Dixie National Forest Visitor Guide

ixie National Forest VISITOR GUIDE A Contrast in Color, Climate, & Culture Pine Valley Reservoir Red Canyon What’s Inside place of diversity, the Dixie National Forest straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado History .................................. 2 Scenic Byways, A River in southern Utah. Scenery ranges from desert Backways, & Drives ............. 3 canyon gorges of amber, rose, and sienna to high Special Places ..................... 4 mountain forests, plateaus, and alpine lakes. Our Natural Resources ........ 6 Map ....................................... 8 Campgrounds & Guard Station Rentals ....... 10 Fast Forest Facts he Dixie National Trails .................................... 11 TForest is characterized by Activities .............................. 12 contrast. As a part of the Know Before You Go............ 14 Elevation Range: 3,000’–11,000’ Contact Information ............ 16 world-renowned landscapes Acres: Nearly 2 million of Southern Utah, the forest provides a backdrop and serves as a gateway to The Name: Southwest Utah was called Utah’s Dixie by early settlers from the surrounding National Parks and Monuments. southern states sent to the desert to Nationally recognized highways and trails grow cotton and silk; the forest was course through the forest and provide named after the area. ready access to the distinctive natural Temperature Range: From mountain highlights of the forest landscape. lows of -30 degrees to valley highs of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Come see for yourself! Sego Lily This Visitor Guide provides the information you can use to plan your trip to the Dixie National Forest. G et to Know Us History What is now the Dixie National Forest was once orested lands in inhabited by the Paleo-Indian Culture who hunted woolly FSouthern Utah are vital mammoths and megafauna. This culture was followed to the surrounding by another hunter-gatherer group known as the Archaic communities. This point Culture. They also lived seasonally in the high country was not lost on President and followed game to lower elevations in winter. Theodore Roosevelt who reserved 20 million acres Pictograph, circa 2,000 B.C. ictographs, petroglyphs, of the forest during his first term Walter Hanks, an early Ranger Hanks, Walter Pdwellings, and artifacts—all indicate in office and 80 million during his the presence in the area of second. While the forest reserves horticultural cultures. Identified were originally set aside to provide as the Fremont and Anasazi favorable conditions for water flow (Ancestral to the valleys and a continuous Puebloean), they supply of timber, additional lands occupied the were added to the reserves Pinchot Gifford Dixie National in response to concerns Forest area The conservation mission of the from local communities Forest Service was best stated by from 500- about overgrazing and its first Chief, Gifford Pinchot (1905- 1275 AD. They water quality. In the 1930s, 1910): “To provide the greatest good were farmers, three different reserves for the greatest number of people for planting corn, were combined to form the long run.” beans, and the Dixie National Forest. squash near North Creek granary water sources. These cultures used the high country for hunting and gathering of rock, medicinal plants, and uring the other resources. Their stone granaries—still visible tucked GreatD Depression into the sandstone cliffs—kept their stores safe from of the 1930s, animals. Ute family, circa 1860-1880 the national (courtesy of firstpeople.com) forest served y the early 1300s, groups as a work area Bknown as the Paiutes and Utes for the Civilian moved here from the west, CCC building a restroom on Brian Head Conservation living much the same as their Peak, circa 1935 Corps (CCC), predecessors. These were the providing young men with jobs building roads, guard people who were here when stations, and recreation sites. There are still several the first Europeans explored facilities on the forest that show off the craftmanship the area. In 1776, led by of “The Boys.” Fathers Dominquez and Escalante, a new route was oday, people value the Dixie National Forest not only pioneered known as the Old forT its resources (minerals, timber, water, and forage) Spanish Trail. By the mid but also for its opportunities for 1800s trappers, traders, gold camping, fishing, hiking, and wildlife hunters, slave traders, and viewing. The Dixie National Forest immigrants traveled this road regularly. is located in the “Grand Circle” with Today it parallels much of Interstate 15. several famous neighbors, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef National Parks, and Cedar Breaks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The dramatic elevation differences mean you can pick the weather you want to recreate in! Virgin River Rim The vast resources of the Dixie National Forest belong to all Americans. These resources must rely on the 2 stewardship of us all if they are to be sustained for our future generations. Scenic Byways, Backways, & Drives The Dixie National Forest is known for its scenery—from red rock canyons to high mountain plateaus. Scenic byways are major roads through this splendor that are suitable for passenger vehicles. Scenic backways are lower-standard roads that often require high-clearance vehicles or 4-wheel drive. Always check road conditions before you venture out. Highway 12 All American Road Utah’s Scenic Byway 143, the Patchwork Along Highway 12, a 124-mile All American Road, you will pass more than Parkway enough scenery to fill up your camera. Utah’s 55-mile Patchwork Leaving Utah Parkway garnered its name Heritage Highway 89 from an incident in the seven miles south of 1890s when settlers from Panguitch, go east into Panguitch, desperate for food, crossed a valley to the Red Canyon where north in winter using handmade quilts laid atop deep you’ll encounter a snow. They reached Parowan and brought food back to dramatic landscape save the people of Panguitch. of sandstone hoodoos. Red Canyon Visitor Center Visitor Red Canyon Continue up to the The area is a patchwork of unparalleled scenery and Paunsaugunt Plateau vibrant history. It serves as the gateway to Cedar Breaks and the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. East National Monument and is a fascinating route across of the plateau you’ll drive through the Grand Staircase- southwest Utah’s high plateaus, connecting Heritage Escalante National Monument, past three State Parks, and Highway 89 and All-American Scenic Highway 12. numerous scenic viewpoints into Capitol Reef, Boulder Top, the Henry Mountains, Circle Cliffs, and Navajo Mountain. The byway ends in Torrey at Highway 24. Travelers can start their byway trek from Parowan or Panguitch, historic Mormon pioneer settlements that still boast a large concentration of 19th century architecture. Areas of interest include Kodachrome Basin State Park, The original Panguitch townsite is listed on the National Escalante Petrified Forest and Campground, the Hole in Register of Historic Places. These two townsites were the Rock Road, Calf Creek Falls Trail and Campground, previously home to American Indian groups who left and Anasazi State Park. Highway 12 is an ideal location behind a number of sites to explore. for viewing fall colors, and on a clear day you can see more that 100 miles into Colorado and Arizona. This landscape is home to Brian Head, Utah’s highest elevation community and southernmost ski area. A good place to start your explorations is at the Red Canyon Visitor Center, located on the western end of the byway, 3 miles east of the Highway 89 junction. It is Scenic Backways and Drives (dirt/gravel roads) usually open from Easter to the end of October. » East Fork of the Sevier River Scenic Backway (17 miles; closed in the winter): Starting at Highway 12, the backway (FR 87) travels along the Highway 14 State Scenic Byway interior of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, past Tropic Reservoir and Kings Connecting I-15 with Utah Heritage Creek Campground. Byway (Highway 89), Highway 14 winds its way from the red rock » Griffin Top Scenic Backway (32 miles; closed in winter): The road leaves CR 1660 and FR 17, then climbs to the Escalante Summit. It then turns canyons near Cedar City, over the north on FR 140 and travels across the Griffin Top part of the Aquarius Markagunt Plateau, and past the Plateau, ending at FR 154 north of Posey Lake. beautiful Navajo Lake and Duck Creek area. » Posey Lake Scenic Backway (40 miles; closed in winter): This backway rom the plateau, you can see begins in Escalante FR 153-FR 154, and F ends on Highway 24 in Bicknell. into Zion National Park; from Strawberry Point you can see the » Hell’s Backbone Road (44 miles; closed Kaibab Plateau in Arizona. A short in winter; high-clearance vehicles detour north from Highway 14 will recommended): FR 153 from Escalante take you to fabulous views of Cedar makes a loop to Highway 12. Hell’s Breaks National Monument. Backbone bridge is an engineering feat originally built by the CCC in 1930s, Campgrounds, hiking, and fishing can be found at Navajo spanning 90 feet between canyons. Lake and Duck Creek. Hell’s Backbone bridge 3 pecial Places S © Markus Gann Cedar Mountain-Navajo Lake/ Red Canyon Cascade Falls Trail/Lava Beds (Cedar City District) (Cedar City District) Located along 5 miles The area known locally as Cedar Mountain is really of the All American the Markagunt Plateau, on the edge of the Colorado Road (Highway 12), Plateau. A large field of stark and abrasive lava Red Canyon is lined beds sit near the center of this plateau, some of with stark spires and which are less than 2,000 ghostly hoodoos eroded Townsend’s big-eared bat years old. Much of the (© Eric Isselee) out of the red limestone lava did not come and sandstone. In 1925, from a central tunnels were dug volcano but welled through the limestone Tunnel along Highway 12 up from cracks in fins to impress dignitaries and the earth’s surface.

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