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Show Southern Utah's Color Country J- ' 1 v i Utah! A painted wonderland. And Mother Nature left her palette as one of the treasures. It's called Color Country. Color is the dominate force in Utah's Color Country, located in the southwestern part of the state. Color Country plays host to the reds of Bryce Canyon Na'tional Park, the blues of Lake Powell, the greens of Zion National Park, the yellows and golds of the Grand Canyon and the whites of the slopes of Brian Head Ski Resort. The largest city in Color Country, St. George, blends the atmosphere of the old west with the vitality of a developing resort town. Because of its year-round warm temperatures, the city, often referred to as the "other Palm Springs," is known for its outdoor activities, especially golf and tennis. St. George was founded when Mormon Church leader Brigham Young sent a band of pioneer missionaries to settle the area and to raise cotton and silkworms. On the outskirts of St. George is the three mile long Snow Canyon State Park, with its walls of red sandstone laced with a black lava varnish standing among soft silklike silk-like sand dunes. Nestled in Snow Canyon is the Diamond Valley Ranch. The ranch offers the opportunity oppor-tunity to step back in time with overnight over-night accomodations, horseback riding, pack trips, 4-wheel drive tours, hunting, fishing and camping trips and target shooting. Color Country is the site for Bryce Canyon and Zions National Parks. Cedar Breaks National Monument offers a multi-colored view of natural beauty consisting of tall pine and fir trees, flower-filled meadows and weather-eroded rock. The lifting of the land to form Cedar Breaks was accomplished by volcanic eruptions. erup-tions. Many of the lava beds can be seen from the roadside. Since pure limestone is white, the many colors of the breaks result from'the oxidation oxida-tion of impurities, mainly iron and manganese. Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir in America, has 1,960 miles of undeveloped shoreline, 96 canyons, numerous inlets, in-lets, caves and coves, as well as many Indian ruins. The recreation area offers endless opportunities for fishing, camping, waterskiing, scuba diving, houseboating, canoeing, canoe-ing, kayaking, swimming or just exploring. ex-ploring. The low humidity and pleasant pleas-ant temperatures provide ideal conditions con-ditions year round. Rainbow Bridge National Monument, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is the largest natural bridge on earth and can be reached by boat from Lake Powell. The bridge reaches 290 feet in height and is 270 feet across. Deep in the heart of Color Country is Kane County, the gateway to the North rim of the Grand Canyon. One of the seven wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is a rugged, restless collection of colors, canyons, can-yons, buttes, mesas and wildlife. A flight over the Grand Canyon is available from Kanab, the largest town in the county. Kane County has long been a favorite filming location for movies since the filming of Dude Ranger in 1933. Some of the most notable films that were shot on location in the area include Drums Along the Mohawk, Western Union, Greatest Story Ever i 'Mn m i mv i i in n - xamm ii-TWi Boaters enjoy the sandy north end of Lake Powell. Told and Planet of the Apes. Because of the constant filming in the county, several movie sets have been permanently constructed. Only 20 minutes from Kanab along the Arizona Strip is Pipe Spring National Na-tional Monument. An oasis in the middle of the desert, Pipe Spring is a working ranch consisting of homes, bunk houses, work sheds and corrals typical of 19th century ranches. Pipe Spring was originally built by Mormon Mor-mon leader Brigham Young to protect pro-tect migrating settlers from Indians. Right in the center of Color Country Coun-try is Cedar City, home of the world-renowed world-renowed Shakespearean Festival. Southern Utah's largest ski resort, Brian Head, is located 40 minutes from Cedar City. At 11,000 feet, Brian Head enjoys light powder snow which is perfect for downhill and cross country skiing as well as snowmobiling. Whether visiting Southern Utah for an extended time or just passing through, take the time to experience Color Country. It's an area Mother Nature took a little extra time to create. |