Category Archives: Parks and Museums
Spring Riding at Dead Horse Point State Park
May is nearly here and with it comes the onset of the tourist season at Dead Horse Point State Park. Park staff is looking forward to a great season of interpretive programs, school field trips, guided hikes, and the daily assortment of visitors from around the world. The abnormally warm and relatively snowless winter has paved the way for abundant outdoor activities this spring. Despite the fact that March retains a bit of chill in the air, it is an excellent time for both fat and skinny tire cyclists to get rolling.
The Intrepid Trail System at Dead Horse Point State Park offers enjoyable riding for novice mountain bikers and their seasoned counterparts. These trails offer a fun riding experience and astonishing views. Since its’ inception, the Intrepid Trail System has yielded a steady increase in use each season. The varied terrain of all three trails in the Intrepid Trail System are ideal for preparing any rider for the challenge of Moab’s more advanced trails. Many riders have already begun to take advantage of the trails and get a jump start on the riding season. March weather provides good riding conditions, enough daylight and lacks the extreme heat of summer.… Read the rest
Posted in Events and Activities, Parks and Museums, State Parks, Trails
Tagged dead horse point, Moab mountain biking, road cycling, trails
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Antelope Island Morning
With such mild winter weather, it feels like spring has already arrived at the Island – minus the bugs!
Come on out and enjoy the sights, sounds and feeling of this incredible place. If you can stay and enjoy the sunset it will be an experience you won’t forget!
Unusually Pleasant Weather
With the unseasonably warm weather, take a hike on Antelope Island!
I also heard, saw or saw signs of:
Bison, coyote, bobcat, cottontail rabbit, northern harrier, and voles/mice.
Posted in Parks and Museums, State Parks
Tagged Antelope Island, Bison, hiking, mountain, raven, state park, trails
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Mmmmm, Easy Campfire Desserts – Snow Canyon State Park
Snow Canyon State Park visitors recently had the chance to try their hand at some easy campfire recipes. Participants in the “Simple Campfire Desserts” program not only left with full bellies but 12-recipes to sample from during their next camp outing. The crowd favorite of the night was “Grilled Chocolate –Raspberry Burritos”. With some hot campfire coals and basic supplies you can sweeten your next camping trip with this simple recipe:
GRILLED CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY BURRITOS
Ingredients:
8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Stack tortillas and place in foil. Place over heat, turning occasionally until tortillas are warm and pliable. Remove and separate. Sprinkle each with chips and berries in the center. Fold in sides and roll up. Brush with melted butter. Place each on rack over heat, cover and grill about 3 minutes until grill marks show and chocolate is melted, turning at least once. Transfer to serving dish and brush with remaining butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over burritos. Serve immediately.
Posted in Parks and Museums, State Parks, Uncategorized
Tagged campfire, camping, desserts, ivins, outdoor cooking, recipes, Snow Canyon, utah
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Hailstone Event Center
Reserve the Hailstone Event Center for your wedding, reception or other special event:
Posted in Parks and Museums, Reservations, State Parks
Tagged francis, heber city, jordanelle reservoir, peoa, receptions, state park, utah state parks, weddings
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Another soggy weekend, what to do?
Soggy weather and chilly temperatures getting you down? Take advantage of the rainy weather and visit a Utah state park museum.
Take a short drive to Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn in Fairfield and learn about this once bustling military camp home to 3,500 troops sent to suppress a rumored Mormon rebellion.
Hunt for dinosaurs at the Utah Field House of Natural History in Vernal. Explore 22,000 square feet of exhibits including fossils, dinosaurs, and early American Indian history.
A two-hour drive to central Utah takes you to Fremont Indian State Park and Museum. Discover artifacts, petroglyphs, and pictographs left behind by the Fremont Indians. Spend a day at the museum, and then camp at nearby Castle Rock Campground.
Other state park museums include Anasazi in Boulder, Edge of the Cedars in Blanding, Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore, and Frontier Homestead in Cedar City. Each museum provides a glimpse into Utah’s history and the things making our state unique.
For museum hours, fees, directions, and upcoming events, check out stateparks.utah.gov.
Posted in Parks and Museums
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Riding the Intrepid Trail
Though I live in Moab, I’m not a particularly skilled mountain biker, but I’m trying! I have a bike and I’ve done a few easy and moderate trails. One of the few trails in the Moab area that is not too intense or difficult is the Intrepid Trail System at Dead Horse Point State Park. It’s a fun ride over mesa-top terrain with amazing views along the way. It’s great for experienced bikers wanting a less challenging ride with great views and short hikes, or people like me who want to improve their mountain biking skills.
The four-mile Great Pyramid Loop is good for a short ride that lasts about an hour. It is mostly slickrock and hard surfaces, with a few moderately technical areas. The nine-mile Big Chief Loop has a few more challenging areas for riders to test their skills before tackling Moab’s more difficult mountain bike trails.
Posted in Events and Activities, Parks and Museums, State Parks, Trails
Tagged dead horse point, mountain bike, state park, trail
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Current reservoir conditions
I’ve been under the weather and haven’t been able to get out fishing. For those of you lucky enough to venture out this week, here’s what you can expect to find:
Spying on Wildlife!
Visitors to Dead Horse Point State Park often ask us, “Where are the animals?” or, “Why doesn’t anything live here?” Well, the park is home to a variety of wildlife! The problem is that, because we live in a hot desert, most of the wildlife here is either nocturnal or crepuscular. Since humans are mostly active during the day, we don’t get to see a lot of these nighttime critters!
Rangers at Dead Horse Point have set up a trail camera in remote areas of the park and near potholes, which are rare, natural water sources (more on those in a later post!). The camera caught a few animals, pictured below. As you can see below, the camera did not go unnoticed!
Posted in Parks and Museums
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On the Trail of a Weasel!
Little white body, black tipped tail. There’s nothing much cuter than a weasel in winter. Also known as Ermine, these little critters are a bundle of energy. Follow the trail of one and it tells the story of a hyperactive, inquisitive, little predator.
