The Central Wasatch Mountains lie directly east of the Salt Lake Valley. These mountains begin at Parley's Canyon (I-80 corridor to Park City) and continue south to the town of Alpine, just south of Lone Peak. This stretch of wilderness contains the most accessible, the most developed, and the most popular mountain terrain in Utah.

The Central Wasatch Mountains are famous for 500 annual inches of dry powder snow, as well as winter road maintenance that allows unbelievable access to some of the best backcountry skiing in the country. During the summer, skis are traded in for rock shoes to climb hundreds of sport and trad routes throughout the area.

Mining pioneers and Mormon settlers developed the first roads and towns in the Central Wasatch, for the harvest of lumber and ore. These developments have matured over time to include highways, reservoirs, world-class ski resorts, and a large network of campsites and hiking trails.

In additional to physical developments, the Central Wasatch has also been thoroughly explored by locals to record the most aggressive backcountry ski terrain, rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering routes. These guidebooks can be purchased at REI, Black Diamond, and Hansen Mountaineering.