Brian Head Peak, Utah: Sunset Views and the Summit Shelter

We brought pizza up to Brian Head Peak for sunset, then felt just how cold the summit could get once the sun went down.

Brian Head Peak is one of my favorite places to watch sunset. On this visit we picked up pizza and poppers from Pizanos in Brian Head, drove up to the summit parking lot and brought our dinner out to enjoy the view. The stone shelter and being up above everything made it such a cool place to spend the evening.

We packed all of our trash back out with us. If you bring dinner up, bring a bag for everything that needs to come back down, too.

The stone summit shelter

The summit shelter dates to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The CCC was a Depression-era program that employed young men on public-land projects. Around Brian Head, their work included lookout shelters, trails and the road to the summit. The National Park Service’s history of the local crews includes photographs of that work.

The building became known as the Brian Head Overlook or “Peak House” and served as a fire lookout. The HistoriCorps preservation project documents its 1935 construction and work planned in 2025 to reinforce the stone and replace the wood-shingle roof. Zion Forever Project describes the local grant and donor support behind that effort. It is a place with a long history of people putting work into keeping it here.

Make Brian Head part of a southern Utah trip

Brian Head sits along the Patchwork Parkway, the State Route 143 drive connecting Parowan and Panguitch. The peak road is a side trip from that route, rather than the through road itself. You can plan a summit visit alongside time in Brian Head or nearby Cedar Breaks instead of making the peak your only stop.

Parowan, Brian Head and Panguitch have food, lodging and other travel services along the parkway. Choose a meal stop before heading toward the summit, especially for an evening outing like ours. If you are traveling in an RV, look closely at your approach: the tourism bureau advises against the steep Parowan-to-Brian Head section for RVs and large trucks.

Staying until evening

All of these photographs are from the same visit, when there was no snow at the summit. It still got really cold as soon as the sun went down. Everyone else headed back to the cars while I stayed out for some night photos. That temperature change is the part I would really prepare for next time.

Carry a light and layers if you plan to stay late, and decide on your return before the daylight fades.

Planning a visit to Brian Head Peak

Brian Head Peak reaches 11,312 feet, according to the local visitor FAQ. Bring water and layers, check the forecast and allow for the elevation.

The open summit shelter is not lightning-safe. Leave exposed ground if storms approach rather than waiting inside it.

Check summit-road access and vehicle suitability before setting out. The scenic routes guide includes Brian Head Peak Road, but current road conditions still matter.

I have made it up in a regular car, but the road has been very different between visits. On another trip it was much rougher, with some snow higher up, and we parked lower down and walked the rest of the way. I would check the conditions rather than assume that because a car made it once, it will be fine every time.

Nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument offers another high-country outing with a very different landscape.

More photographs from this visit