Utah Travel: Seeing Castle Country By David H. Urmann At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Castle Country in Utah offers mountain peaks, canyons, parks and many recreational areas for outdoor and dinosaur enthusiasts. The place provides an all year-round of adventure and activities.

Castle Country is located in southern Utah, offering varied landscapes, canyons and deserts. Visitors can enjoy the adventure and winter activities it offers.

San Rafael Swell is one of the undiscovered natural wonders of the West Americas. It has about 2,000 square miles of famous massive mazes of sandstone formations, canyons, panoramas and desert streams. It is located between Castle Dale, Hanksville, Green River and the northern part of Capitol reef National Park.

Located in the eastern side is the San Rafael Reef. One will also find the Swinging Bridge on the San Rafael River. It is the perfect site for vegetation and flourishing wildlife. The swinging bridge was built during 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Aside from this, there are primitive campsites under the cottonwood trees along the northern part of the river.

The Temple Mountain is the highest standpoint along the San Rafael Reef. The place is perfect for horseback riding, hiking and biking. The Cedar Mountain Recreation Area is ideal for a bird’s eye view north of San Rafael Swell.

Hidden Splendor has scenic views around Muddy Creek, attracting visitors of Hidden Splendor. Hondu Arch and Tomsich Butte is a big natural opening high above the Muddy Creek best for exploring, hiking and mountain biking.
Keesle Country is a maze of canyons found at the southwest portion of the Swell. The Head of Sinbad and Swasey's Cabin is good for camping, allowing you to see other remnants of the castle operation of Swasey family.

Nine Mile Canyon is a 40-mile canyon outside of Wellington. It is a wilderness area filled with historical ranches, structures and sheer cliffs. It gives an overview of the Fremont, Archaic and Ute rock art.
Castle Country has several state parks. The Scofield State Park is located at the banks of Scofield Reservoir. It offers campgrounds, boating and fishing.

Green River State Park is a beginning point for high adventures and a great spot for kayaking, fishing, boating and camping. Golf courses are also available.

Millsite State Park is a hush hideaway for boating and angler enthusiasts. The sandstone cliffs and junifers around the lake make it more exciting.
Huntington State Park is an ideal place for warm water sports and bird watching. There are picnic sites, pavilions and green campgrounds.

Goblin Valley State Park is popular for its large collection of shaped rock formations and enchanting sculptures. It is a 3,654 acre land having many geological wonders. Hiking is advisable on the top of Temple Mountain for panoramic views. Visitors can also camp at the 21 unit campgrounds.

If you like history and arts, Castle Country has many interesting museums. The College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum houses archaeological and paleontological exhibits. It is the only accredited museum at Wasatch Front, laying some of the dinosaur skeleton collection. The Dino Discovery Area is loved by children because of the hands on activities they provide.
There is also Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. It is a natural landmark that became one of the world’s leading sources of dinosaur fossils. The site offers guided tours and dinosaur walks in the area.

Museum of San Rafael is worth visiting. The paleontology hall displays many dinosaurs found along the Castle Country Hills. You can learn about minerals, animals, Indian history and artifacts.

You will find dinosaur footprints at Dino Prints Museum.
Dinosaur Diamond connects to the major dinosaur sites and National Scenic Byways.

There are also recreational areas in Castle Country for the whole family. Visit the Huntington-Eccles National Scenic Byway. It is also called the Energy Loop because of the coal mines along the mountain terrain. It is the source of fuel of the Electric Lake and Huntington Power Plant.

Visitors can view thousands of plant species and do some wintertime sports here. Hiking can be done along the crystal clear streams, intersecting the loop or showcasing high mountain trails and canyons.

Also try visiting the Joe's Valley Reservoir , Potter’s Pond, and Price Recreation Area.

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