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Central Utah - Travel and Vacation Overview

Lightly populated Central Utah contains rugged red rock deserts and forested highlands. The rugged and starkly beautiful canyon desert area covers most of the eastern portion of this region. The Green River cuts through it from north to south providing some mild whitewater rafting opportunities. The San Rafael Swell features some of the best scenery and is the most easily accessed area.

As you move west, the canyon desert landscape gives way to forested highlands of rolling hills, alpine meadows and small lakes. Of note is the Wasatch Plateau and Tushar Mountains which both offer nice scenic drives and hiking, mountain biking and fishing opportunities.

For a free vacation planner and more info about Sanpete County (Hwy 89, Wasatch Plateau, etc.), select Free Vacation Planner.



To learn more about Central Utah, select an area or town from the following summaries.

Major Attractions and Cities

San Rafael Swell   (Good)
   The San Rafael Swell is a terrifically wild and lightly visited area of desert canyons in the heart of Utah. Visitors here should expect plenty of solitude in a harsh but starkly beautiful setting. Several rough but passable scenic drives are available as is backcountry hiking for the adventurous. The San Rafael River through the "Little Grand Canyon" makes for a pleasant flat water trip by raft or canoe.

Wasatch Plateau   (Good)
   The Wasatch Plateau is an expansive area of forested peaks and rolling hills, alpine meadows and mountain lakes. Its highest point is 10,900 feet and a good portion of the plateau sits above 10,000 feet. Skyline Drive runs for 100 miles along the crest of the plateau providing access to numerous campgrounds, hiking areas and great views.

Millard County   (Good)
   Millard County lies in west central Utah and is an outdoor activites paradise. Here visitors can find hundreds of miles of trails for mountain biking, ATV's and 4x4 rock crawling. There are many opportunities for trophy hunters as well as several rivers and reservoirs for some relaxing fishing. Millard County also offers two public golf courses: the Paradise Resort in Fillmore and Sunser View in Delta.

Other Attractions and Cities

Elk Meadows Resort (NR)
  

Beaver Pop: 2,500   (Traveler's Stop)
   Beaver is a pleasant little town along I-15 at the western base of the Tushar Mountains. The Tushars are a pretty range with a good network of hiking and biking trails, campgrounds and small lakes. Beaver has a number of small hotels, RV parks and casual places to eat.

Fish Lake   (Good)
   Fish Lake is a large natural lake 8,800 feet up in the heavily forested Fishlake Mountains. The lake has good fishing for large lake trout. In the surrounding area are some good hiking and biking trails. Winter brings heavy snow and opportunities for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.

Green River (town of) Pop: 800   (Traveler's Stop)
   The attraction of this small town is the Green River which snakes through extremely remote canyons. The Green River is famous for excellent scenic river opportunities along with millions of acres of pristine desert offering many recreational activities. The area is surrounded by the Book Cliffs and is the gateway to the San Rafael Swell. There are several hotels and restaurants for your convenience, along with a 9 hole golf course and the John Wesley Powell River Museum.

Price Pop: 9,000   (Traveler's Stop)
   Price is a mid-sized town on the edge of terrifically remote expanses of desert of the Colorado Plateau. Nearby is Nine Mile Canyon with some of the best ancient rock art in the state. South of Price lies the northern portion of the San Rafael Swell while to the west is the Wasatch Plateau.

Richfield Pop: 7,000   (Traveler's Stop)
   Richfield is a mid-sized town along I-70 that serves as a good travelers' stop. It has plenty of convenient places to stay and a selection of places to eat. It is within easy driving distance of Fish Lake, the Tushar Mountains and the southern reach of the Wasatch Plateau.

Tushar Mountains   (Very Good)
   The Tushar Mountains are a pretty range with a good network of hiking and biking trails, campgrounds and small lakes. Though the Tushars exceed the height of the Wasatch Mountains in Northern Utah, they remain under appreciated and relatively uncrowded. Adjacent to the range along I-15 is the pleasant little town of Beaver.

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