The Wild Road to Kennaday Peak in WY
Kennaday Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.300m (10,826ft) above the sea level, located in Carbon County, in southern Wyoming, in USA. A high clearance vehicle is recommended. It's one of the highest roads of Wyoming.
Set high in the Snowy Range, within the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, the road to the summit is very steep and unpaved. It’s called Forest Road 215. This road is rough in spots so a vehicle with high clearance is recommended. You won’t need 4 wheel drive, unless you are trying to get here early in the spring or after a storm (which is not recommended). With such a high summit altitude the road can be closed anytime due to snowfalls. The zone is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions. The road is typically open from June/July through September/October.
The road to the summit is steep. Starting from NFSR 100 road, the ascent is 10.46km (6.5 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 657 meters. The average gradient is 6.28%, hitting an 11.3% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. At the summit there’s a fire lookout with some incredible views of the surrounding area. Visitors should be prepared for high altitude conditions. Summertime temperatures average 70 degrees but can drop as low as 30 degrees at night or during the frequent summer afternoon thunderstorms. High winds frequently occur. The summit offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains and Platte River Valley.
Pic&video: Benjamin Goodwin