Discover Kamas

Get to know Kamas through its landscape, local history and nearby trails. For planning your trip, several topics can be clearly distinguished: the location of Kamas Valley between two mountain ranges, historic places in town, and routes whose distance or elevation details provide concrete guidance.

Landscape and Getting Around Kamas

The Uintah Mountains lie to the east of Kamas Valley, and the Wasatch Mountains to the west. The rivers also mark distinct areas of the valley: the Weber River crosses its northern end, while the Provo River runs through its southern end. Beaver Creek flows diagonally from southeast to northwest through Kamas Valley. Together, these geographic features paint a picture of the valley region without conflating the individual river courses.

A notable driving route begins in Kamas: the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway (S.R. 150) follows the Upper Provo River and climbs to 10,700 feet. This connects the town’s name with a specific route description and elevation. Kamas also served as a supply station for people traveling to the Uinta Mountains and the Wilderness Area. This historical connection adds the town’s former role to the geographic picture.

Trails and Activities Nearby

To access the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, the route described through Kamas follows Main Street to Center Street. There are cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails near Kamas along the byway. These winter activities are distinct from the hiking routes, each of which has its own details about distance and terrain.

The hike to the summit of Bald Mountain is four miles long and has a total elevation gain of 1,300 feet. The Bald Mountain Trailhead is about 29 miles east of Kamas on Highway 150. The North Fork Trail is described as a four-mile out-and-back route over gently rolling terrain. The total elevation gain is specified for Bald Mountain; for North Fork, the focus is on the out-and-back route and terrain.

History, Buildings and Events

Kamas was founded by John Simpson in 1857 and was originally called Rhodes Valley. A rendezvous was held on Kamas Prairie in 1825. A historic Indigenous camp was located at the site of present-day Kamas. A historic trail ran along the Provo River through Kamas Valley and then continued northeast along the north side of the Uintah Mountains. The town’s history therefore encompasses different places and periods; it is not only the story of the founding of the present-day town.

Individual buildings also give Kamas a distinctive historical character. The oldest surviving building in town is the 1871 Rock House at 30 South Main Street. The King Store was built as a two-story building in 1897 and was once the best-stocked store in the county. The Kamas Opera House brought the first talking pictures to Kamas. These details distinguish a surviving building, a former store and a historic entertainment venue.

The Kamas/Rhoades Valley DUP Museum is a history museum at 91 West Center Street in Kamas. It is another named place in town to visit if you are interested in local history. The Dejoria Center is an event venue in Kamas’s High Star Ranch neighborhood. The Kamas Valley Fiesta Days are a different kind of event: they have been an annual tradition for more than 80 years.

When choosing where to stay, you can first decide what matters most to you: the landscape and scenic route, one of the hikes with its distinct details, or Kamas’s history and events. The trail information gives different distances, elevation details and terrain features; the town’s history adds buildings, a museum and Fiesta Days.

Discover more destinations: Summit Park, Park City, Coalville

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