Travel Tips Castle Country Utah

Native American petroglyphs and Indian writing at Nine Mile Canyon are only a part of the many attractions in the Price area. Price sits at the top of the San Rafael Swell, which is home to vast deserts, yawning canyons, and fascinating rock formations. Goblin Valley State Park and the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry are nearby destinations popular for nature enthusiasts, off-road riders, and rock hounding.Nine-Mile Canyon
Nine-Mile Canyon is an outdoor museum. It has some remarkable examples of Indian art and remnants of dwellings that have remained untouched through the centuries. Because of the dry climate and isolation from large population centers or heavy ranching, the canyon remains much as it was hundreds of years ago. The canyon should be shown the respect due to one of the West's ancient treasures. The panels of rock art are of such remarkable quality and beauty that they have been featured in National Geographic and other publications highlighting the beauty and uniqueness of the art. It is well worth the trip.Nine-Mile Canyon is off the beaten track. There are no services available of any kind. Come prepared with a picnic. Take along a thermos or canteen of water. Stick in some insect repellant, your binoculars, and maybe your camera. Also make sure your car is filled with gas. The length of the road through the canyon is 50 miles. Taking time out for frequent stops and a little hiking, the entire tour, in and out, will take about six hours. Nine-Mile Canyon is protected by the Antiquities Act. The act states that a person may not "appropriate", excavate, injure, or destroy any historic or prehistoric ruins or dwellings or other structures. The slogan of those who enjoy visiting historic sites is "take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints." There are several tracts of private lands in Nine-Mile Canyon. Please respect the rights of private land owners. Nine-Mile Canyon was designated by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Back Country Byway system in 1990.

Eons ago, tremendous geologic upheavals formed a giant dome of rock. The harsh elements beat against this dome until it collapsed into a wild, broken array of multi-colored sandstone. The wind and water carved this jumble of rock into incredible formations as buttes, canyons, pinnacles and mesas emerged, making the Swell one of the most ruggedly beautiful pockets of terrain in the world. That was how this area came to be known as the Swell. For years the San Rafael Swell has been considered one of the "undiscovered" natural wonders of the American West. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Swell offers visitors many of the same sights that can be seen in several of Utah's national parks but allows these visitors to enjoy these sights in leisurely solitude. The San Rafael Swell also provides sights that cannot be found anywhere else, such as Goblin Valley and the San Rafael Reef. A part of the Colorado Plateau, the San Rafael Swell is high desert country, vastly different from the Sonoran desert of the Southwest. In some sections, it is a sweeping country with towering mesas, buttes, and pinnacles rising from flat desert floors. In other areas, it boasts rolling pasturelands populated with wild antelope. And just around the bend it can become an incredibly wild, broken land with rivers cutting through narrow canyons which open up to panoramic vistas. There are numerous roads that only four-wheel drive vehicles can negotiate. The climate is usually more moderate in the spring or fall. Temperatures in the summer in the Swell can be uncomfortably high. Make sure your car is filled with gas and bring plenty of drinking water.