Deer Creek Trail- Marysvale, Utah

The Paiute 01 trail is at least 236 miles long, with no beginning and no end.  It connects many southern Utah towns, and Marysvale is a trail hub.  Trail 02 connects the valley to the main trail.  We climbed up out of the valley for magnificent views before joining up with the 01.

A short ride on the 01 connected to the 74, where we would start descending into the valley along Deer Creek.

Well marked trail signs and a good map led the way for our loop ride through the aspens and pines.

We traversed over rocky sections and steep sections and even nice smooth sections with dappled sunlight filtered through the trees.

We even crossed over Deer Creek on bridges that allowed the water to flow through.

Caleb particularly enjoyed the water crossings!  We happened to meet up with a couple from our hometown for this ride.  Although we hadn’t met in our hometown, we quickly realized we have many common friends!

We entered the valley again amidst the craggy rocks near Big Rock Candy Mountain for an important lunch stop at Hoover’s (with a “V”) to enjoy burgers and cobbler before heading back to camp. 

Our 27 mile ride today was just a taste of the majesty of the area! 

Miner’s Park Historical Trail- Marysvale, Utah

Travelling north along Hwy 89, we’ve made a stop in Marysvale to ride the Paiute trail system.  Our first ride was to the Miner’s Park Historical Trail.

We crossed over desert scrub and dusty roads, climbing out of town.

We rode parallel to a creek which supported lush Cottonwood trees.

We kept climbing in elevation until we were in the pines.

We traversed a rocky trail to the Miner’s Park Trailhead.  We parked and set out on foot, climbing even higher for a view of this majestic waterfall!

Resting at the trailhead, surveying the landscape, we spotted another waterfall in the distance.

Navigating our way back down from the waterfall, we stopped to explore some of the old mining relics, like this old mill.

Then we walked the narrative trail at Miner’s Park, where the history of gold and silver mining was brought to life with the tools of the trade.

Riding through Revenue Gulch to arrive at the historical site, Caleb negotiated the rocks and hills. 

We made our way back to camp riding near the creek and meandering through this ATV friendly town. 

The trails are vast.  We will be exploring more of the Paiute in the coming week!

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park- Kanab, Utah

We arrived at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park near Kanab, Utah to play in the sand at 6,000 feet elevation!

The dunes are formed by wind funneling sand through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin mountains. 

The Navajo sandstone receives relatively high amounts of moisture and supports many different plants, including the Kanab Yucca.

The dune field ranges from wide open dunes to sand trails through Pinyon, Juniper and even Ponderosa pine!

We aren’t used to seeing pine trees growing in the dunes but they sure make a nice place to stop and take a break in the shade!

There are many flowers in bloom, like the Evening Primrose.  It wasn’t unusual for us to make a stop on the trail for me to look at the flowers!

The Rough Mulesears cover the semi-stable dunes and are almost in full bloom!

The varied landscape changes around every corner, from open dune to forest sand trail.

Some of the Ponderosa pine’s have signs showing they date back to the early 1700’s.

Of course there are bowls to ride too!

Caleb is practicing his shifting in the soft sand.

We’ve had the RZR in 4 wheel drive more than ever, but Caleb’s quad sometimes needed a boost.

Our campsite has provided a wonderfully shady respite when we’re not out on the trail…

Riding…

Looking at wildflowers…

Or enjoying the beauty of the dunes!