BLM Recreation Sites

Northern Utah

Eastern Utah

Central Pacific Transcontinental RR Grade - This 90-mile route winds through remnants of railroad camps, towns, and trestles. There are interpretive signs at points of interest, as well as the visitor center and museum at Golden Spike National Historic Site.

Clover Springs - The clear, bubbling waters of a natural spring gave this site its name. Cottonwood trees frame the campground that sits at 6,000 feet and is a popular trail head for hikers and horseback riders.

Knolls - Nearly 36,000 acres of sand dunes, hills, and mud flats located in the Great Salt Lake makes knolls a perfect OHV play area.

Pony Express Trail - Relive a dramatic part of the West's history as you travel the same trail that Pony Express Riders covered over 100 years ago. You can stop at stations and modern interpretive sites along the Backcountry Byway where exhausted riders once rested before they raced on to complete their 1,800-mile mail run.

Little Sahara Recreation Area - Little Sahara is a giant sandbox made up of 60,000 acres of free-moving sand dunes, sagebrush flats, and juniper-covered hills ideal for sand-buggies, motorcycles and 4-wheel drive vehicles. 

Tabernacle Hill/Pavant Butte - Explore fascinating formations left behind by volcanoes that existed thousands of years ago.

West Desert Rockhounding Areas - Hunt for topaz, crystals on Topaz Mountain, or look for trilobites in the Antelope Springs trilobite beds. If geodes intrigue you, then Dugway geode beds may be the place to go.

Yuba Reservoir - In summer months, the warm waters of Yuba Reservoir provide wonderful boating, water-skiing, sailboarding, sailing, and swimming. There's also year-round fishing for walleye, perch, catfish, and northern pike.

Canyons of the Escalante - Located within the magnificent Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the Escalante River winds its way through massive walls of white rock, slowly carving the stark and beautiful Canyons of the Escalante.

Henry Mountains - Whether you're a hiker, camper, or just like to drive through the mountains, you'll find your niche in the beauty of the Henrys.

Hog Springs - Surrounded by the slick, red walls of southern Utah's desert, this beautiful picnic area along the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway makes the perfect stop. The area offers a wonderful view of the Henry Mountains, and ancient pictographs and petroglyphs dot canyon walls.

Joshua Tree National Landmark - Watchable wildlife, site seeing, photography, hiking, rock climbing and scenic driving on the Joshua Tree Backway. Discover the northernmost stand of Joshua Trees. Take the Joshua Tree Road Backway for a tour through the Mojave desert landscapes and stunning wildflowers in season.

Otter Creek Reservoir - Otter Creek has an activity for almost everyone. The cold, clear water of this large reservoir offers year-round fishing for rainbow trout. For wildlife watchers, numerous waterfowl, raptors, deer, antelope, and elk abound.

Paiute Reservoir/Paiute ATV Trail - Whether you like mountain fishing or miles of ATV trails, this reservoir is for you.  No matter what your reason for visiting, this reservoir is a great summer getaway. Visit the ghost town of Kimberley where 3,000 gold miners worked around the turn of the century and the birth place of the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy. Also, numerous pictographs and petroglyphs are in this area.

The Wolverton Mill - It was 1921 when Edwin T. Wolverton constructed a mill in the Henry Mountains, completing a dream he had begun 20 years before. Wolverton came to the area in search of a legendary Spanish gold mine. Today, the Spanish gold is still just a legend, but the mill has been restored and relocated to the BLM office in Hanksville.

Paria Canyon/River - Experience the muddy waters of the wild and twisting canyons of the Paria River located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Visit the old Paria movie set and ghost town north of the wilderness area. Petroglyphs and campsites show that Pueblo Indians traveled the Paria more than 700 years ago.

Parowan Gap - Thousands of years ago, an ancient river cut a 600-foot-deep notch, called a wind gap, through the Red Hills. The gap is a superb "gallery" of petroglyphs that features a 1,000-year accumulation of Native American rock art.

Red Cliffs/Sand Mountain - Early morning and late afternoon sunlight brings these weather-sculptured cliffs of reddish-orange alive with color. Quail creek, a seasonal stream, emerges from a canyon and flows through the middle of the campground.

Smithsonian Butte/Canaan Mountain - See the towering slickrock pinnacles and balancing rocks of Canaan Mountain, as well as panoramic views of Zion National Park, from the Smithsonian Butte Backcountry Byway. If you're looking for a glimpse of the Old West, stop at nearby Grafton, one of the best preserved and most picturesque ghost towns in Utah.

Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry - The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry was initially excavated by scientists in 1931, following reports by local cowboys and sheepherders, who found fossil bones in the area. Since that date, at least 18,000 fossil bones have been taken from the quarry, representing at least 70 different animals.  The quarry is one of the world's foremost dinosaur fossil sources. More than 30 complete skeletons, 12,000 individual bones and several dinosaur eggs have come from this prolific fossil bed.

Desolation/Gray Canyons - The 84 miles of the Green River that run through Desolation and Gray Canyons provide a premiere wilderness river trip through Utah’s deepest canyons. The river traveler encounters approximately 60 Class II and III rapids. In addition to river-running, there are wonderful opportunities for camping, archaeological and geologic interpretation, wildlife watching, hiking, and exploring.

Drive Through the Ages - Drive through time with a series of 20 interpretive signs as your guide. On your travels, you'll pass 19 geological formations, some over 80 million years old. This beautiful drive takes you from the small town of Vernal through several dramatic scenery changes, finally reaching the pines and cool air near Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

Dry Fork Canyon - This canyon offers a beautiful shady picnic area for relaxation as well as an opportunity of viewing Native American Petroglyphs.

John Jarvie Ranch - John Jarvie Ranch is a small mountain valley in the remote northeast corner of Utah.  The ranch was originally used by mountain men and trappers for shelter in the early 19th century.  The ranch also served as a common stopping place for travelers as well as an outlaw hideout frequented by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Matt Warner, Isom Dart, and Ann Bassett, Queen of the Rustlers.

Labyrinth Canyon - Float through the waters of this 68-mile section of the Green River. Framed by purple and red sandstone cliffs, this area is virtually unchanged since the famed river explorer J.W. Powell saw it in 1869.

Nine Mile Canyon - Drive the Backcountry Byway through scenic Nine Mile Canyon. This journey back in time features remnants of two past cultures: Native Americans and early settlers. The spectacular Fremont Indian rock art etched into the canyon walls frames the twisting dirt road that stage and freight coaches traveled in the 1800s.

Pariette Wetlands - Surrounded by miles of harsh, arid desert, the Pariette Wetlands provide a green, marshy home for wildlife trying to survive in a difficult environment. This is a prime spot for watching wildlife, with chances to see raptors, waterfowl, and more.

Price Canyon Recreation Area - This relaxing spot in the woods gives visitors a chance to enjoy cool clean air and wonderful canyon overlooks. You can camp or picnic under the shade of ponderosa pines. Hikers can follow a self-guided nature walk through oak, pines, and mountain mahogany to the ridgetop.

San Rafael Swell - The scenic sandstone formations, streams, and deep canyons of the San Rafael Swell are an incredible example of the earth's force. Erosion has exposed strips of colors in the huge plates of stone, set on edge almost 65 million years ago. You can hike the canyons themselves or get a great view of the Swell at the Cedar Mountain overlook and picnic area.

White River - The White River is a relaxing run on one of Utah's best canoe-camping and kayaking rivers. Groves of cottonwoods make pleasant places to camp.  A variety of wildlife abound including birds, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, bighorn sheep and black bears.

Canyon Rims Recreation Area - Are you looking for spectacular views of canyon country? At Canyon Rims you can view deep canyons, hike trails in Dark Canyon Primitive Area, ride your bike along dirt roads of the colored mesa, or camp at Hatch Point and Wind Whistle campgrounds.

Colorado Riverway - The colorful canyons and natural rock formations of the Colorado Riverway have long been calling cards for the film industry. So, whether you choose to hike, bike, camp, or run the river, you may see some familiar scenes.

Grand Gulch Plateau -  As you walk this twisting canyon system, you will see some of the most incredible scenery and largest concentrations of Anasazi ruins in all of southeastern Utah.

Mill Canyon/Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks - Get a glimpse of an era when huge creatures roamed the earth. The dinosaur fossils and tracks in Mill Canyon can be seen by following a short nature trail near the Monitor and Merrimac mountain bike/jeep trail. A few miles north, the Copper Ridge site features the tracks of a brontosaurus and four three-toed dinosaurs.

Mule Canyon/Butler Wash - Here you can walk along the sandstone cliffs that were once populated by the Anasazi peoples. Mule Canyon has the remains of a small Anasazi village, while Butler Wash offers an easy half-mile walk to overview of Anasazi cliff houses.

San Juan River - Spectacular scenery, superb rock-art viewing, river floating, camping and wildlife viewing.

Sand Flats/Moab Slickrock Bike Trail - Sand Flats contains a maze of sandstone domes and fins. These beautiful desert formations are well known and heavily used by mountain bikers. Kokopelli's Bike Trail, Porcupine Rim Bike Trail, and the Slickrock Bike Trail start here.  Moab Slickrock Bike Trail crosses a scenic and rugged expanse of rolling Navajo Sandstone.

Westwater Canyon - The Westwater Canyon area provides a stretch of renowned whitewater opportunities for both rafters and kayakers. The black, uplifted rocks in the canyon represent the oldest exposed formations in eastern Utah. Many species of wildlife inhabit the canyon. There are also several historic sites along the river corridor. Heading west, this is the first canyon along the Colorado River within Utah.

For more information visit the Utah Bureau of Land Management website