Friday, September 23, 2011

August 10, 2011 Visit to Lake Canyon Campground, Utah

Lake Canyon Campground is located up Fairview Canyon. This was formerly called Miller Flat Campground and is in Manti-LaSal National Forest. To get there, turn east at 400 North in Fairview, Utah. This turns into UT-31 E/Canyon Rd. Follow UT-31 about 17 miles. Huntington Reservoir will be on your right. About 1/2 mile past Huntington Reservoir will be Miller Flat Road on your right. Turn here. There are about 46 campsites in this area; 11, 17, 24 and 41 are reservation sites, as well as the group sites Miller Flat, Lake Canyon, and Rolfson Group sites A, B, and C. The other 42 individual sites are first come first served. Long trailers can be parked at many of these sites. The cost is $5.00 per vehicle. This area is very ATV friendly.

Lake Canyon Multiple-Use Trail System Map
This map shows there are 9.5 miles of ATV trails rated as "easy," meaning the grades are not too steep and the tread surface is relatively smooth. There are 3 learners' loops. When we were there, we tried out the Lake Canyon Learners' Loop and the Rolfson Learner's loop. However, the Rolfson Loop had deep water, probably up to a foot or more deep, in the ruts of the loops. This was definitely not for learners. We got stuck in one of the loops and had to pull the ATV out backwards. Even though it was one-way through the loops, we were forced to go back out the way we'd gone in. Use CAUTION in the loops.

Another dangerous part of the trail was on Trail No. 12 just southeast of Huntington Reservoir. There were deep ruts filled with water here too. 
Lake Canyon Campground Site 9

Lake Canyon Campground

Stream in Lake Canyon Campground

Pond in Lake Canyon Campground

Friday, June 24, 2011

Trail 090 Following North Oak Brush Creek

Typical trail near Vernon Reservoir

Old Mining Equipment on Trail 090 Near Vernon Reservoir
Panorama above old mine on Trail 090 West of Vernon Reservoir

Panorama above old mine near North Oak Brush Creek on Trail 090

Rocky outcropping looking east toward Wasatch Mountains on Trail 090

Even More Flora Near Vernon Reservoir

Larkspur Delphinium
nuttallianum

Longstalk Spring Parsley Cymopterus longipes

Nuttall's Violet Viola nuttallii

Pale Agoseris Agoseris glauca

Phlox

More Flora Near Vernon Reservoir

Tufted Evening Primrose oenthera caespitosa

Scarlet Gilia ipomopsis aggregata

Silvery Lupine lupinus argenteus


Uinta Groundsel Senecio multilobatus

Yellow Salsify tragopogon dubius

Flora surrounding Vernon Reservoir

Buckwheat Eriogonum ovalifolium

Glacier Lily Erythronium grandiflorum

Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea

Colorful Indian Paintbrush, Larkspur and Phlox
Armed Prickly Poppy Argemone munita

Vernon Reservoir June 16, 2011

About a mile south of Vernon Reservoir near the main rood (Road 005) is a red-colored hill that my husband tried out.

Ascending Hill
Descending Hill
Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata

Chokecherry Prunus virginiana

Vernon Reservoir Utah Maps

There are many trails to follow in the Vernon Reservoir area. This map shows the terrain and a couple of the trails we followed. The trails range from easy to difficult. The balloon shows where the old mine was. The trail above this was blocked by an aspen tree that had fallen over the road. This canyon trail was somewhat steep and rocky, so use caution when riding.


View Vernon Reservoir in a larger map
2008 Motor Vehicle Use Map