during winter months.