Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park - #6

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park has some great drifts of fine red sand that are fun to play in and to photograph.  This park is a favorite for ATV riders that love to ride the dunes, but we managed to get out early in the mornings or late in the evening for some quiet time alone in the sand.  The great sand dunes are created by wind that is funneled through a unique notch between the Moquith and Moccasin mountains.  As the wind funnels through the notch, the wind velocity is increased and pulls along with it grains of sand from the eroding Navajo sandstone.  As the wind reaches the open valley below the mountains, the wind velocity decreases, and causes the sand to be deposited. This process is referred to as the Venturi Affect.  Depending upon the changing winds, the sand drifts can move as much as 50 feet per year.  The dunes are estimated to be 10,000 to 15,000 years old.  
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Location:  Approximately 310 miles south of Salt Lake City and 22 miles west of Kanab on Sand Dunes Road.

Total Sites:  22
Stayed in Site:  21
Elevation:  6,000 ft
Date Created:  1963   

Three Stars *** (the dunes are beautiful, but the park is windy and popular with ATV enthusiasts)

Fremont Indian State Park - #5

We have visited Fremont Indian State Park a number of times.  We usually open the camping season with a stay at this park.  It has a great private group campsite away from the main campground. Fremont Indian State Park was created during the construction of the I-70 freeway when excavations revealed significant indian artifacts and petroglyphs.  Further investigation revealed remains of the largest known Fremont Indian village.  The Fremont Indians lived in this area over 1,000 years ago and many remnants remain. There are some great petroglyphs on the matrix of trails above the Vistor's Center.  
Fremont Indian State Park

Location:  Approximately 180 miles south of Salt Lake City and 21 miles southwest of Richfield on I-70.

Total Sites:  31
Stayed in Site:  Group Site
Elevation:  5,900 ft
Date Created:  1987

Three Stars *** (although chilly in the spring, the park has some fun indian ruins, petroglyphs and hiking trails to explore)

Snow Canyon State Park - #4

Snow Canyon is a great little State park conveniently located just outside of St. George, Utah.  The views of the valley and red cliffs as you drive into the park are spectacular.  We have stayed here a few times as a starting point for other adventures.  They have a number of developed trails in the park that twist around the petrified sand dunes and red rock lava flows.  There are about 38 miles of trails in all - plenty to keep you busy for the weekend.  The main road through the park is also a great bike ride with more elevation gain than might be expected.
Snow Canyon State Park

Location:  Approximately 310 miles south of Salt Lake City just outside of St. George; take exit 10 from I-15 southbound for 5 miles to the Bluff Street/SR 18 intersection onto Snow Canyon Parkway and signs to park.

Total Sites:  29
Stayed in Site:  11
Elevation:  3,100 - 4,100 ft

Date Created:  1962

Four Stars **** (the campsites are cramped and paved, but the park is a real beauty with lots of designated hiking trails)

Kodachrome Basin State Park - #3

Kodachrome Basin State Park was named by the National Geographic Society after an expedition visited the area to photograph the colorful rock formations and spires in 1948. The basin is home to a number of odd looking monolithic spires and plenty of well-marked hiking trails.  There are over 60 of these spires (also called sedimentary pipes).

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Location:  Approximately 300 miles south of Salt Lake City and 9 miles south of the town of Cannonville off of Highway 12.

Total Sites:  34

Stayed in Site:  22

Elevation:  5,800 ft

Date Created:  1963

Four Stars **** (for uniqueness and fairly private sites)

Goblin Valley State Park - #2

Goblin Valley is a unique valley of eroded sandstone pillars that look like mushrooms or "goblins" as the name implies.  It is an odd and enchanting place first discovered by modern man in the 1920's by cowboys looking for a cattle route from Green River to Hite's Ferry.  The unique landscape was purchased by the State of Utah and officially designated as a State park in 1964.  A recent incident by the Boy Scouts toppling one of the goblins received national attention and highlights the fragile nature of our parks and geologic treasures.  The actions of a few inconsiderate souls can change the landscape forever.
Goblin Valley State Park

Location:  Approximately 216 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and 24 miles south of I-70 on Highway 24; turn at Temple Mountain Junction and follow signs 12 miles to the Park.

Total Sites:  24
Stayed in Site:  15
Elevation:  5,000 ft
Date Created:  1964

Four Stars **** (hot and exposed in the summer with little privacy between the campsites, but the goblins are super cool and deserve a visit)

Green River State Park - #1

Green River State Park is an oasis of green and a canopy of cottonwoods in an otherwise desolate Green River, Utah.  The State Park is located on the banks of the Green River and is popular with river runners who put in here and run the Green River through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons.  The Green River runs another 400 miles before connecting with the Colorado River and eventually flowing into Lake Powell.  The State Park has about 40 sites with hookups or no hookups.  We only stayed here one night as a stopover on our way to Goblin Valley. Things were hopping in town for the annual Melon Days celebration.  
Green River State Park

Location:  Approximately 182 miles southeast of Salt Lake City in Green River just off of I-70.

Total Sites:  40 
Stayed in Site:  38
Elevation:  4,050 ft
Date Created:  1965

Two Stars ** (nice large sites with green lawns and shade trees, but more of a layover than a destination park)

State Park - Annual Chart

2010-2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
Green River	Willard Bay	Huntington
Goblin Valley	Yuba Lake	Millsite
Kodachrome Basin	Rockport	Territorial Statehouse
Snow Canyon	Anasazi	Frontier Homestead
Coral Pink Sand Dunes	Escalante Petrified Forest
Fremont Indian	East Canyon
	Jordanelle