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Show Utah Recreation Guide, May 21, 1986 - Page 16 Utah's National Parks & Monuments The United States Department of the Interior's National Park Service administers 14 areas within and adjoining the state of Utah. There are five national parks, one national historic site, one national recreation area and seven national monuments consisting of approximately 2,393,496 acres. Entrance Fees vary, they can be up to $2 per car or C50 per person not traveling by car. A Golden Eagle Passport ($10 annually) provides entry to all parks, but does not apply to other fees. A free Golden Access Passport for the blind and permanently disabled covers entry for the holders and their passengers, and provides a 50 discount on camp fees. Get them at NPS offices or the Darks. Auto Camping is allowed only in designated campgrounds, all of them operated on a first-come, first-served basis, most with cold water restrooms and no hookups - or showers. (Occasionally concessioners offer these services.) Winter operation often limited or curtailed, with no water available. Fees for one site up to $6 per night In large park areas, group campsites can be reserved by organizations. Backcountry Use in almost all parks requires free permits for overnight stays. Numbers usually limited. Write or call for local regulations. In Park Lodging available only where noted. Motor Boats must meet stateCoast Guard regulations on reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. The use of motors is not allowed in some areas except for emergencies. OffRoad-Vehicle use is never allowed some parks have designated four-wheel-drive roads. Snowmobile use allowed in some areas; always check local rules. Firearms, Fireworks, guns and other missile firing instruments prohibited. Guns must be broken down when being transported in the park. Fires are allowed only in designated camping and picnic grounds where confined in a fireplace or grill or in places designated by permit from the superintendent Utah's multitude of rivers, lakes, Powell) and Flaming Gorge, add vacationers unlimited water skiing Visitor Centers (at least one) are in every park along with a variety of interpretive activites. Be sure to take advantage of them! Keep peak-season travel plans flexible, since campgrounds, tours, or popular backcountry areas may be full when you arrive. Special safety precautions are necessary in parks because of dangers like wild animals, steep cliffs, or thermal areas. Stay alert and don't take chancesAlso, all plants and animals are protected in national park areas. It is unlawful to molest them in any way. Arches National Park Many arches of 150-million-year-old Entrada sandstone help create the landscape in this park in southeast Utah's redrock country, more than in any other known section. Sit quietly under one of them when you visit. You'll never forget that sense of awe! Hiking is great Whatever you do, get out of your car. Four-wheel-drive roads are available and you can reservoires and two National Recreation Areas - Glen Canyon (Lake up to 400,000 acres of inland paradise for water enthusiastis and offer , boating, fishing, swimming and river rafting opportunities! DELICATE ARCH, Arches National Monument. camp year round. Tourist facilities handy in nearby Moab. Elevation 4000-5800'. Moab, Utah 84532; (801) 259-8161. , Natural Bridges National Monument It's taken nature 225 million years to hollow out these three great natural bridges. Prehistoric pictographs and ruins enhance the monument's appeal. Bridge View Drive provides a good look. A hike under the bridge is especially recommended. Small primitive campground on-site; all other tourist facilities are distant so be prepared. Elevation 6500'. For more information, contact Canyonlands National Park. Timpanogos Cave National Monument Your reward for making the steep 1.5 mile hike up to the entrance to Timpanogos Cave, in addition to great views of American Fork Canyon, is a trip through an absolute jewel of a cave! Small tour fee. Cave closed in winter. Day use only; tourist facilities nearby. Route 2, Box 200; American Fork, Utah 84003; (801)7564497. Rainbow Bridge National Monument Early Indians held this natural bridge in awe. Ancient legends say it is a rainbow changed to stone. It is accessible by commercial or private boat from Lake Powell, or by horseback or hiking from the Navajo Indian reservation. For more information, contact Glen Canyon NRA. Zion National Park It's appropriate that the national park developed here was named Zion, for the towering and beautiful rock formations, domes, and narrow canyons, interspersed with oases of springs and broadleafed trees cannot be faulted. Camping, hiking; rock climbing; summer nature center for youngsters. Elevation 4000-8000'. Food and lodging in summer only, year-round facilities nearby. Contact NPS, Springdale, Utah 84767; (801) 772-3256 or TW Services, Inc., 451 N. Main St., Cedar City, Utah 84720; (801) 586-7686. Bryce Canyon National Park "The wildest and most wonderful scene that the eye of man ever beheld" was one early impression of Bryce Canyon, where mood varies with weather, season, and sunlight. A winding cliff is bordered by badland topography, all famous for vivid colors and fragile forms. Try the rim drive, then a hike or a horseback ride into the canyon, or a cross country ski trip in winter. Camping, concessions, food and summer lodging with year round lodging nearby. Contact NPS, Bryce Canyon, Utah 84717; (801) 834-5322 or TWA Services, Inc., P.O. Box TWA, Cedar City, Utah 84720; (801) 586-7686. Canyonlands National Park Time and erosion have produced an outstanding variety of form in Canyonlands fins, pinnacles, arches, and canyon labyrinths. A rugged area, most access is by trail or four-wheel-drive road. Camping and backpacking are popular, as is river-running on the Colorado through Cataract Canyon (advance permit required). Also enjoy commercial river trips. The park has primitive campgrounds or backcountry camping. Tourist services available in adjacent towns. Elevation 3&W6500'. 446 South Main Street, Moab, Utah 84532; (801) 259-7164. Capitol Reef National Park This park is a water carved land, a geology buffs delight! Dikes, plugs, the monocline of waterpocket fold, and layers of sandstone all are there ... but if you're not a geologist you'll still enjoy a visit because it's just plain 'a pretty place.' (Continued) |