OCR Text |
Show Jaomnip stiairS yoimir saoinrQinnietr wifth jeep ndomi; JEANNA MANDEVILLE Times Staff Writer With so much of Utah designated as public land administrated for recreational recre-ational use and hundreds of miles of back country trails, great four-wheeling or ATV terrain is never far away. The Paiute ATV Trail is a 200-mile loop over three mountain ranges and through rugged canyons and deserts. The trail may be accessed at many points, including the junction of Interstate Hwys 15 and 70 mid-way between the cities of Fillmore and Beaver, and also from Richfield on I-70. I-70. From the main trail, administered by the Fishlake National Forest, there are many side trips which offer hundreds hun-dreds of miles of open roads for ATV use. In southwestern Utah, the East Fork trail in the Dixie National Forest begins at Tropic Reservoir; drivers are cautioned that some roads on the system sys-tem are still closed for logging operations. opera-tions. Other favorite areas for off highway high-way vehicles include Kodachrome Basin State Park (south of Cannonville), Sand Mountain (8 miles southwest of Hurricane), and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, which contains three-thousand acres of brightly colored sand dunes available for OHV use. A 60-mile drive from Escalante to the famous Hole-In-The Rock overlooking Lake Powell, affords unusual scenery along the Kaiparowits Plateau. Southeastern Utah has been called the off-highway vehicle capital of the world. The famed Moab Jeep Safari, held every Easter, attracts many 4-wheeling 4-wheeling enthusiasts who come to explore the area's driving challenges, such as the Moab Rim and Poison Spider Mesa. One of the most talked about 4-wheel 4-wheel drive roads in southern Utah is Elephant Hill in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. The tall cliffs lining the rivers are similar to those seen near Moab. Most of the surface rock formations, however, are of the Cedar Mesa Sandstone, which produces the spectacular colors of the canyons, spires, and balanced rocks that give the Needles area its name. There may be some rather dull miles, but there can be delightful suprises in the way of scenery, remains of historic activities, and driving challenges chal-lenges for even the most experienced in and around Moab. Some trails in the area take their thrill seekers to dinosaur tracks, petroglyphs, unsual caves, crystal geysers and Indain ruins that suggest considerable occupation at one time. More information on four-wheeling or ATV riding in Utah can be found on www.moaboffroad.com. Vernal Utah takes visitors back in time with dinosaurland and frontier history JEANNA MANDEVILLE Times Staff Writer Vernal, Utah and the surrounding area allows its visitors to experience both western life dating back to the early 1900's as well as ancient life dating dat-ing back over 200 million years ago. Vernal, Utah is home to both historic western sites as well as dinosaurland that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Utah Field House of National History And Dinosaur Gardens The Field House is located between the Uinta Mountains (which are the largest single east-west trending range in the Western hemisphere), and the Uinta Basin (which is a petroleum-rich, intermountain valley). Together, these two features encompass almost three billion years of earth history. The fossils found covers more than 600 million years and includes all life forms from primitive algae to highly advanced mammals. The museum and dinosaur garden attracts many visitors to the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park. Visitors are first introduced to a vast wealth of geology, Indian prehistory, paleontology and natural history of the, Uinta Mountain-Uinta Basin area. The dinosaur garden features 18 life-size life-size models of dinosaurs and creatures from' the Mesozoic period (65 to 150 million years ago) in their natural settings. set-tings. The Utah Field House of Natural History and Dinosaur Gardens is located locat-ed at 235 E. Main in Vernal and can be reached at 800-477-5558. Red Fleet State Park Nestled among scenic red slick-rock formations, Red Fleet State Park offers excellent boating and year-round fishing. fish-ing. This picturesque state park is located 10 miles north of Vernal just off Highway 191. Facilities include a small sandy beach, boat launching ramp, two modern rest rooms, 29 campsites, 32 covered picnic tables, and fish cleaning and sewage disposal stations. Recently a dinosaur trackway dating back 200 million years was discovered in the area, making the state park lands attractive to paleontologists of all ages. Recreation opportunities include boating, swimming and picnicking. ' During the winter months fishing, wildlife viewing, and camping are available avail-able for visitors. Hiking, biking and off-road off-road vehicle use opportunities lie near-by near-by within areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Red Fleet State Park is located at 8750 North Highway 191 in Vernal and can be reached at 800-477-5558 or 435-789-4432. John Jarvie Ranch Historic Site A visit to the historic Jarvie property proper-ty provides a glimpse of turn-of-the-century frontier life in what is still a remote part of the West. Of the many sites along the Green River which Mr. Jarvie could have settled, he chose this particular one because of the naturally occurring river crossing. For years it had been used by Indians, fur trappers, travelers, and local residents. Jarvie figured it would be an excellent spot to establish a business. At its height, the Jarvie ranch operation included a store, post office, river ferry, and cemetery. Four original structures, each over 100 years old, still exist. For more information call 435-885-3307 or 435-781-4400. Swett Ranch National Historic Site This homestead, listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, was constructed by Oscar Swett starting in 1909, and contains two cabins, a five-room five-room house, a meat house, a root cellar, sheds, a granary, and a barn, built and improved upon over a period of 58 years. Swett and his wife, Emma, raised nine children here, running the 397-acre ranch using only horse and human muscle power, before selling the property in 1968. The ranch was the result of the Forest Homestead Act of 1906, and visitors can see first hand, what was necessary to make a living in the early 1900's. The ranch is located one mile east of US Highway 191 near the Flaming Gorge Dam and can be reached at 800-477-5558. Dinosaur National Monument Twenty miles east of Vernal, near Jensen, lays the largest quarry of Jurassic Period dinosaur bones ever discovered at Dinosaur National Monument. In August of 1909, 20 miles east of Vernal, paleontologist Earl Douglass discovered a 200-foot long sandbar which was layered with prehistoric plant and animal fossils. About 350 million mil-lion tons of fossils, including full skeletons skele-tons and remains of some dinosaur species that were previously unknown, were excavated by Douglass and his crew. A quarry was built on the site and it was designated a national monument in 1915. Inside the monument visitors can find displays of fossils, archeology and dinosaur history. The amazing 160 foot long wall with over 2000 exposed dinosaur bones attracts many. Many complete skeletons have also been recovered and are exhibited in museums muse-ums throughout the nation. Visitors can watch paleontologists chip away the sandstone to expose the fossilized dinosaur bones. Visitors can also see the preparation laboratory where dinosaur fossils are cleaned and preserved. This is the most productive Jurassic Period dinosaur quarry in the world, providing more complete skeletons, skele-tons, skulls, and bones of dinosaurs than any other quarry. For more information on Dinosaur National Monument call 800-477-5558. Dry Fork Petroglyphs In northeastern Utah, just a few miles northwest of the city of Vernal, lies Dry Fork Canyon. The headwaters of Dry Fork lie in the Uinta Mountains. Along the north side of the canyon, there are hundreds of panels or image scenes carved and painted into abstract figures, geometric forms, animals, and humans. Featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, and American Antiquities magazines, these Petroglyphs extend for several miles along a 200-foot Navajo formation sandstone cliff. For more information on Dry Fork call 435-781-4400. Outdoor & Travel Section Thursday, May 29, 2003 Page 13 |