Take a trip to some lesser known Utah treasures.
If you’re planning on heading down south for spring break, don’t miss some really cool attractions just off the beaten path.
Bob Grove, with the adventure site Road Trippin’ With Bob and Mark, shares six tourist treasures to check out in Utah.
Find more details on all of these sites, plus enter to win a big giveaway, at roadtrippinwithbobandmark.com.
Utah Treasures That are Off the Beaten Path
1. Crystal Ball Cave
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- Located in the west desert of Millard County near the Utah Nevada state line in the Great Basin.
- Discovered in 1956 by George Simms while looking for lost sheep
- Described as walking through a giant Geode. Cave is made up primarily of limestone and crystal calcite that glows golden yellow when lit up
- Managed today in a public private partnership between the Bates family and BLM
- Can only be visited with a guide that can be arranged with the Bates Ranch
2. U-Dig Trilobite Fossil Quarry
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- Located 52 miles west of Delta with 22 miles on graded dirt road
- Trilobites existed for 270 million years and became extinct 250 million years ago
- U-Dig is one of the most concentrated areas in the world with trilobite fossils embedded in limestone shale
- Great activity for families.
3. Rock Cabin
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- Located on the western side of the Mineral Mountains.
- Nicknamed the Chocolate Chip Rock, I call it the Flintstone House, but it’s best known as the Rock Cabin.
- The assumption, or story, is that it was built around the turn of the century by a skilled miner who took up moonshining as a supplier to Mag’s Retreat located not too far away.
- The cabin is built in a hollowed-out section of a large boulder. The Milford Flat fire of 2007 torched the area and burned the inside of the cabin, but the exterior wall remains intact.
- Visiting the cabin is done best by off-road vehicle. Rentals are available in the town of Beaver
4. Sego Canyon
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- Located 4 miles north of Thompson Springs. Thompson Springs is 6 miles east of Crescent Junction on I-70. (where you turn to go to Moab on Hwy 191)
- Sego Canyon rock art panels up to 6,000 years old represent three native American periods; Barrier Canyon, Fremont, and Ute.
- Barrier Canyon Style pictographs are unique to the Canyonlands and San Rafael regions. These panels offer near lifesize shapes that many say resemble aliens or ghosts (anthropomorphic)
- My groups love this stop, it’s so unexpected and different from most other rock art seen in Utah
Whenever I talk about rock art or archaeological sites I like to mention the importance of not touching them and to be respectful. The oil on your hands can damage these fragile ruins and sites.
5. Moon and Mars
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- Located in the Caineville Desert between Capitol Reef National Park and the town of Hanksville
- Multi-colored Bentonite Clay hills make up the landscape called Mars located near Hanksville.
- Moonscape is located in and around Factory Butte and Caineville Mesas, Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon are just north of this region.
- Dirt roads lead to scenic overlooks but be aware that in wet conditions you could get stuck
- Gold, yellow and gray mesas and bluffs make up this convoluted landscape tucked within the red rock canyons of Southern Utah.
6. Leprechaun Canyon
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- Located on Highway 95 also known as the Bicentennial Highway that runs from Hanskville to Hwy 191 south of Blanding. (33 miles south of Hanksville)
- Leprechaun Canyon is one of the four Irish Canyons located in the North Wash that runs parallel to hwy 95 (Shillelagh, Blarney, Leprechaun, and Sandthrax)
- Leprechaun is the least difficult that visitors can walk in without technical climbing. It does, however, offer a rappelling option for more experienced hikers
- There’s a lengthy hike before reaching the canyon through sections in a sandy wash
- Great for families and less-adventurous types. I’ve taken many tour groups in this canyon.
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