Things to Do

Fremont Indian State Park and Museum
The Fremont culture was first identified from sites found in 1928 along the Fremont River near Capitol Reef National Park. Archaeologists noticed that structures and artifacts were different from those in Anasazi sites to the south. Unique characteristics included previously unseen pottery types, dew claw moccasins, unfired clay figurines and petroglyphs with trapezoidal body shapes

In 1983, during construction of Interstate 70 through Clear Creek Canyon, the largest Fremont Village was discovered. After two years of archaeological work, the Fremont Indian State Park and Museum was established by the Utah Legislature in order to preserve Clear Creek Canyon’s treasury of rock art and archaeological sites.

The visitor center includes a museum with information about Fremont and present-day Native Americans. A replica of a Fremont pit house and granary is located nearby. Trails throughout the park allow you to view rock art and visit other points of interest. A short paved interpretive trail begins at the visitor center and is wheelchair accessible. A reconstructed 1880s pioneer cabin is located at the picnic area about a miles east of the visitor center. Tours of the cabin are available by request.

For those visiting the area, it is important to note that Clear Creek Canyon is of deep religious importance to Native Americans. The cliffs and boulders of the canyon are an excellent medium for rock art and many highly preserved examples are found along trails throughout the area. However, rock art’s worst enemy is man. It is tempting to touch the characters, but oils on your skin can damage them. Vandalism is also a threat. It is our responsibility to protect rock are for future generations - please be careful and respectful.

The Fremont Indian State Park and Museum is located along Interstate 70 in Clear Creek Canyon - approximately 20 miles south of Richfield, Utah. Just take exit 17 along I-70 and follow the signs to the visitor center. For information about the Park, please call (435) 527-4631.

Also, the Castle Rock Campground located just a few miles from the museum includes 31 campsites, modern restrooms and access to the Paiute ATV Trail. Camping reservations can be made by calling (435) 322-3770.

Gooseberry Trail
One of Sevier County’s lesser known treasures is the Gooseberry ATV Trail system. The system is located just north and east of the Paiute Trail System and east of Salina, Utah and can be easily accessed off of exit 63 along Interstate 70.

Made up of part of the Great Western Trail system together with access and side routes, Gooseberry includes just over 200 miles of trail. A good portion of the trail system is two track traveling through some of the most beautiful areas in central Utah.

While there, you may want to try and catch a few of Utah’s trout from one of the lakes in the Gooseberry area. Hamilton Reservoir, Gates Lake and Farnsworth Reservoir are a few of the lakes that hold trout - both wild and stocked.

Be sure to take your camera as the Gooseberry area is well known for its elk herds. Also, keep a sharp eye out along the trail for items left behind by explorers and pioneers - the old Spanish Trail goes right through the Gooseberry system.

The Forest Service offers a free map of the Gooseberry system. To order a free map, please contact our office at 1-877-47-EVENT (1-877-473-8368) or call the Forest Service directly at (435) 896-9233.

Paiute Trail
The famous Paiute ATV Trail is an over 1,000 mile trail system that connects three mountain ranges and numerous towns throughout central Utah with ATV and OHV friendly streets. The majority of the trail is located in the beautiful Fishlake National Forest or on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Native American history can be found in many areas along the trial, but there is no place better than the Fremont Indian State Park. The main Paiute Loop as well as side trails #13 and #15 offer access into the Park. Once there, visitors can step back in time and see hundreds of petroglyphs left by inhabitants dating back thousands of years.

One of the best places to enjoy local wildlife is Monroe Mountain. Located south and east of Monroe, the mountain has numerous side trails along the Paiute Loop where large herds of animals can be seen. Monroe Mountain is particularly famous for its elk herd and is where the famous "Spyder Bull" was taken in 2008.

On the southern portion of the trail, riders can get above the timber line on the Tushar mountains and see the local herd of mountain goat. Access to the Tushar mountains can be via Big Rock Candy Mountain or the Fremont Indian State Park. Please note that because of snow in the higher elevations, the trail to the top does not open until late July each year.

Most areas along the trail is also includes a rich mining history. Just south of the Fremont Indian state park along trail #13, riders will find the remains of what used to be one of the largest mining towns in central Utah - Kimberly. Around the turn of the century, Kimberly was booming and included a school, saloons, butcher shop, cafe and jail.

No matter what your riding skill or your interests, the Paiute Trail is a perfect place to spend some time. A thousand miles of trail, a million acres of land, the adventure of a lifetime.

Fish Lake Byway
Beginning at the junction of Highways 25 and 24 (set odometer at 0), the Fish Lake Scenic Byway is a great way to spend a few hours. In addition to the scenery, wildlife and amazing fall colors, here are a few of the sites visitors can see along the way.

• Lorenzo's Rock Monuments (Mile 2.5)
  • When Lorenzo Larsen, a bachelor sheepherder from Glenwood, Utah grew bored, he built stone monuments. From the late 1940s through the 70s, Lorenzo spent hundreds of hours creating rock monuments that look like dogs, tea kettles, and eveFislake Lodgen a woman with a frying pan. Lorenzo passed away in 1988, but his stone sentinels still stand watch on the hills near the first 4 miles of Highway 25.
• Hancock Flat Road (Mile 4.3)
  • Long before the pavement of Highway 25, visitors to Fish Lake would travel into the area along what is known as the "Hogs Back". In the early 1900s, the trip from the valley up to the Hancock Flat turnoff took a full day and could be very dangerous. Today, the dirt road is open to all vehicles and provides access to the Paiute Trail. Visitors may also want to note that the ponderosa pine grove at mile marker 4 is not native to the area. The Forest Service, BLM and local business owners came together to plant the trees at the entrance to the forest land.
• Lake Overlook (Mile 5.5)
  • Rounding a sharp curve, travelers suddenly catch their first view of the beautiful Fish Lake Basin. A scenic overlook is provided to allow a chance to stop and take in the view.
• "Pando" (Mile 6.2)
  • In 1994, the Forest Service clear cut this land in an effort to regenerate the aging stand of aspens. The Aspen stand, known as "Pando", is a clone colony of a single male quaking aspen and is estimated to weigh over 6,600 tons, making it one of the heaviest known living organisms in the world. The name "Pando" was chosen because of its Latin for "I Spread".
• Dr. Creek Trailhead (Mile 7)
  • At the south end of Fish Lake, is the Dr. Creek Trailhead. The trailhead offers access to two trails. The first travels up Dr. Creek Canyon to an elevation of over 10,000 feet as it makes its way along the beautiful Fish Lake High Top. The second is the Lakeshore Trail following the western shore of Fish Lake. Lakeshore trail is approximately 6 miles in length and include interpretive markers along the way for those interested in gathering information about the area.
• Lakeside Resort (Mile 7.5)
  • Sitting on the southwest shore of Fish Lake, Dr. John St. John once operated a sanitarium at the turn of the 20th century at this location. The hospital caught fire and burned in the doctor was gone by 1908.
• Fish Lake Lodge (Mile 8.7)
  • Charlie Skougaard started recreational lodging on this spot in 1911 with 12 wall tents and 12 fishing boats. When the first lodge slid into the lake, he built a two story lodge with a large dance hall. After the dance hall caught fire and burned down, they built the building that stands today. The lodge took four years to complete and opened in August of 1932.
• Aspen Heart (Mile 8.7)
  • The Aspen Heart is a grove of aspen trees located on the west side of the Fish Lake Basin above the lodge. The grove is naturally shaped like a heart and is the largest grove of trees on the mountain to turn bright red-orange in the fall. It is the first grove of trees on the mountain to change color and the first to lose its leaves. The "Romeo and Juliet" type legend of the Aspen Heart dates back to when the Paiute Indians made Fish Lake their summer home.
• Twin Creek Fishery (Mile 8.8)
  • Twin Creeks is one of the natural and continuous tributaries into Fish Lake. In the early 1900s, it was nearly impossible to cross the creek with a team and wagon without first getting out and clearing the fish from the crossing. A commercial fishery was established on the shore of the lake where fish were netted from the water, cleaned, cured and then sent to the valley for sale.
• Bowery Haven (Mile 10.2)
  • At this site, early pioneers sat on log benches and held Sunday church services under a large bowery made from native spruce trees.
• Joe's Bush (Mile 10.6)
  • This site was names for Joe Nielsen, a local fishing guide who used to troll for the big ones just out from this spot.
• Pelican Point (Mile 12.1)
  • This is the site where the first Forest Service cabins in the area stood. Today, it is a great place to see where the mountain broke away on the fault line and came to form Fish Lake.
• Jorgensen Creek (Mile 12.9)
  • In 1879, Johan Gustave Jorgensen took up a homestead on this small creek running into the north end of Fish Lake. He and his wife with their eight children established a dairy and hog farm on the site where they produced hundreds of pounds of cheese, feeding the whey to the hogs. Each week, the family would trek down the mountain with a supply of cheese and salted fish to sell. The ranch provided fresh dairy products and meat to the local resorts until the 1930s.
• Johnson Reservoir (Mile 15.9)
  • Covering one square mile, this scenic reservoir is located seven miles north of Fish Lake. In an effort to help reduce the number of "trash" fish in Fish Lake, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has planted Tiger Musky in Johnson's Reservoir for the past decade. The Tiger Musky is a cross between a Northern Pike and a Muskellunge and can grow to 50 plus inches long and weigh over 30 pounds.
• Old Spanish Trail (Mile 19.0)
  • In the early 1800s, thousands of men and tens of thousands of horses and mules passed this way on a well trodden trail. This pack trail, known as the Old Spanish Trail, stretched 1200 miles and linked Sante Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Between 1829 and 1848, Meadowtraders used this trail to carry New Mexican woolen goods (rugs and blankets) that were traded for California mules and horses.
• Zedd's Meadow (19.3)
  • Zedd's Meadow is located east of Johnson Reservoir where the Fremont River meanders through the meadow after making its way through the woods below Johnsons.
• Mill Meadow (Mile 27)
  • Crossing Zedd's Meadow, the paved road carves out a winding rails as it parallels the river in the gorge below on its way down the drainage to Mill Meadow Reservoir. Paved pull-outs are available along the way to giving travelers a chance to stop and take in the view as well as provide parking for dispersed camping spots. Mill Meadow Reservoir is the concluding highlight along the scenic byway, which ends at the junction of Highway 25 and State Road U-72.

Festivals & Events

Blast from the Past Car Show

Held each year the last Friday and Saturday of July in Salina, Blast from the Past Car Show allows participants to enjoy the nostalgia of antique cars and trucks, hot rods, and more! Festivities include a parade, burn out contest, car show, entertainment, food, other contests, and lots of fun in the sun! For additional information, visit the Blast from the Past Car Show website.

Eyes to the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival

Held each year during the second weekend in July in Salina, this three-day event is a must see. Watch hot air balloons launch each morning at sunrise and float over the most beautiful valley in the state! Festivities include breakfast served at the launch site, craft vendors, games, motorcycle and ATV poker rides, free swimming, a concert on Saturday evening, and the famous Hot Air Balloon Glow. For additional information, visit the Eyes to the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival website.

Rocky Mountain ATV / UTV Jamboree

The 20th annual Rocky Mountain Jamboree will be held September 17th through the 21st, 2012!

Again this year, the Jamboree's title sponsor is and is under the direction of Sevier County, Utah.

Jamboree registration is currently underway. This year's event includes a few new rides as well as updated ride descriptions that include a number of local sponsors who will help to make the event more than just a ride - but an experience.

If you need a hard copy of the Jamboree materials or have any questions, please call 1-877-47-EVENT.

Hope to see you in September!