Exploring: Notch Peak
Notch Peak presents an interesting profile when viewed from the East. A
distinctive “notch” is clearly visible. Notch Peak is contained in the
House Range, this mountain 
range features solitude and many activities.
Some activities are rather unique to the area, here one can dig for ancient
Trilobites, or view Bristlecone Pines, some of the oldest living things on
earth.
To access the Notch Peak/House Range area make your way to Delta. Delta is
located about 130 miles Southwest of Salt Lake City. The easiest way to get
there is take Redwood Road along the West side of Utah Lake to an
intersection just past the lake, head West towards Eureka. Follow the signs
all the way to Delta. Along the way you’ll pass by the Tintic Mountains and
the Little Sahara Recreation Area. For those ATV enthusiasts the Little
Sahara isn’t to be missed. Sand Mountain is in the Little Sahara, this
mountain is formed out of sand and quite the popular ATV and sand rail hangout.
When you arrive in Delta be sure and procure anything you need, in between
you and the House Range you’ll find nothing but desert. Delta is a fairly
decent sized town, you should be able to find anything you neglected to
pack. For those who are adverse to camping there are a few motels which
should suit your needs.
When leaving Delta reset your odometer on the overpass bridge on the West
side of town. You’ll travel quite some time on Highway 6/50 before you get
to the obvious range on the horizon.
Some of the more popular diversions to do out here in the desert will
follow. I’ll begin 
with the Trilobite hunting. The easiest and least
amount of work for your hunting would be to venture to the U-Dig Fossil
Beds. The turn off to this commercial operation is located 31.4 miles from
the bridge in Delta. Make a right and travel 20 miles to the North on a
gravel road. The signs point the direction the entire way. As I said this
is a commercial operation, you will be charged to dig. The advantage to
this operation is that the personnel know the area and the tactics required
to find the prehistoric bugs. I should digress a bit and explain exactly
what a Trilobite is. These bugs are some of the oldest creatures ever
discovered, some Trilobites go back 500 million years. You find these
ancient critters in shale layers, most of this area was at one time a large
underwater sea. The Trilobites thrived in this area and left their
fossilized corpses for us to find millions of years later.
There are also areas where you can explore for your own Trilobites for free.
The Eastern edge of Marjum Pass has a series of small hillsides, park at the
crossroads/parking area and get out of your vehicle. If you hike up the
hillside with a shovel, hammer, and pick you should be able to see the
various shale
layers. Dig up the layers of shale and break them apart with
your hammer/screwdriver/ pick. Keep hunting around a bit until you find the
right layer to reward your work.
The ATV’ing and just general dirt road driving are another great way to see
the desert. There is a great tail system located on the Eastern side of the
Notch Peak complex. Drive 39.7 miles from Delta to a dirt road to the
right. Drive 3.3 miles out this 
road to a sign indicating Miller Canyon.
Make a left on this road and drive an additional 1.9 miles until you see a
sign pointing to Sawtooth Canyon. Just to the right of this sign is a
trailhead for the Amasa Trail. The Amasa Trail is a large loop that
encompasses all kinds of riding styles. If you do ride the Amasa Trail
please be courteous of wilderness areas and closed trails. ATV tracks in
closed areas hurt the entire ATV community.
Marjum Pass is a fantastic loop drive. From Delta drive 54.2 miles to an
unmarked 
trail leading to the right. While driving out this road be sure
and take a look at the towering West face of Notch Peak, this face falls
over 4000 feet back into the Tule Valley About 9 miles down this dirt road
you’ll come to an intersection with a sign pointing towards Painter Springs.
Continue heading North another 4.8 miles and you’ll come to another unmarked
intersection. The right hand turn leads up through Marjum Pass. Marjum
Pass is a gravel road leading from the 
Tule Valley back into the Sevier
Desert. An interesting short diversion is the Hermit’s Cabin. This “Cabin”
is located 3.2 miles up Marjum Pass from it’s Western entrance (crossroads),
keep on the look out for a spur road leading off to the left (North). Drive
.2 miles up this road and park your vehicle, take a look at the stupendous
views of limestone cliffs. Continue on your feet less than a quarter mile
up the obvious canyon. You’ll quickly notice a structure on the left side
of the canyon wall. This structure had obviously seen some care in it’s 
construction. If you’d like to camp here you’ll definitely be sheltered
from the elements and will have a built in stove to keep you warm. I’m not
sure who made this structure or when it was constructed, but they did a fine
job of it.
Have fun in the House Range, but, please pick up after yourselves and
others.
Nearby Areas:
Pony Express
Mineral Mountains
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