Quail Creek's reservoir offers prime fishing

Quail Creek State Park

Utah’s Quail Creek State Park is a fisherman’s dream since it offers year ‘round fishing in the reservoir.

The reservoir was formed by two dams. It’s filled with waters, not from Quail Creek but from the Virgin River.  The water is used for irrigation and households in the St. George area.

The reservoir is stocked with a variety of fish. At its deepest, the reservoir has rainbow trout, catfish and crappie. Largemouth bass and bluegill inhabit the warmer levels of water.

The boat ramp is open daily, as is the park. Camping is available. The reservoir is open to both power and people-powered watercraft. Skiing, swimming and windsurfing also can be done on the reservoir. Wildlife viewing also is a popular activity,

Quall Creel became a Utah state park in 1986. It is located at 472 N. 5300 W. in Hurricane.

 

 

Castle Valley: scenic viewpoint on I-70 in Utah

Castle Valley, Utah, was once a sea.

Castle Valley is a scenic viewpoint on Interstate 70 across Utah that connects Interstate 15 with Grand Junction, Colorado. (A town by the same name is about 20 miles away.

But once upon a time, Castle Valley was part of a great sea, dating back to before the Jurassic era. It was a tropical forest with giant dinosaurs roaming the land. Over the millennia, other plant and animal life built up into the colorful layers of rock, creating coal and natural gas pits in the process.

This area is part of the geologic San Rafael Swell, where erosion has exposed layers of the earth’s crust, giving us a glimpse of what the area was like millions of years ago.

Views stretch for dozens of mils from this viewpoint, which offers picnic tables and vault toilets.