Utah's Zion National Park: a place of stunning beauty

Zion National Park

Utah isn’t the drab state that many people imagine it to be. Southern Utah is filled with colorful scenery, and nowhere is it more colorful than Zion National Park, one of five national parks in the state.

Zion has gorgeous red rock formations, accented by the greens of evergreen trees, the blues of its creeks and the many shades of brown found in its mountains. The canyon scenery is considered some of the best in the whole United States.

Human habitation of Zion began about 7,000 years ago, though it was the 19^th century Mormon settlers who gave it its name, since it reminded them of a sanctuary. Hence, some of the religious oriented names, such as the Three Patriarchs, named for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or West Temple, the highest peak in southern Zion, and its Towers of the Virgin.

Zion is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts such as hikers, bikers, horseback riders and birdwatchers. The scenery also can be viewed by driving the scenic roads.

 

Kolob Canyon

Zion almost seems like two parks: two entrances are on Highway 9, known as the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, and the Kolob Canyon entrance, which is right at Exit 44 on Interstate 15.

The Zion-Mount Carmel route has a narrow tunnel that was considered an engineering miracle when it was built in the late 1920s.  Because it’s so narrow, RVs and other large vehicles must have escorts; traffic is blocked coming the other way when large rigs to through. The park service charges for this escort service.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Driving Scenic Highway 12 through Utah

Red rock tunnel on Utah Highway 12

Utah Highway 12 is one of the state’s scenic byways. The byway stretches 124 miles through central Utah, running through two national and three state parks.

The byway is filled with stunning views of red rock formations, forests and just plain rugged landscapes is it connects U.S. Highway 89, a north-south route, a few miles south of historic Panguitch, with Utah  Highway 24 at Torrey.

It is not a route to be rushed as there are many opportunities for side trips off the route or stopping in small towns along the way.

We only drove the route from Highway 89 to Bryce Canyon City, which is the only entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. This is a distance of only 13 miles and, unfortunately, only provided sampler of the beautiful scenery to come.

 

A section of Scenic Byway 12

 

Parowan showcases ancient tribal rock art in Utah

Parowan petroglyphs

Parowan Gap in southern Utah is famous for two things. One is the pass through the Red Hills that started forming 15 million years ago. The second is the ancient petroglyphs carved into the mountainsides.

Known as a wind gap, the pass is a unique geologic feature formed millions of years ago when a river ran through the hills. The river dried up due to climactic changes, and the area is now known as the Escalante Desert.

The petroglyphs are an excellent example of Native American rock art, some of which dates back 1,000 years. Over the centuries, the Indians carved circles, and pictures of snakes, bears and people into the rocks. It is believed that the primitive drawings represent the work of several Native American cultures. The petroglyphs are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Parking with a vault toilet is available just east of the pass. There are sidewalks on both sides of the road through the gap. The petroglyphs are fenced off, because it’s illegal to touch them. They are, however easily visible from the sidewalks.

Getting there

Take the Highway 130/North Main exit off of Interstate 15 just north of Cedar City, Utah.  Disregard the tourist information that says to drive 13.5 miles on Highway 130 from the freeway exit. It’s actually several miles farther; in any case, stay on 130 until you reach the sign that points right to Parowan. The petroglyphs are a couple of miles down Parowan Gap Road.ighwy 130 from the Hi

Pipe Spring monument worth a detour in northern Arizona

Mormon fort at Pipe Spring

Sometimes the most interesting sites pop up when you least expect it, like when you’re driving down the highway to another destination. That’s how we discovered Pipe Spring National Monument.

We were driving along Utah Highway 59 across northern Arizona when we saw a sign for it. We decided if it was less than 10 miles off the highway, we’d visit it. As it turned out, the monument, which is operated jointly by the National Park Service and Paiute Indian Tribe, is less than a half mile down the side road.

It was well worth the stop. There’s a small visitor center with interpretive exhibits and a 23-minute video explaining the significance of Pipe Spring. Outside, there are brush huts used by the Paiutes, a brick fort built by Brigham Young and other outbuildings, including corrals for animals.

Indian huts at Pipe Spring

Pipe Spring was an excellent source of water for the first users, the Kaibab Paiute Indians, who were followed by explorers, missionaries and other travelers who passed through this high-desert area of Arizona.

In the second half of the 1800s, Pipe Spring was part of Brigham Young’s plan to settle Utah, with residents pledging 10 percent of their cattle operation to the Mormon church. The cattle operation was not that successful, but the area became a haven for church polygamists.

Small Utah museum showcases Western movie sets

Old movie sets at Little Hollywood

Southern Utah’s rigged terrain, clear blue skies and wide open spaces make it a natural setting for Western movies and television shows.

 

More than 100 movies have been filmed in the Kanab area, a small town not too far north of the border with Arizona.

 

The first movie was filmed here in 1924, Deadwood Coach, starring Tom Mix. Others that followed include the original Stagecoach, filmed in 1939; 1939’s Drums Along the Mohawk, and Westward the Women (one of my favorites) in 1951, and The Outlaw Josey Wales, starring Clint Eastwood. TV series filmed here include Lassie, Wagon Train, Have Gun Will Travel and The Lone Ranger

 

Some stars, such as John Wayne and Dean Martin were in several movies filmed here.

 

IF you’re driving through Kanab, Little Hollywood Movie Museum makes for a pleasant stop. This free museum has a small collection of building fronts used as sets in various movies.   Placards identify the movies the particular building front was in. Several of the sets are from The Outlaw Josey Wales.

 

The museum is located at 297 W. Center Street, which is also known as US Highway 89.