Mount Wire

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Mount Wire, also known as Wire Mountain or Big Beacon, sits on the east side of Salt Lake City in Utah. It rises to 7,146 feet (2,178 m) in the Wasatch Mountains.

The mountain is named after Lester Wire, a Salt Lake City police officer who helped develop the first red-green electric traffic light in 1912.

Hiking and access
Mount Wire is a popular spot for hikers with several trails nearby, some laid out by Red Butte Gardens. The east side near the University of Utah provides direct routes to the summit. The west side often has clearer trails. The paths aren’t well marked, and the hike can be moderately difficult and unforgiving depending on conditions. Most hikers reach the top in about 2 hours; athletic hikers can do it in about 45 minutes with plenty of water. Be prepared with water and food.

Views from the summit
From the top you can see much of the Salt Lake Valley. To the north you can spot Antelope Island and Mount Van Cott; to the west are the Oquirrh Mountains; to the south and east you can view Emigration Canyon and the Wasatch Range.

Historic features
Near the summit is an old, out-of-service airway beacon that offers better views but has been vandalized over the years. About halfway up sits a notable rock outcrop that resembles a row of lawn chairs and serves as a popular rest stop.

Microwave repeaters and road access
An old pair of large passive microwave repeaters used to relay signals to northeastern Utah stood just southwest of the beacon until they were removed on November 9, 2013, after heavy vandalism. There is also an unimproved road for ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles starting in Emigration Canyon to the east that leads toward the repeater site. Driving to the summit is discouraged because parts of the mountain lie on National Forest lands where vehicle use is restricted, and the road ends at the repeater site.