<<

C A C H E V A L L E Y / B E A R L A K E

Guide to the

NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY

1 explorelogan.com C A C H E V A L L E Y / B E A R L A K E 31 SITES AND STOPS TABLE OF CONTENTS Site 1 Logan Ranger District 4 31 Site 2 Canyon Entrance 6 Site 3 Stokes Nature Center / River Trail 7 hether you travel by car, bicycle or on foot, a Site 4 Logan City Power Plant / Second Dam 8 Wjourney on the Logan Canyon National Scenic Site 5 Bridger Campground 9 Byway through the Wasatch-Cache National Forest Site 6 Spring Hollow / Third Dam 9 Site 7 Dewitt Picnic Area 10 offers an abundance of breathtaking natural beauty, Site 8 Wind Caves Trailhead 11 diverse recreational opportunities, and fascinating Site 9 Guinavah-Malibu 12 history. This journey can calm your heart, lift your Site 10 Card Picnic Area 13 Site 11 Chokecherry Picnic Area 13 spirit, and create wonderful memories. Located Site 12 Preston Valley Campground 14 approximately 90 miles north of Salt City, this Site 13 Right Hand Fork / winding stretch of U.S. Hwy. 89 runs from the city of Lodge Campground 15 Site 14 Wood Camp / Jardine Juniper 16 Logan in beautiful to Garden City on Site 15 Logan Cave 17 the shores of the brilliant azure-blue waters of Bear Site 16 The Dugway 18 Lake. It passes through colorful fields of wildflowers, Site 17 Blind Hollow Trailhead 19 Site 18 Temple Fork / Old Ephraim’s Grave 19 between vertical limestone cliffs, and along rolling Site 19 21 streams brimming with trout. Site 20 USU Field Station / West Hodges 22 Site 21 Tony Grove Area 23 Each of the 31 sites featured in this brochure provides Site 22 Tony Grove Lake 24 an interesting glimpse into the canyon’s rich natural Site 23 Mt. Naomi Wilderness 25 resources and unique cultural heritage. Slow down, Site 24 Red Banks 26 Site 25 Franklin Basin 26 leave the road, and experience Logan Canyon’s vibrant Site 26 Beaver Junction and Mountain 27 spirit. Feel the crisp mountain air filling your lungs. Site 27 The Sinks 28 Hear the fall leaves crunch beneath your feet. Listen Site 28 Summit and Limber Pine 29 Site 29 Sunrise 30 to the sounds of the river. Discover for yourself why Site 30 Overlook 31 Logan Canyon is one of the American West’s last Site 31 Garden City 32 hidden treasures. Logan Canyon Map 34 This guide follows the Logan Canyon from the west entrance of the canyon in the city CACHE VALLEY VISITORS BUREAU of Logan to its eastern portal at Bear Lake. You can 1-800-882-4433 or 1-435-755-1890 199 North Main, Logan, UT 84321 start your adventure from either direction. Each site www.explorelogan.com description includes mileage from the Logan Ranger District Office at the mouth of Logan Canyon as well BEAR LAKE VALLEY CONVENTION as highway milepost references and GPS coordinates. & VISITORS BUREAU If you happen to start from Bear Lake, simply follow 1-800-448-BEAR (2327) or 1-435-946-2197 the numbered sites in reverse order. Relax and enjoy 69 N. Paradise Pkwy. Bldg. A the journey. PO Box 542, Garden City, UT 84028 For more information contact: more For www.bearlake.org 1 Logan Ranger District Visitor highest level reached from Cedar City Center/Lady Bird Overlook on the south to on the Mileage north and extended approximately 11 0.0 miles into Logan Canyon. If you had It took millions of years to create been standing in Cache Valley 15,000 Milepost the breathtaking view seen from this 461.2 years ago, you would have been under overlook. Cache Valley’s mountain GPS 650 feet of water. Wooly mammoths, setting is the result of constant shifting musk oxen, camels, and prehistoric bison N41° 44.600 along fractures in the Earth known W111° 47.800 frequented ’s shores. as “faults.” Due to these faults, Cache Valley has been sinking for roughly 12 million years while other deep within the Earth have thrust the surrounding mountains upward. Forming the Valley’s western flank are the snowcapped peaks of the Wellsville Mountain Range. Climbing these steeply rising giants demands strong

legs and lungs, but the spectacular views Justis A. R. are well worth the effort. This is a well- Most of Logan Canyon’s fascinating known hawk watching area. landscape falls within the borders of the To the east of the overlook, the jagged Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. ridges of the add The Logan Ranger District Visitor an air of mystery to Cache Valley’s Center is located at the mouth of Logan marvelous landscape. At the base of these Canyon at 1500 East Hwy. 89, (435) 755- mountains are several broad, flat-topped 3620. The visitor center is open year- terraces formed by the descending round, Monday through Friday from 8 shoreline of an ancient lake. During a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and provides recreation the Earth’s last ice age, formed and camping information, trail maps, glaciers in the mountains and rain filled souvenirs, and useful guides to the area’s the Valley with an expansive freshwater natural and cultural history. The Cache lake known as Lake Bonneville. This Valley Visitors Bureau provides tourist immense body of water was 348 miles information covering Cache Valley, the long and 145 miles wide and at its City of Logan, Logan Canyon, the Bear Lake area, the entire state of , and other regional attractions. The office is located at 199 Main Street in the historic Cache County Courthouse in downtown Logan, (800) 882-4433 or (435) 755-1890. R. A. Justis A. R. 4 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 5 2 Canyon Entrance Park, 3 Stokes Nature Center First Dam, Bonneville Shoreline and River Trail Mileage Trail, and Highline Trail Mileage 0.5 1.1 The Stokes Nature Center is located in Milepost This grassy park includes the first of Milepost Logan Canyon on the River Trail. From 462.4 463 three dams constructed to harness the the canyon entrance, the trailhead is .65 GPS GPS miles on the right (south) side of the N41° 44.570 power of the for electricity. On a sunny day, the banks of First Dam N41° 44.510 road. Parking is available in a marked W111° 47.300 W111° 46.125 come alive with picnics, volleyball, area .1 miles before the trailhead on the and college students. Eager geese and other (north) side of the highway. Please ducks are always looking for a tasty use care in crossing the highway to the crumb. Local anglers also frequent the trailhead. The Nature Center is about water’s edge in hopes of landing one of 300 yards up the trail. the many trout stocked here each year. Discover the wonders of nature first- hand—hear the song of the black- capped chickadee, delve into the world of river researchers, discover the fascinating critters that share our Valley and canyons, and see the world through a new perspective. Stokes Nature Center programs offer information, discovery, and exploration of the natural world.

Mike Bullock The River Trail follows the Logan City Accessible viewing decks, fishing piers, water line, which is buried beneath the restrooms, and ample parking make this surface and passes Stokes Nature Center. park an enjoyable spot for everyone. The The trail parallels the river for 4.2 miles. park also provides convenient access to Thick vegetation screens out the noise the Bonneville Shoreline and Highline of the highway and allows visitors to Trails for hikers and mountain bikers. enjoy the rushing, bubbling sounds and Once you climb from the level of the beauty of the Logan River. Observant park to the area of the shoreline on the travelers will also enjoy the company Bonneville Shoreline Trail, the trail is of many songbirds and small wildlife as relatively flat. The trail currently extends they explore the trail. 1.5 miles from Green Canyon to First Dam. The Highline Trail extends up Logan Canyon and provides a new and unique perspective of Cache Valley. It connects with the River Trail and the extensive trail system that exists in the Canyon area. Stokes Nature Center Nature Stokes 6 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 7 4 Logan City Power Plant 6 Spring Hollow Campground and Second Dam and Third Dam Mileage Mileage 2.5 4.3 Logan City began producing its own A marshy wetland teeming with cattails, Milepost Milepost electrical power from this site shortly willows, and the chattering of birds 463.7 465.5 after the turn of the twentieth century. marks the entrance to this popular GPS Monthly rates at that time ranged from GPS campground. With easy access, limited N41° 45.200 N41° 44.777 20¢ to 50¢ per light. Bills were determined parking, and a plentiful supply of fish, W111° 43.010 W111° 44.817 by a “checker” who visited each house Third Dam is a great spot for young and and counted the number of light bulbs young-at-heart anglers and fly fishermen. in use. Up to 15 percent of the city’s Spring Hollow Campground contains 12 electricity is produced by the Morgan sites for camping and provides access to Smith Turbine housed here. Tours of several enjoyable trails, including the massive turbine can be arranged a hike to see the spring. on a limited basis through the Logan City Light and Power Department. The Riverside Nature Trail has Call ahead for an appointment: (435) interpretive signs along its 1.5-mile 716-9700. route. Learn interesting facts about the plant and animal communities that There are six wooded picnic sites at make their home in this lively river Second Dam. The area is fully accessible habitat. Access to the trail is found on and includes two parking areas, a the east side of the campground. The restroom, and a boardwalk fishing pier. first portion of the trail is wheelchair The fishing pier is wheelchair accessible accessible. The remaining portion of the and offers many sites to fish right from trail is easy. the shore. Trout are stocked in Second Dam each year. This is a popular family At the top of Spring Hollow is the fishing spot and also provides convenient beginning of the Crimson Trail, a access to the River Trail. 3-mile hike upriver from Spring Hollow to the Guinavah-Malibu Campground. The name of the trail originates from 5 Bridger Campground the crimson and gold colors carried by seniors from College, Mileage This pleasant lower canyon campground once located in Logan, as they made 3.3 contains 10 campsites and offers their “Senior Walk” along this trail. It Milepost 464.5 excellent access for fishing on the Logan could also be attributed to the incredible GPS River. It is generally open from May reds of the maple trees in the fall. To N41° 44.900 to September. make this a loop trail back to Spring W111° 44.014 Hollow, use the Riverside Nature Trail to make a 4-mile loop. The Crimson Trail is steep and skirts the upper edge of an immense band of limestone rock known as the China Wall. Over millions of years, the sediment that was once the bed of an ancient tropical 8 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 9 sea eventually formed the rock wall. The 9 Guinavah-Malibu wall has preserved the fossilized remains Campground of several marine animals. Search and Mileage find fossils of creatures such as crinoids, 5.3 During the 1920s and 30s, many Logan brachiopods, and corals. Please leave the Milepost families loaded up their Model-T fossils in place for others to enjoy. 466.5 Fords and escaped the daily grind by GPS heading for Guinavah-Malibu’s soothing Dewitt Picnic Area N41° 45.740 landscape of willows, big-tooth maples, 7 W111° 42.150 and grassy meadows. The canyon was so Mileage 4.8 This secluded, riverside picnic area takes popular during these years that one local Milepost 466 its name from Aaron Dewitt, one of resident remarked, “A stranger...would GPS Logan’s first pioneers. The city of Logan think that Cache Valley had moved to N41° 45.440 acquired the area water rights, built a the mountains!” With three large group W111° 42.600 , and began running culinary areas and 40 individual campsites, this water to the city’s residents. is still the best loved campground in the Canyon. While exploring this peaceful site, try dipping your toes in the inviting water The upper east end of the campground or taking a relaxing stroll through the is the location of a limestone and timber adjacent corridor of willows. Before amphitheater that was built by the leaving the Dewitt area, look to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) mountain top across the highway. You during the 1930s. will find a great view of one of Logan Canyon’s most interesting geologic Guinavah-Malibu also provides access formations – the Wind Caves. to the Crimson Trail and the Riverside Nature Trail. Both of these trails are described previously in Site 6, Spring 8 Wind Caves Trailhead Hollow Campground and Third Dam.

Mileage Millennia of wind and water erosion have 5.2 created a delicate triple arch and natural 10 Card Picnic Area Milepost cave in the limestone outcropping at the 466.4 end of this 1.9-mile trail. Also known Mileage This picnic area contains four delightful 7.3 GPS as Witch’s Castle, the location of this riverside picnic sites and is located N41° 45.750 interesting formation provides a clear Milepost at 5,400 feet above sea level. You can 468.5 W111° 42.210 view of the China Wall, a limestone rock see the line of willow trees planted by formation, as it winds through most of GPS early pioneers along the original Logan N41° 45.873 the canyon’s midsection. In the summer Canyon road. The picnic sites are W111° 40.120 months it’s best to hike this trail in the wheelchair accessible. early morning hours since the southern exposure becomes quite hot in the This picnic area is named for Charles O. afternoon. This is a steep trail. Card, an early Cache Valley pioneer who supervised the construction of the Logan Tabernacle and the Logan Temple in the 1870s and 1880s. He later led a group 10 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 11 of settlers to Alberta, Canada, where the 13 Right Hand Fork city of Cardston bears his name. and Lodge Campground Mileage Just up canyon from this picnic area is 9.4 the Card Canyon Bridge where special Milepost Many prominent features in this area fishing restrictions begin. 470.6 were named for early settlers such as the Cowley brothers. These ranchers GPS introduced cattle grazing to Logan N41° 7.028 Chokecherry Picnic Area Canyon in the 1870s when they built a 11 W111° 38.440 road from the right fork of the Logan Mileage Five inviting sites are available at this River to the area that now bears their 7.9 riverside location where the sounds of family name. Milepost the river provide a pleasant background 469.1 All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and four- to an enjoyable, relaxing picnic. wheel drive enthusiasts will find hours of GPS adventure as they explore the network of N41° 46.214 The chokecherry is a small tree or shrub back-country roads that link this road to W111° 39.520 that is a member of the plum family. Cowley and Blacksmith Fork Canyons. Clusters of white flowers from April to Please pick up a copy of the Motor July are followed by a dark red to black Vehicle Use Map for the Logan Ranger cherry-like fruit. The chokecherry was District that designates open roads and an integral part of the Native American trails. The map is available at the Logan diet. The fruit was harvested, mixed with Ranger District. fat and pounded into the meat of buffalo in a mixture known as pemmican. Today, The Lomia youth camp and Lodge locals gather the bitter chokecherries Campground are 1 mile up the road. The and make them into jams and syrups. campground has 10 campsites. Sneak up to the small stream that runs through the campground and watch brook trout dash into the shadows. 12 Preston Valley Campground Mileage Eight grassy family camping sites are Wood Camp Hollow and 8.3 14 available at this mid-canyon location. Old Juniper Trailhead Milepost The sites are secluded in the trees along Mileage 469.5 the river. 10.4 GPS Milepost During the 1870s and 1880s, timber N41° 46.410 471.6 from this area provided railroad ties, telegraph poles, and hundreds of cords W111° 39.290 GPS of firewood. The firewood was used in N41° 7.800’ W111° 38.700’ lime kilns that processed limestone and provided mortar for the construction of the Mormon Temple in Logan. Wood Camp also served as a halfway station for weary loggers in need of food and shelter as they made their way up and R. A. Justis A. R. down the canyon.

12 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 13 The powerful of avalanches helped The cave is gated to protect Townsend’s shape the expansive basin that opens to big-eared bats that live here. The the left and up the road just beyond the bats are being protected as a sensitive Wood Camp turnoff. As you explore species because of their susceptibility this area, look for misplaced sections of to disturbance. Simply walking past a soil and scattered rock that avalanches colony can cause them to permanently carried down-slope. The Wood Camp abandon their roost. Please do not Campground includes six campsites and approach the mouth of the cave. This is located to the right of the turnoff. population of the big-eared bat is one of only a few found in Northern Utah. If you continue up the hollow, an old Logan Cave is the only cave of its size road found at the end of the trail, will that provides a place for the bats to bear lead you to the Old Juniper Trailhead. and raise their young and to hibernate This gnarled, old juniper tree has in the winter. The bats raise their maintained its precarious hold on life babies during spring and early summer. for over 1,500 years. Imagine how Contact the Logan Ranger District for many years of geographical and cultural more information at (435) 755-3620. history this local landmark has seen. The exhilarating hike is 5.8 miles each way and offers spectacular scenery and 16 The Dugway wildlife viewing in every season. The main ridge of the Bear River Mountains Mileage The original road through Logan Canyon 13.8 is clearly visible from many points along can be seen hugging the curves of the the trail. During the fall, brilliant reds, Milepost Logan River more than 100 feet below deep oranges, and glowing yellows light 475 this highway turnoff. Exasperated early the hollow with a blaze of color. Please GPS travelers often complained of washed- respect this venerable grandfather of N41° 49.414’ out bridges and wagon-size potholes trees and do not climb or break branches. W111° 36.276’ while traveling on this “road.” With the coming of automobiles, flat tires 15 Logan Cave and boiling radiators were added to the travelers’ list of complaints. Work on the Mileage As you travel up the canyon, you can’t canyon’s road began in 1930 with 12.2 help but notice the craggy mouth of a lone horse trailing a single-blade plow. Milepost Logan Cave on the north cliffs above The Wheeler and England Construction 473.4 the road. This well-known cave extends Company battled eroding soft shoulders, GPS about 4,000 feet into the mountain, and spring washouts, and cattle trampling to N41° 48.835’ is as high as 70 feet in some places. Logan complete a paved surface from Logan W111° 37.446’ Cave was carved by water seeping along to Bear Lake in 1939. The steeply cut faults and joints in the limestone, which “dugway” lying ahead of you serves as a slowly dissolved the rock. The cave is vivid reminder of the many workers who 4,290 feet long and relatively narrow toiled so hard to complete this highway. with no large rooms or caverns. Much of the floor of the cave is also a streambed as water collects and makes its way to the mouth of the cave and then into the Logan River. 14 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 15 Blind Hollow Trailhead and height. Elaborate tales of the 17 grizzly’s final battle with sheep rancher Frank Clark are regular fare around Mileage This popular trail is 4 miles each way and 14.9 blazing summer campfires. If you would leads to the main ridge of the Bear River like to know more about Old Ephraim, Milepost Mountains. In winter, it offers excellent 476.1 the Logan Ranger District or Cache backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. Valley Visitors Bureau can supply a GPS In summer, it provides access to great written copy of the legend. Small, high N41° 49.951’ scenic hiking and . W111° 35.680’ clearance four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for use on this road. The Temple Fork watershed offers a tremendous variety of recreational possibilities from fishing and hunting to hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Mixed stands 18 Temple Fork Road of aspen and fir provide habitat and Old Ephraim’s Grave for warblers, hummingbirds, and Mileage woodpeckers. Larger animals such 15.2 The road through Temple Fork buzzed as elk, mule deer, and moose graze Milepost with activity in the 1870s and 1880s when throughout the grassy areas surrounding 476.4 a logging camp and sawmill operated Spawn and Temple Fork Creeks. A GPS from within this hollow. Crews of 20- series of challenging semi-private back N41° 50.079’ 30 sawyers, mill hands, and teamsters roads will take you from Logan Canyon W111° 35.526’ produced more than 2.5 million board to Meadowville near Bear Lake or feet of lumber at this site, with much Blacksmith Fork Canyon in southern of the logging done during the winter. Cache Valley. Four-wheel drive, high Timber milled in Temple Fork was used clearance vehicles are recommended to to construct the Mormon Temple and attempt these routes. Tabernacle, as well as the Cache County Courthouse, all in downtown Logan. Construction on the Temple began in 19 Ricks Spring 1877 and was completed in 1884. This finely engineered Gothic style building Mileage Ricks Spring Cavern has been a wayside 15.7 is a tribute to the sacrifice of Utah’s stop for generations of Logan Canyon early pioneers. Milepost visitors. Early travelers welcomed the 476.9 opportunity to fill their jugs with the The 6-mile Temple Fork Sawmill Trail GPS cold spring water that gushes forth leads to the original mill site where N41° 50.383’ from the rock. Today, like all open water remnants of this historic era can still be W111° 35.338’ in the West, Ricks Spring contains found. Temple Fork road also leads to Giardia, a microorganism that causes the final resting place of “Old Ephraim,” severe intestinal problems. Please do not the last and said-to-be largest grizzly be tempted to take a drink. bear killed in this region. In 1966, local Boy Scouts erected a 10-foot stone Hydrologists have determined that monument to mark the bear’s gravesite Ricks Spring is both a spring and a 16 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 17 diversion of the Logan River. In 1972, trails through the Bear River Mountains. scientists discovered the diversion when Detailed maps of this network of ATV they placed green dye in the river and it routes are available at the Logan Ranger appeared downstream at Ricks Spring. District, (435) 755-3620. However, dye tracing has also shown that water from the spring also originates from disappearing streams more than 5 miles to the northwest and 2,600 feet higher in elevation. Water that flows out of Tony Grove Lake (Site 22) disappears into the ground after a short distance and comes back up at Ricks Spring. Well-known Utah pioneer Thomas

E. Ricks discovered the spring and is Mike Bullock its namesake. While in Cache Valley, Ricks served as sheriff and county 21 Tony Grove Recreation Area, assessor and devoted much effort to Guard Station, and Lewis building railroads. Mileage Turner Campground 19.6 Above this area, the Byway crosses thorugh Open Range. Watch out for Milepost 480.8 As you approach the Tony Grove turnoff, livestock on the road. the canyon landscape opens into a broad GPS meadow. Willow and dogwood outline N41°53.070’ 20 W111° 33.860’ the path of the Logan River as it gently Forestry Field Station makes its way along the valley floor and Mileage and West Hodges Trailhead provides excellent flyfishing. With the 19.0 coming of the fall season, colors turn Milepost from brilliant green to blazes of burnt 480.2 During the 1930s, the rectangular orange, red, and translucent yellow in buildings at this field station served as GPS one of the most spectacular displays of N41° 52.568’ a home away from home for the boys of fall foliage anywhere. During the winter, W111° 33.900’ Camp F-1 of the Civilian Conservation the turnoff provides convenient parking Corps (CCC). Working under the for snowmobilers. direction of the U.S. Army, this youthful During the 1880s and 1890s, wealthy brigade established campgrounds, Cache Valley families braved the dusty, fought forest fires, and built roads and bumpy road in order to spend six fences; all for only $1 per day in wages glorious weeks in a lush grove of trees plus room and board. Many of the that once existed near this site. Early facilities built by the CCC still serve Logan residents dubbed the area Tony visitors to Logan Canyon. Grove because of its popularity with the This area also provides convenient access “tonies” or high-toned, uptown set. to Forest Service Road 174 to West Just inside the turnoff lies a one-story, Hodges Canyon and beyond, connecting hewn-log cabin built in 1907 to house with an extensive variety of roads and the canyon’s first forest ranger. During 18 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 19 its history, the Tony Grove guard station the lake allows visitors to explore the has also served as a tree nursery, CCC area’s unique geology and abundant work site, center for the collection of plant and animal life. A modest fee is snow data, and headquarters for summer charged for parking in the area. recreation rangers. The guard station is listed on the National Register of The Tony Grove Campground provides Historic Places. 37 campsites for those who enjoy high mountain camping. A fully accessible If you continue straight on the Tony boardwalk and picnic area are located Grove turnoff, you will come to the near the water. Recreation in the Lewis M. Turner Campground where lake includes fishing, canoeing, and 10 well-shaded family campsites provide swimming (although these mountain a convenient starting place for exploring snow runoff waters are quite cold!). the surrounding area. The White Pine Lake, Coldwater Spring, and Trails 22 Tony Grove Lake and Trailhead originate adjacent to the Tony Grove parking areas. Mileage A 7-mile paved road climbs to an 26.6 elevation of 8,050 feet to reach Tony Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area Milepost Grove Lake. It is often called the 23 480.8 crown jewel of the Bear River Range. GPS The lake was formed by powerful and GPS This area provides some of the best high- N41° 54.676’ N41° 3.686’ slow-moving glaciers. Huge boulders mountain hiking and horseback riding W111° 40.515’ W111° 33.535’ deposited around the lake are lasting in Northern Utah. Access and parking evidence of the glacial activity. In more for the Naomi Peak National Recreation recent history, the lake was enlarged Trail, the White Pine Lake Trail and the by the construction of an earthen dam Coldwater Spring Trail are located at by the CCC in the 1930s, which was the Tony Grove Lake and backcountry recently reinforced. An explosion of parking lots. Overnight parking and a summer wildflowers and lush green horse trailhead are located just before the plants greets visitors to this area during Tony Grove Campground. The trail to July and August. Long-legged moose Naomi Peak gains 1,950 feet in elevation are often seen taking advantage of the as it passes through unrivaled fields of water’s cool summer in wildflowers such as Indian paintbrush, secluded areas near the lake. The Tony elephant’s head, wild geranium, and blue Grove self-guided nature trail around larkspur. The distance is 4 miles each way. The Mt. Naomi summit reaches 9,979 feet and is the highest peak in the northern part of the . In 1984, Congress designated 45,000 acres as the Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area. This region embraces some of the most rugged and spectacular country in the Bear River Range. Many of the trails through this 20 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 21 area offer tremendous wildlife viewing, the Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area. Local from chipmunks and songbirds to moose, legend also has it that before the turn of elk, deer, and golden eagles. the twentieth century, $40,000 in gold coins was buried in this area by bandits Red Banks Campground who robbed a Wells Fargo stagecoach in 24 nearby Montpelier, . Mileage This has been a favorite camping 20 destination for generations of Cache 26 Beaver Junction and Beaver Milepost Valley residents and visitors. The Logan Mountain 481.8 Mileage River laps gently along the borders of this 25.6 GPS peaceful 12-site campground. Directly The Beaver Creek Basin provides a N41° 53.911’ Milepost across the water lies a steep red bank of snowy playground for many winter W111° 33.858’ 486.8 sandstone and conglomerate that gives GPS sports enthusiasts. Skiers, snowboarders, the area its colorful name. Trout rise in N41° 57.811’ and snowmobilers flock to the groomed the pools and lie in the riffles ready to hit W111° 31.891’ trails and inviting slopes. Parking and the precise presentation of an artificial picnic areas are located just past the fly. There are additional restrictions on Beaver Junction turnoff. fishing above this point.

25 Franklin Basin Area Mileage 22.8 The main road through Franklin Basin offers a worthwhile diversion from Milepost Logan Canyon’s main corridor. Groomed 484.2 snowmobile trails, inviting trout streams, GPS and pleasant horseback riding make this Lodge Beaver Creek N41° 55.888’ area one of the Canyon’s most popular W111° 33.715’ year-round recreation areas. One mile up this road (SR 243), you Flourishing beaver communities also will arrive at the cozy lodge of Beaver favor Franklin Basin for its many Mountain Ski Area. The Seeholzer wandering waterways. Trapping by family has operated this charming resort mountain men in the 1820s and 1830s since the days when skiing meant sliding nearly wiped out the entire beaver around on narrow wooden boards population. Fortunately, the beaver attached to your foot with a 2-inch piece population has recovered. Look for their of inner-tube. The resort first opened in stick dams and unique cone-shaped 1939. Harold Seeholzer dreamed of a lift stumps throughout the area. running all the way to the top of . The “Harry’s Dream” lift was While exploring Franklin Basin, hike the Steam Mill Hollow Trail. This scenic built in his honor. Beaver Mountain area is named for the steam-driven currently runs four and is a logging mill that processed timber during winter tradition among thousands of the 1890s. Frequent canyon hikers claim devoted skiers. It is one of Utah’s best this trail is one of the best ways to access kept winter secrets. During the summer, 22 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 23 the ski area operates a full-service RV In the early 1870s, this area was a park and campground. hotbed of mining activity, flaunting big- time names such as the Lucky Bill Lode, Overnight accommodations are located a half-mile up the main highway at Beaver Creek Lodge. During the summer, guided horseback rides through spectacular mountain scenery are available. In the winter, visitors can snowmobile right from the lodge. Snowmobiles and all the necessary equipment and clothing can be rented

at the lodge, which is located in the Lodge Beaver Creek heart of a large snowmobiling complex. the Utah Queen, and the inevitable Last More than 300 miles of groomed trails Chance. Even local women tried their and challenging terrain await in what hand at seeking buried treasure. The has been recognized as one of the top 10 mines usually produced galena, which snowmobiling areas in the country. contains lead, gold, silver, and copper. In the spring and summer, this area is Most of the mining excitement died popular for hiking and biking. Access down by 1893, but the Amazon Mine to Logan Canyon’s section of the Great continued to operate until 1970. Western Trail is found in this area. This expansive trail system stretches from the 28 Logan Canyon Summit and Canadian border all the way to Mexico. Limber Pine Nature Trail Mileage Sinks Winter Sports Trailhead 30.7 27 Milepost The Limber Pine Nature Trail crowns the canyon’s 7,800-foot summit and is Mileage 491.9 The “Sinks” area got its name from the named for what was once believed to be 29.8 GPS many sinkholes found here. Sinkholes the oldest and largest living limber pine Milepost N41° 55.509’ 491 are created when the Earth’s crust W111° 28.300’ tree. Scientists have since discovered collapses into caverns created by the that this giant is actually five separate GPS slow, seeping and dissolving action of trees that have grown together for a N41° 6.059’ W111° 28.975’ water on limestone bedrock. This area relatively young 560 years. A refreshing is very popular with snowmobilers and hike along this loop trail will introduce skiers, who are asked to use caution when approaching sinks. Flat light conditions often make the low areas difficult to see. Snowmobilers and other winter recreationists will find parking, restrooms, and convenient trail access at this off-highway site. Up canyon about one-half mile is the Sinks Road (FR055) which is open to ATVs. R. A. Justis A. R. 24 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 25 you to several unique aspects of Logan 30 Bear Lake Overlook Canyon’s varied terrain. Trailside and Rest Area interpretive signs are ideal for teaching Mileage children about the many ways plants and 31.6 animals adapt to their surroundings. As Milepost The Bear Lake Overlook and Rest Area you rise to the trail’s higher elevations, 492.8 is one of the most popular roadside watch for the landscape to open, GPS attractions in the state of Utah. The allowing you to glimpse Bear Lake’s N41° 55.290’ parking area has ample room for cars, spectacular turquoise waters in the W111° 27.506’ RVs, and tour buses. The Overlook distance. Limited parking is available at presents a remarkable scenic vista. the highway turnoff. The incredible turquoise blue color of Bear Lake is a marvel to all. This striking Sunrise Campground color is caused by a natural phenomenon 29 that occurs as a result of limestone particles being suspended in the water. Mileage This beautiful upper-elevation camp- 30.7 The particles absorb light and reflect a ground (7,600 feet) contains 28 Milepost color ranging from azure or turquoise to campsites, some of which offer splendid sky blue. Bear Lake is over 20 miles long 491.9 views of Bear Lake in the valley below. GPS and 8 miles wide, and has a reported Sunrise campground is generally open depth of 208 feet. N41° 55.509’ from mid-June to October and is very W111° 28.300’ popular with canyon visitors. The shores of Bear Lake once provided fishing, hunting, and gathering grounds for the Ute, , and Bannock Native American tribes. From 1824- 1828 Bear Lake also served as a camp and meeting place for the mountain men who trapped and traded in the . Of the 16 great rendezvous, or trading fairs for the mountain men, at least two occurred along Bear

R. A. Justis A. R. Lake’s southern shore. To these solitary wanderers, the rendezvous was a county fair, fiesta, and carnival all rolled into one. Mountain men such as , R. A. Justis A. R. 26 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 27 , and James Beckwourth, covered surface. According to wildlife and Native Americans traded beaver specialists, the cisco have been moving pelts for a year’s supply of food and from the depths of the lake to the shore equipment. A historical marker, located for spawning for over 13,000 years. Five at the rest stop on the way to Rendezvous species of fish found in Bear Lake cannot Beach State Park, commemorates these be found anywhere else in the world: the raucous annual events. , Bear Lake Cutthroat, , and Bear Lake and . 31 Garden City Mileage Mormon pioneers began establishing 40 permanent settlements around Bear Milepost Lake in 1863, beginning with the 499 historic town of Paris, located north of GPS Garden City. Shortly after settlement, N41° 56.800’ an eerie tale began to circulate regarding W111° 23.600’ a large, serpent-like creature lurking beneath Bear Lake’s icy waters. Several A. E. Crane E. A. explanations have been offered for continued sightings of the Bear Lake And finally—there are the wonderful, Monster. So far, no one has proven its juicy, Bear Lake raspberries. Started by existence or nonexistence. Theodore Hildt in 1910, Bear Lake’s raspberry crop is well-known for quality, The Bear Lake Valley has gained a size, and delicious flavor. No summer reputation for much more than its visit is complete without sampling a mysterious sea creature. Hundreds of cool, creamy, fresh raspberry shake! thousands of summer recreationists travel to the lake’s sandy beaches and inviting water eager to swim, water ski, sail, and sunbathe. Utah and Idaho offer state parks and marinas to facilitate this fun in the sun. The Bear Trail is a paved 4.3-mile trail that runs from the Bear Lake Marina near Garden City to Ideal Beach. The path is excellent for walkers, runners, and cyclists. Interpretive signs and benches are located along the trail. Visit the City Park in Garden City and walk toward the lake on the boardwalk to see the interpretive signs. In January, the annual run of the small Bonneville Cisco attracts loyal and diligent fishermen to the lake’s ice- 28 explorelogan.com explorelogan.com 29

Funded in part by Federal Highway Administration

Cache Valley Visitors Bureau 1-435-755-1890 1-800-882-4433 explorelogan.com