Intermountain Region

From Highway 10, exit at Ferron, UT. Travel west on road 022 toward Millsite Resevoir until you come to the overlook.

This overlook provides breathtaking views of Ferron Canyon and the San Rafael Swell.

The San Rafael Swell is a large asymmetric anticline about 75 miles long and 30 miles wide. The western limb is gently inclined while the eastern limb is nearly vertical. The Swell is composed of the Moenkopi, Chinle, Wingate, Navajo, and Carmel Formations. It was likely created during the Laramide orgogeny when the North American plate and Pacific plate collided, which created compressional forces and buckling within the continent. The Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Monument to the south and the Uinta Mountains to the north also resulted from this head-on collision about 65 million years ago.

Later, erosion and uplift of the Colorado Plateau helped to create the spectacular scenery of this area.

While traveling on Highway 10 towards Orangeville and Castle Dale, UT, take Highway 57 and drive north until it connects with Highway 29. Travel west on Highway 29 towards Joe's Reservoir. Follow 29 around the northern end of lake to the boat ramp and take road 170 south until it meets road 019 (about 6.5 miles). Travel east on road 019, then northeast for about 11 miles to the overlook.

This overlook provides excellent views of the San Rafael Swell and Castle Valley.

The San Rafael Swell is a large asymmetric anticline about 75 miles long and 30 miles wide. The western limb is gently inclined while the eastern limb is nearly vertical. The Swell is composed of the Moenkopi, Chinle, Wingate, Navajo and Carmel Formations. It was likely created during the Laramide orgogeny when the North American plate and Pacific plate collided creating compressional forces and buckling within the continent. The Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Monument to the south and the Uinta Mountains to the north also resulted from this head-on collision about 65 million years ago.

Later, erosion and uplift of the Colorado Plateau helped to create the spectacular scenery of this area.

From Castle Dale, UT, take Highway 29 west to Forest Service road 040. Follow this road north for about 8 miles to Forest Service road 034. Follow 034 about 10 miles south along the ridge of Trail Mountain to the overlook.

At the overlook, you will be looking at a 75-mile long "graben" containing Joe's Valley Reservoir. A graben structure is formed when a block of the earth's crust between two parallel faults drops relative to adjacent blocks. The down dropped block or valley is the graben. This valley floor has dropped some 3000 feet below the surrounding plateau. It is the most prominent of several grabens on the Wasatch Plateau. Restroom facilities and interpretive signs are available.

From Highway 89 take Highway 137 to Mayfield, UT. Head west on road 022. Turn north on Skyline Drive (road 150).

The elevation at the highest point on Skyline Drive is 10,094 feet. Here you will have views of the Wasatch Plateau, adjacent mountain ranges, and Sanpete Valley.

Composed of high table land at the southern end of the Wasatch Range, the Wasatch Plateau rises to a high point of 11,300 feet at South Tent Mountain. On the southern end of the Manti-LaSal National Forest near the Fishlake National Forest border, scenic Musinia Peak rises to an altitude of 10,986 feet. The average altitude of the plateau is roughly 11,000 feet. It towers a vertical mile over Sanpete Valley on the west and Castle Valley on the east. The summit is a long narrow platform that never reaches more than 6 miles in width. To the east, the land drops off dramatically through a series of striking white, pink, pale orange and buff-colored cliffs. The lower terraces and benches, at intervals of about three to six miles, reveal older and older strata as they descend. Geologically complex and fascinating, the Wasatch Plateau contains Cretaceous, Laramie, Tertiary, and Jurassic formations.

From Fairview, UT on Highway 89, travel east into Fairview Canyon on Highway 31. Go 13 miles to the overlook.

You will be standing at the top of the Wasatch Plateau, a transition zone between the Colorado Plateau to the east and the Sanpete Valley and Great Basin to the west. Sometimes called the "Wasatch Line", this zone runs north and south the entire length of Utah, dividing the state into distinctly different geologic areas. The Great Basin to the west is characterized by a series of mountain ranges separated by valleys. To the east, flat tablelands and high plateaus, dissected by canyons and irregular valleys, often eroded into spectacular landforms, characterize the Colorado Plateau.

Location of mammoth remains: College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum in Price, UT

Location of original find: From Fairview, UT off Highway 89, travel east into Fairview Canyon on Highway 31. Turn south on Skyline Drive. Head east on Highway 31 towards Huntington Reservoir.

During the 1988 reconstruction of the Huntington Reservoir dam, workers discovered the remains of a giant Columbian mammoth. The mammoth, a bull, lived about 11,000 years ago and was about 60 years old when it died.

The discovery is significant since the extinct mammoth was found at 9,000 feet and scientists believed mammoths usually inhabited low-lying areas. (Since that time, mammoth remains have been found in Colorado at 10,000 feet as well). 

Mammoths and Mastodons are two types of elephants that lived in Utah during the last Pleistocene ice age. Their closest living relatives are the African and Asian elephants.

Near Moab, UT on Highway 191, take CR-124 to connect to Spanish Valley Drive. Spanish Valley Drive turns into Geyer Pass Road and then into LaSal Mountain Look Road. Follow the loop around (about 15 miles or so) to the overlook.

This overlook on the LaSal Mountain Loop Road provides a beautiful view of Castle Valley and the surrounding desert area.

Near Moab, UT on Highway 191, take CR-124 to connect to Spanish Valley Drive. Spanish Valley Drive turns into Geyer Pass Road and then into LaSal Mountain Look Road. Follow the loop around (about 7 miles or so) to the overlook.

A scenic view of the deep gorge that was cut by Mill Creek.

From Monticello, UT, west off Highway 191, travel on road 104 towards Monticello Lake. Overlook is located about 1.5 miles past lake.

Scenic overlook of Needles District of Canyonlands National Park.

(1) A large sandstone arch is visible from the junction of Peavine Canyon and Dark Canyon. Begin 25 miles west of Blanding, UT near the junction of Highway 95 and 275. Take Forest Road 088. The overlook is about nine miles after the junction from 275 and passes between the Bears Ear Formation. When the road forks, do not take road 092, but stay on 088 heading north towards Hammond Canyon Overlook. 4WD is needed to continue on road 089 about 8 miles up Peavine Canyon.

(2) A large sandstone arch is visible in a cliff dweller’s pasture. Travel north from Blanding, UT on the highway towards the National Forest boundary. The road will turn to gravel. Travel on road 095 about 11 miles and the arch is located to the west.

The development of classic arch formations occur when parallel fractures in brittle rocks are exposed and favorable predisposing factors such as soft bedding-planes, indentations, and thin, soft rock layers occur. In Utah, especially near and in the regions of Arches National Park, salt anticlines have rolled the rocks over, turning bedding planes vertical, exposing them to rapid rates of erosion. The parallel joints erode vertically creating fins (see figure 1 below). Loose sands will accumulate between the fins and hold slightly acidic rainwater, through capillary action and surface tension, to the slightly calcareous sandstone walls. With enough persistence, a horizontal crevice will begin to erode. As the crevice enlarge, the weight on the limbs of the forming arch increases due to gravity of the overlying rocks. This stress creates fractured blocks that form from the arch until the characteristic arch forms. This process is known as upward stopping". The size of the arch is dependent on the thickness of the sandstone fins or walls (Doelling, 2003). 

Pothole arches form differently than the classic arch explained above. Run-off on tops of the cliffs and buttes will swirl and erode the surface until a drilled hole is near the cliff face. The running water will continue to erode downward carving an alcove at the base of the cliff. The joining of an alcove and pothole creates a pothole arch. (Doelling, 2003). 

Begin 25 miles west of Blanding, UT near the junction of Highways 95 and 275. Take Forest Road 088. The overlook is about nine miles after the junction from 275 and passes between the Bears Ear Formation also noted on this page. (This route is considered the Elk Ridge Road Scenic Backway, which extends across the Blue Mountains through the high desert ending at Highway 211. The backway is approximately 50 miles long and about four hours driving time.)

Views of Arch and Texas Canyons, each with sculptured sandstone pinnacles.

Begin 25 miles west of Blanding, UT near the junction of Highways 95 and 275. Take Forest Road 088. When road forks, continue north on road 088 about 7 miles to overlook.

Views of Dark Canyon Wilderness to west and Notch Canyon to east.

Begin 25 miles west of Blanding, UT near the junction of Highways 95 and 275. Take Forest Road 088. Bear Ears is about six miles after the junction from 275 and the pass is between the two formations of Bears Ears. (This route is considered the Elk Ridge Road Scenic Backway, which extends across the Blue Mountains through the high desert and ends at Highway 211. The backway is approximately 50 miles long and about four hours driving time.)

Bears Ears is a unique geologic formation visible for miles in all directions and composed primarily of Wingate Sandstone. As a member of the Glen Canyon Group, it consists of well-rounded, fine-grained, quartzose sandstone and its iron-oxide cement helps to produce its characteristic pink-orange color. This sandstone was deposited in ancient coastal sand dune environments. The sand dunes covered most of the Colorado Plateau about 220 to 200 million years ago. You might recognize this same formation and its massive cliffs exposed throughout Canyonlands and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Begin 25 miles west of Blanding, UT near the junction of Highways 95 and 275. Take Forest Road 088. When road forks, continue north on road 088 about 1.5 miles to overlook.

Overlooks a deep sandstone canyon of sculpted pinnacles.

From Salt Lake City, take I-15 south approximately 50 miles to Spanish Fork (exit 261). Travel east and proceed up Spanish Fork Canyon (Rte 6) for about 13.5 miles to Hwy 89. Make a right onto Hwy 89 and go south about 5.8 miles until you see a gravel road to your left. Make the left turn and proceed up the road until you reach a gate. This gate marks the beginning of Forest Service Road 126. Before you proceed up the road, remember to close the gate after yourself. Continue up this road for about 1.5 miles until you see a sign indicating that you have crossed into Forest Service lands.

Approximately 58 to 66 million years ago (Paleocene epoch), a large body of water known as Lake Flagstaff covered parts of northeastern and central Utah. This lake deposited a sequence of sediments that formed rocks known as the Flagstaff Formation. Although these rocks are technically a limestone, the building stone industry has termed this deposit a "marble". The rocks are rich in algal ball structures commonly known as "birdseyes". These birdseye features were formed by algae that grew around snail shells, twigs, or other debris. The algae used these objects as a nucleus, forming into unusual, elongated, concentric shapes.

Where to collect: Specimens can be found along the road just after crossing the Forest Service boundary. If you feel adventurous, this road can be followed up to the abandoned birdseye marble quarry (roughly 2.5 miles), but four wheel drive is highly recommended. Some of the birdseye marble contains cores of snail fossils, which have been replaced by the mineral calcite. This material takes a great polish and is ideal for making unusual decorative bookends. 

Forest Service collecting rules: Rock, mineral, and fossil collecting on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service requires a permit, which is free to the public. The permit allows one to collect small amounts of material for personal use. This permit can be obtained at the Manti-La Sal National Forest office, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 599 West Price River Drive, Price, UT, (435) 637-2817 or (435) 637-3521. (From:  Survey Notes, Utah Geological Survey, April 1999, v. 31)