| House Range | |
|---|---|
 Northern part of the House Range at sunset-(Swasey Mountain section), showing the stratigraphy | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Swasey Peak |
| Elevation | 9,669 ft (2,947 m) |
| Coordinates | 39°23′17″N113°18′59″W / 39.388142°N 113.316408°W /39.388142; -113.316408 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 70 mi (110 km) N/S |
| Width | 34 mi (55 km) E/W |
| Area | 1,242 sq mi (3,220 km2) |
| Geography | |
  House Range | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Millard County, Utah |
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TheHouse Range is a north-south trendingmountain range inMillard County, of west-centralUtah. The House Range was named in 1859 byJames H. Simpson. It was named by Simpson because "...of its well-defined stratification and the resemblance of portions of its outline to domes, minarets, houses, and other structures."[1]
The House Range is bounded byTule Valley to the west,Whirlwind Valley andSevier Desert to the east, and trends with theFish Springs Range to the north. The range has three notable passes:Skull Rock Pass (whichUS Highway 6/US Highway 50 travels through),Marjum Canyon (which the old US Highway 6 travels through), andSand Pass (which theWeiss Highway passes through).
The highest point in the House Range isSwasey Peak, at 9,669 feet (2,947 m).[2] Other notable peaks include Notch Peak, a frequent climbing and base-jumping hotspot, and the very squareTatow Knob.
It is also known for one of the tallestlimestonecliffs in the world,Notch Peak.
The geology of the House Range is dominated by grayCambrian toDevoniancarbonate rock which was intruded by a pinkJurassicgranitoid in the central part of the range. In the Wheeler Amphitheater, away from the intrusion, the Lagerstätte that contains the well-preserved fauna is found in the Cambrian section of the range. Evidence ofLake Bonneville's presence is found both in shorelines and whitemarls at the base of the range. The main structural component to the range is a large basin-bounding fault on the west side.[3]
The range is known for a fossilLagerstätte (Wheeler Shale) ofCambrian age, which has an array ofBurgess Shale type fauna, includingElrathia kingii, atrilobite that is one of Utah's most famousfossils.[4][5]
TheSwasey Limestone was deposited in theBathyuriscus–Elrathinazone (contemporaneous with theBurgess Shale). This is overlain in turn by theBolaspidella zone (uppermost Middle Cambrian)Wheeler Shale andMarjum Formation, then theCedaria zone (lowermost Upper Cambrian)Weeks Formation.[6][7]
