Kamas ( ) is a city in southwestern Summit County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,092 at the 2020 census. It is east of downtown Salt Lake City. Its main industries are cattle ranching and lumber. The town is known as "The Gateway to the Uinta Mountains".
History
thumb|left|South Summit Fire District Kamas Station in Kamas (2016)
Kamas derives its name from Camassia quamash, a flowering plant that grows in the region and was a source of food for Native Americans.
Kamas was inhabited intermittently by several Native American ethnic groups, including members of the Ute, Shoshone, and Snake tribes. The first permanent settlements in the valley are believed to have been built by Mormon pioneers, including Abraham Marchant, John Lambert, and John Pack, who settled under the direction of Brigham Young.
One prominent figure in Kamas folklore history is Thomas Rhoads. According to legend, guides from a local Ute Tribe revealed to Rhoads the location of a gold mine from which he was allowed to take gold to assist in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The only condition the Ute guides gave for revealing the mine's location was that Rhoads not reveal it to anyone else. He adhered to the terms of this agreement until his death. The "Rhoads Mine" is now considered lost, but its legend survives in several books on the topic.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Kamas has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Kamas is , on July 13, 2002, and the coldest is , on December 21, 1990.
|source 2 = National Weather Service