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Lost In Time: Utah’s Ghost Town Treasures

ghost towns in Utah

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Take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life and immerse yourself in nature as you discover some of the best ghost towns Utah offers. Are you ready to embark on an unforgettable journey? Utah has some of the most incredible hidden gems, perfect for those exploring beyond the beaten path.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

You’ve seen the beautiful national parks and red rock canyons. It’s time to check out some of the many ghost towns; a Utah road trip offers something for everyone.

Getting There

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

If you’re looking to explore the historic ghost towns of Utah, one of the best ways to do it is by flying into Salt Lake City and renting a car. From there, embark on an adventurous road trip that allows you to spend a week visiting some of the most spectacular ghost towns in the area.

With unique features like abandoned buildings, old mines, and other hidden gems, this journey through time will surely be unforgettable. Whether you take a few days or a full week, you’ll enjoy every moment of discovering these intriguing sites.

Elgin Station and Mercur

  • 60 miles from Salt Lake City

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Located in Tooele County, Utah, Elgin Station and Mercur Ghost Towns are two of the most well-preserved ghost towns in the state. A former stagecoach station, Elgin Station, was built in 1868 and later served as a post office and Pony Express station.

Today it still stands with its original stone foundation and weathered walls, offering visitors a peek into what life was like in the 1800s. Just down the road is Mercur Ghost Town, originally formed around a gold ore processing mill built in 1891. It once boasted some 500 inhabitants who worked at nearby mines and had access to a company store, churches, schools, and saloons.

Structures here include an old schoolhouse, stamping mill ruins, general store foundations, and a nameplate from the rail line that passed through town. Visitors today can stroll along the remaining boardwalks or investigate Mercur’s mining pits for a glimpse of this old Western boomtown’s history.

  • 104 miles from Mercur

Utah ghost towns

Gold Hill is a charming ghost town located in Washington County. Founded during the 1800s, the town was once home to almost 1,000 people who worked at nearby mines and later farmed the land. After World War II, the population of Gold Hill began to decline steadily until it became a virtually deserted town by the 1960s.

Nowadays, visitors to Gold Hill can explore its many abandoned buildings, including an old hotel, saloon, barbershop, and store, and get a glimpse of its rich and fascinating history. For example, you can still see many rusting mining tools scattered around the area, which reminds you of Gold Hill’s past.

The desolate site still holds a certain allure for visitors today who experience its haunting atmosphere and forgotten secrets. Gold Hill is one of Utah’s ghost towns that is certainly off the beaten path, the nearest town, Dugway, is 65 miles east. So this may not be part of your itinerary if your schedule is tight.

  • 129 miles from Gold Hill

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Tintic, an authentic ghost town, is located in Juab County. The town was first established in the late 1880s as a mining camp and grew rapidly to house over 1,500 people by 1900. The mines of the Tintic Mining District produced more than $100 million in gold, silver, and lead ore.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

The mines were eventually ditched due to rising production costs and declining prices for metals. Today the remaining old buildings serve as reminders of Tintic’s old mining town history, providing an interesting look into this once-thriving community that is now only inhabited by ghosts.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

  • 49 miles from Tintic (Eureka)

Utah ghost towns

Thistle is a ghost town located in Sanpete County. The town was once a bustling railway stop, but with the decline of the region’s coal industry in the 1950s and 1960s, it eventually became deserted. Although the once-lively railroad town station is long gone, its sandstone formation remains.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Visitors to Thistle ghost town can investigate several different ruins, including the old saloon and hotel used by workers in the local coal industry. Other remnants of the past include broken bottles and dishes, an old factory, and even a deserted schoolhouse. Today these ruins act as reminders of Thistle’s former life and continue to fascinate visitors who come to tour these historic places.

Territorial State House State Park

  • 109 miles from Thistle

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Territorial State House in Fillmore is a unique ghost town experience. The park features the oldest existing capitol building west of the Mississippi River, which served as the state house from 1855 to 1856. It offers a glimpse into Utah’s earliest days of statehood and is home to numerous other historic buildings, including several homesteads, a courthouse, a blacksmith shop, and more.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Visitors can tour the many artifacts throughout the park, learn about its past inhabitants, and participate in various educational programs the park staff offers. Territorial State House is a living museum where visitors can glimpse the beehive state past.

  • 33 miles from Territorial State House

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Nestled in the corner of Beaver County is the historic ghost town of Cove Fort. Established in 1867 and originally owned by early Mormon settlers, the fort was a prominent stop for wagon trains and travelers heading further west. Though uninhabited in 1895, a few original buildings remain, including a blacksmith shop, carpenter’s shop, powder house, and President Brigham Young’s office.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Visitors can explore an ongoing museum project inside some of these structures to learn more about Cove Fort’s unique history. Authentic artifacts such as old tools and cooking utensils give visitors an insight into life during the 1800s. At the same time, stories surrounding the fort provide captivating tales of courage, struggle, and determination during those times.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Whether interested in history or curious to see what remains of an uncompleted dream, Cove Fort is worth visiting to peer into this pioneering past.

  • 70 miles from Cove Fort

Utah ghost towns

Frisco is a picturesque ghost town in Beaver County in the west-central part of the state. Originally founded as a coal mining town in the late 1880s, it was once home to over 2,000 people employed at various mines and other businesses. Today, many of its buildings and remaining structures remain intact, giving visitors a glimpse into its past.

There are two main stops for tourists on the Frisco Ghost Town Trail: The first is the cemetery with some 600 graves where you can pay your respects to those who lived and worked here; then there’s the old mining supply store and icehouse, which still stands. Other attractions include an old schoolhouse, abandoned buildings like an old livery stable and blacksmith shop, and calming views of open fields stretching out over surrounding hillsides.

This challenging terrain has kept much of Frisco isolated from modern development, making it a lovely spot to traverse Utah’s history.

Silver Reef

  • 27 miles from Cedar City

ghost town in utah

Most people agree that Silver Reef is Utah’s most popular ghost town. Silver Reef is a ghost town located in Washington County. First established in 1866, the town boomed with a population of over 8,000 after the discovery of silver ore deposits in the area.

The silver mine was an important resource for years until mining operations were discontinued due to the collapse of silver prices in 1894. While no longer inhabited, visitors can still tour the remaining historic buildings, including a saloon and livery stable.

Silver Reef offers a fascinating glimpse into Utah’s mining past and will captivate any explorer looking for this kind of adventure.

  • 30 miles from Silver Reef

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

The historic site, Grafton ghost town, is a small town in the southwestern corner of Washington County. Situated just outside the Zion National Park along the Virgin River. It was founded by Mormon settlement pioneers in 1859 and initially served as a trading post for supplies and provisions for nearby settlers.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

During the mid-1800s, Grafton slowly developed into an important supply hub for overland travelers passing through the area. Abundant fruit orchards were planted and cattle raised, making it an ideal place to trade and rest from long journeys.

Discover the Historic Ghost Towns in Utah

Then in 1862, Grafton was struck by a natural disaster. The Virgin River washed away most of the town, dislocating most families. Only a few years later, the Black Hawk War started, forcing even more residents to flee.

Unfortunately, by the mid-1950s, its population had dwindled to only a handful of people who eventually moved away, leaving behind a picturesque ghost town full of deserted houses and weathered buildings that visitors can tour today.

The area around Grafton has also become popular with explorers and historians who come here to experience its unique atmosphere, making Grafton the most photographed ghost town in Utah. Today, the Grafton Heritage Partnership Projects works with local, state, and federal agencies to preserve Grafton’s historic designation on the national register.

You may even recognize some sights from the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie.

Lesser Known Ghost Towns

Utah ghost towns

If you will spend time north of the Great Salt Lake, check out Kelton, Utah, an abandoned mining settlement in northwestern Utah’s West Desert region. Uninhabited since the 1930s, visitors can rediscover this forgotten era as they explore its remnants, including old homes and an old cemetery that still stands as a silent reminder of times passed.

At one time, the transcontinental railroad went through here until the early 1900s, when its station was relocated.

Thompson Springs

It was a small railroad town in Grand County, Utah, founded in the late 19th century. The town was named after E.W. Thompson, a Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad civil engineer.

In the early 20th century, the town experienced a boom as the oil demand increased. The oil was discovered in the area, and the town quickly grew with the influx of workers and their families.

However, with the decline in oil prices and the shift to diesel engines in the mid-20th century, the town’s population gradually dwindled. Today, Thompson Springs is a ghost town with many abandoned buildings and structures that offer a glimpse into its rich history.

Iosepa Ghost Town is a desert settlement founded and later deserted by a small group of Hawaiian members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah’s Skull Valley. You could add this one to your itinerary just before Gold Hill.

Russian Settlement

Russian Settlement is often called a ghost town with no name and is located in the northwestern part of the state. Swindled by land agents, the Russians arrived from California with promises of beautiful land, only to find harsh conditions and drought. The settlement dispersed in 1918, with many returning to California.

Home of the Truth

Home of Truth in southern Utah, founded by Marie Ogden, a spiritualist, started it in 1933. Many followers departed after she began to share her writings on raising women from the dead.

Lastly, Sego ghost town lies in the eastern part of Utah, just north of Utah State Route 50 in Sego Canyon. It was once a coal mining town, transporting its coal on the Ballard & Thompson Railroad from Denver and Rio Grande Western.

It was a booming town with company stores and a boarding house soon being built. However, due to the diminishing water supply, mining was slowed, and paydays were unreliable. One stint lasted five months between paydays. Sego is only about 5 miles north of Thompson Springs.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the history behind Utah’s ghost towns? Many of Utah’s deserted towns sprang up in the wake of mining excitement or were established by members of the Mormon faith. Grafton, for instance, located near Zion National Park, was initially settled by Mormons. However, conflicts with Native Americans led to its abandonment. Similarly, Old Irontown was created in the 1850s with hopes of mining iron ore, but the project quickly fell through, leading to its desertion.
  • How can visitors access these ghost towns? Visiting ghost towns can require navigating less-traveled roads, sometimes with spotty cell phone coverage. It’s wise to gather information and seek advice from locals ahead of your journey.
  • What can visitors see today at these ghost towns? Currently, remnants narrating Utah’s history are accessible to those who visit. In the case of Grafton, only a cemetery and a restored schoolhouse are left, reflecting the brief period the town was inhabited. Meanwhile, Old Irontown is rich with structures for exploration, showcasing items like a distinctive beehive-shaped charcoal oven, the remnants of a foundry’s brick chimney, and an “Arastra,” employed for grinding iron ore.

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A co-founder of life in utopia, a online platform that celebrates outdoor activities and travel. Patrick is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys skiing, hiking and backpacking. When he's not exploring the natural world, Patrick loves spending time with his wife and two dogs.

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A Ghost Town Side Trip in Southwest Utah

By stephanie vermillion | aug 25, 2016.

Stephanie Vermillion

Smack dab between Zion National Park and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area lies a small, abandoned town that was the place to be, be seen, and get rich in the late 1800s. Silver Reef, Utah , one of the Southwest’s most popular ghost towns, was a flourishing mining spot back in the day, filled with western saloons, old prospectors, and plenty of shoot-outs.

While Silver Reef is all ruins, no riches today, its crumbling rock walls hold an interesting history for visitors who take the time to stop by.

Silver Reef’s story starts in 1866, when the prospector John Kemple uncovered a vein of silver in the town’s sandstone—a first-of-its-kind discovery. Geologists spent years refuting his claims, until a group of bankers from Salt Lake City caught wind of the breakthrough and staked their mining claims in the Silver Reef region.

Silver Reef quickly evolved into a flourishing mining town, with 33 mines that produced more than 7 million ounces of silver. During 1879, its peak year, the town boasted a hotel, boarding houses, stores, saloons, restaurants, banks, a newspaper—the Silver Reef Miner —and a population of more than 1000 people.

And, like all good ghost (town) stories, Silver Reef was full of seedy characters who brought gambling, prostitution, shoot-outs, violence and all those The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -isms to town. After a major fire and many miner strikes, Silver Reef went on the decline in the 1890s before turning into the abandoned roadside ghost town that it is today.

While it’s not a destination where you’d want to spend more than a couple hours, Silver Reef is an interesting stop-off for Southwest road trippers. Four key sights to add to your itinerary include:

1. The Silver Reef Museum is housed in the oldest Wells Fargo Express Station still in existence. Built in 1878, silver was guarded at and exported from the old station, which made it an integral part of Silver Reef’s prosperity. Today, the museum houses old bottles, guns, carpentry tools, and other historical items that help illustrate the mining life of yesteryear.

2. The Cosmopolitan Restaurant was owned by a Bavarian woman who is said to have made some of the best hash in the west. The original building was dismantled in 1895, at the tail-end of when locals were in a mass exodus from the imploding Silver Reef, but a replica of the Cosmopolitan still stands today.

utah ghost town road trip

Stephanie Vermillion

3. Silver Reef’s Main Street

was filled with flourishing, bustling businesses, such as the Louder General Store, which was run by the town newspaper's editor. Today, it’s everything you’d expect from an abandoned old ghost town—tumbleweed, cactuses, crippled buildings, and an eerie desert silence.

4. The Elk Horn Saloon was once easily recognizable because of the giant elk horns mounted to its front sign (which are now on display at the town museum; the saloon is no longer standing, and is now marked by a large sign). For about 15 years, the bar was run by a successful German owner who gave out free food to get people drinking. According to Silver Reef historians , the saloon owner’s business luck nearly wore out when he ousted a man for eating—but not drinking—at his bar. The angry patron came back with a vengeance and a gun, and in typical old west fashion, initiated a shoot-out. Fortunately for the community, the man missed five times, so the staff kept working and the drinks kept a-comin’.

utah ghost town road trip

Silver Reef is located in Leeds, Utah, right off I-15. It’s 40 minutes west of Zion, 30 minutes northeast of Red Cliffs, and—ironically for a ghost town—is adjacent to an upscale neighborhood with satellite dishes and swimming pools. Someone’s gotta keep the tumbleweed in line, right?

THE 10 BEST Utah Ghost Towns

Ghost towns in utah.

  • Points of Interest & Landmarks
  • Historic Sites
  • Scenic Drives
  • Ghost Towns
  • 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • Budget-friendly
  • Good for Kids
  • Hidden Gems
  • Good for Big Groups
  • Adventurous
  • Good for a Rainy Day
  • Good for Couples
  • Honeymoon spot
  • Good for Adrenaline Seekers
  • Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

utah ghost town road trip

2. Cisco Ghosttown

PMChallenger

4. Old Iron Town

F1079EGjanb

8. Jacob City

utah ghost town road trip

12. Widtsoe Ghost Town

13. fairfield, what travellers are saying.

Roger C

THE 10 BEST Utah Ghost Towns

Ghost towns in utah.

  • Points of Interest & Landmarks
  • Historic Sites
  • Scenic Drives
  • Ghost Towns
  • 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
  • Budget-friendly
  • Good for Kids
  • Hidden Gems
  • Good for Big Groups
  • Adventurous
  • Good for a Rainy Day
  • Good for Couples
  • Honeymoon spot
  • Good for Adrenaline Seekers
  • Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

utah ghost town road trip

2. Cisco Ghosttown

PMChallenger

4. Old Iron Town

F1079EGjanb

8. Jacob City

utah ghost town road trip

12. Widtsoe Ghost Town

13. fairfield, what travellers are saying.

Roger C

Expedition Utah

  • Welcome Traveler
  • Arch Canyon & Hotel Rock 4×4 Trails
  • Beef Basin, S.E. Utah
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  • San Rafael Swell Century Mine Tour (Southern Loop)
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  • Skyline Drive, Central Eastern Utah
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  • The Old Spanish Trail
  • The Pony Express Trail
  • The Transcontinental Railroad Route
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  • 2011 Freeze Your Tail Off
  • Home is where the houseboat is: a week on Lake Powell, 2009 – Alex
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  • Capitol Reef NP and the Swell, Late Winter ’09 – By Greg G
  • Swell or Bust – December 2007 – By Kurt W
  • Glade Park, Dolores River, Onion Creek and the La Sals Mtns, 2008 – By Greg G
  • Dinner With The In-Laws: Elk Ridge to Canyonlands 2008 – By Ryan H
  • July 4th San Rafael Swell and Robbers Roost,2008 – By Paul R
  • Lake Powell via Blue Notch Canyon/Piute Pass, 2006 – By Alex
  • Ghost Towns

Northern Utah Ghost Town Tour

Dr. Stephen L. Carr is a ghost town legend in the Mountain West, particularly Utah where he authored the Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns following his popular Utah Ghost Rails book. His works quickly became the ultimate resource for Utah ghost town and rail road history aficionados and is still a fantastic resource for ghost town explorers and researchers to this day. Several ExpeditionUtah members were able to take a the equivalent of Ghost Town 101, taught by the charismatic Dr. Carr and hosted by the University of Utah Lifetime Learning Program. Early classes included class room lectures along with a one-day tour covering some of the best ghost town sites in Nothern Utah, a tour we strive to share with ghost town lovers. Sadly, Dr. Carr passed away in 2014, leaving a void throughout the ghost town community.

Richville (Benson Mill)

(Iosepa update: visit the Utah Ghost Town Project site report in Iosepa)

(Ajax update: Sadly the cellar and store structure posts can no longer been seen at the site. In the recent years an overzealous farmer dozed the stores depression level with the surrounding, these destroying all remnants of the sites rich history. A historical marker still designates the site and is worthy of a visit.

This tour can easily be competed in a Saturday, plan on 6-8 hours to adequately visit each site and absorb the sites and sounds. Barring any snowfall, the trip is possible year round in a passenger 2wd vehicle. The Benson Mill at Richville, Iosepa and the Camp Floyd State Park facilities are seasonal and you’re be advised to call ahead to verify hours and availability.

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7 Utah ghost towns that are worth a visit this summer

By siegfried & jensen | posted - may 19, 2024 at 8:00 a.m., (flint stephens).

Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes

Utah's ghost towns invite you to step off the well-worn tourist trail and dive into a piece of hidden history. These places that once bustled with life now stand as silent witnesses to a bygone era. From abandoned mining camps to deserted homesteads, each site offers a glimpse into the state's rugged past.

It is important to recognize, however, that just because a town is abandoned does not mean the property is open to the public. Many Utah ghost towns sit on private property and others have active mining claims. If you visit, please don't violate trespassing laws or you can expect to be prosecuted.

If you want to step back in time and get a taste of the old American West, here are a few different Utah ghost towns that are well worth a visit this year.

Paria (or Pahreah) is a ghost town near Kanab that's worth visiting for the geological views alone. The colorful, striped mountain vistas that surround this little settlement make you wonder why anyone ever left it.

There are no buildings left at the town site, but there is a cemetery and it is obvious that people still visit to pay their respects. Gold mining was the principal draw for the town's early settlers.

If the location seems familiar, it might be because the location used to have a western movie set with multiple buildings. Americansouthwest.net reports the site was featured in several films, including some scenes of Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales." The buildings were destroyed by vandals in 2006.

The road to old Paria is gravel, but it is usually well maintained and passable even in a car. All bets are off, though, if it happens to be raining or wet. In fact, the wet roads were a problem for the town's settlers. Repeated flooding from the Paria River is what caused people to leave.

Writing for Only In Your State , Catherine Armstrong explains how the little town of Cisco went from being a thriving community to a deserted little town with a heartbreaking history.

Cisco used to be a main stop for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroads and a place for people to stock up on supplies. In 1924, it was Utah's largest producer of oil and a very popular destination for road-tripping families.

But then, in what feels like a storyline from a popular Disney movie, Interstate 70 was built. And since it bypassed Cisco, people had to go out of their way to get there. Soon, people started moving away and the post office closed.

The town isn't totally abandoned, however. Atlas Obscura reports that a woman named Eileen Muza purchased the town in 2015 and has slowly been restoring it, adding its own art residency.

"Today, there are approximately 100 abandoned buildings in Cisco, most of which are dilapidated sheds and shacks, and building materials left scattered about," Atlas Obscura states. "Muza estimates that there are only seven fully intact buildings, one of which is her log cabin, another being Ethel's Cafe."

Muza even stars in a documentary called "Cisco Kid," which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023.

If you decide to visit, be respectful and careful not to trespass on Muza's property.

Castle Gate

Another once-thriving mining town, Castle Gate in Carbon County used to be a popular hideout for train robbers — most notably, Butch Cassidy. It was here that Cassidy and his sidekick Elza Lay famously stole about $8,000 from an arriving train.

On a sadder note, Castle Gate faced a bigger tragedy a few decades later when a big mine explosion killed 172 miners in 1924. According to Legends of America , "At the time it was the third-worst mining disaster in the United States and is still the tenth deadliest to this day."

Silver Reef

Just about 15 miles northeast of St. George lies the old mining boomtown of Silver Reef. Silverreef.org reports the town gained quick notoriety in the late 1800s when silver was discovered in the local sandstone — "a geological rarity." If you're in the area, pay a visit to the Silver Reef Museum and learn all about the site's unique Old West history.

Legends of America states that Sego used to be a thriving coal mining camp until railroads began using diesel engines in the early 1950s, which reduced the need for the mine's products. It wasn't long before the land was sold and many of its buildings were moved to Moab.

"Today, the old site continues to display numerous signs of its prosperous past. The stone walls of the old American Fuel Company Store continue to stand, though its windows and roof are long gone," Legends of America notes.

You can also see crumbling structures, mine shafts and old railroad bridges throughout the canyon, as well as a cemetery with a few marked and unmarked headstones.

Bonus: Just before you get to Sego there are two amazing panels of petroglyphs from three different historical periods. The oldest are the Barrier Style, dating back 2,000to 6,000 years ago.

Old Irontown

About 20 miles west of Cedar City, you'll find Old Irontown. Originally known as Iron City, Brigham Young sent several families to the area in the 1850s to establish an iron works there. The town grew quickly at first — but it didn't last long.

As reported by Visit Cedar City , "While Iron City seemed prosperous at the time, it only operated for seven years, closing due to the lack of sufficient transportation for the iron ore and the money panic of 1874."

You can still tour the ruins of the iron works and the beehive-shaped charcoal oven when you visit.

Arguably the most popular ghost town in Utah is Grafton, which is located just south of Zion National Park. Latter-day Saint pioneers originally settled the area but were forced out less than a decade later due to tensions with Native Americans. Today, all that remains of the town are a schoolhouse and a graveyard, though they make for great photo ops.

"Some say that Grafton is the most photographed ghost town in the West," the Utah Office of Tourism website states . "It was even one of the filming locations for parts of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' among other Hollywood movies."

There's no shortage of ghost towns in Utah

Ghost towns actually dot the map all over Utah, so there are plenty more to check out once you've crossed these ones off your list. According to data from the Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center, there are at least 195 recorded ghost towns throughout the state. To see the full list, click here .

Some Utah ghost towns are located near major roads and are easily accessible with any passenger car. Many others are in remote locations reachable only with a high-clearance off-road vehicle.

When visiting those in hard-to-get-to areas, make sure you have emergency supplies and that someone knows your travel route and expected return time. After all, you don't want to become the only permanent resident of a bygone community.

utah ghost town road trip

Is Utah really the most affordable state? 5 keys to know about USA Today's report

Siegfried & jensen.

Since 1990, Siegfried & Jensen have been helping the people of Utah and surrounding states who have suffered needless injuries and death caused by car accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, defective drugs, dog bites, wrongful death, and other types of personal injury.

The firm is committed to keeping Utah families and communities safe by ensuring wrongdoers are held accountable. While a lawsuit isn't always the answer when it is needed having someone on your side can mean the difference between declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding your life and moving forward, especially when you're up against an insurance company or a hospital.

Siegfried & Jensen has represented more than 35,000 clients and recovered over $1.2 billion for them.

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An old cellar maybe?

An old cellar maybe?

Just north of I-70, tucked in the Book Cliffs is Sego Ghost Town. The town was inhabited from 1910-1955 and came into existence when a local, Henry Ballard from Thompson, was exploring the area and found an exposed vein of coal. Being a sharp businessman, Ballard bought up the land and began mining the coal. He sold his interests in 1911, and by 1912 a railroad spur was completed to the then named Neslen. The railroad spur and mining brought a post office and growth to the town that was re-named Sego in 1918 after the beautiful sego lily's that flourish in the canyon.

Due to poor quality and quantity of water, the town never flourished beyond a few hundred people at most. Though high coal production occurred from 1920 to 1947, costs finally outgrew profits and the town dwindled. A flash flood sometime in the 1950's laid waste to the few people remaining.

Today, the area has several old foundations and wooden structures. Most interesting is a large stone building that is still in fairly good shape. Remains of the old railroad cuts and trestles are also still visible. I first visited in the late 1990's and was last there in 2013. Just in that 15 or so years since my first visit, a lot more has collapsed and become more dilapidated. Sego is a fascinating roadside attraction I would recommend visiting while the remnants are still visible and somewhat standing.

Note: The road is usually passable to all vehicles, except when wet, then it can be impassable even to 4x4s.

Old bridge with the main building in the background

Old bridge with the main building in the background

Getting There

Reaching Sego involves first reaching Thompson, which is east of Crescent Junction (The junction to Moab.) Take the Thompson exit (#187) off of I-70. Go north on UT-94 N/Thompson Canyon Rd toward. Stay on this for 4.6 miles. It passes through the town of Thompson, crosses the railroad tracks, then continues into the Book Cliffs. The Sego rock art panel is on the left at about 4.1 miles. Just past the panel, after crossing the wash, take a right. This passes the Sego Cemetery. Stay left at the next junction, reaching the ghost town proper in 5.6 miles.

Old bridge

From the cemetery mentioned in the trailhead section, there are foundations, cellars, and other ruins all the way to the large stone building and parking area that is Sego proper. Wandering around any or all of these is very interesting.

The old wooden structure across from the stone building was a boarding house and sadly collapsed a few years ago. It was standing in 2008 when I visited, and not in 2011, so collapsed sometime in those years. The stone building was the company store, and being stone, is still holding up fairly well.

Best of Sego

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Southwest Utah Ghost Towns

Three ghost towns you should visit.

in Southwest Utah

The western United States is peppered with ghost towns from the mining era of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The gold rush of California ignited a wave of prospectors hoping to strike it rich, some did, many didn’t. Utah is home to many of these former boom towns where gold, silver and other precious minerals were found.  When the mines dried up so did many of these towns leaving us remnants and stories of the past. Some say that many of these former campsites and towns are haunted.

Utah is filled with old abandoned mining towns many of which aren’t much more than a pile of dilapidated barn wood on what used to be a framed building. But many are still in tact and some even restored that are worthy of a visit. Three such towns in southwest Utah worth visiting are Grafton, Silver Reef, and Frisco.

Grafton is a ghost town, just south of Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States. Said to be the most photographed ghost town in the West, it has been featured as a location in several films, including 1929’s  In Old Arizona —the first talkie filmed outdoors—and the classic  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid .  The nearest inhabited town is Rockville.

Zion National Park

The site was first settled in December 1859 as part of a southern Utah cotton-growing project ordered by Brigham Young . A group from Virgin led by Nathan Tenney established a new settlement they called Wheeler. Wheeler didn’t last long; it was largely destroyed on the night of January 8, 1862 by a weeks-long flood of the Virgin River, part of the Great Flood of 1862.  The rebuilt town, about a mile upriver, was named New Grafton, after Grafton, Massachusetts.

Zion National Park

The town grew quickly in its first few years. There were some 28 families by 1864, each farming about an acre of land. The community also dug irrigation canals and planted orchards, some of which still exist. 

Flooding was not the only major problem. One particular challenge to farming was the large amounts of silt in Grafton’s section of the Virgin River. Residents had to dredge out clogged irrigation ditches at least weekly, much more often than in most other settlements. Grafton was also relatively isolated from neighboring towns, being the only community in the area located on the south bank of the river. In 1866, when the outbreak of the Black Hawk War caused widespread fear of Indian attacks, the town was completely evacuated to Rockville.

Zion National Park

Continued severe flooding discouraged resettlement, and most of the population moved permanently to more accessible locations on the other side of the river. By 1890 only four families remained. The end of the town is usually traced to 1921, when the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was discontinued.  The last residents left Grafton in 1944.

A United Press news item dated May 23, 1946, stated that the town was purchased by movie producer Harry Sherman as a film location site. He bought it from William Russell, 80, a descendant of the co-founder, and one the town’s three current inhabitants.

Zion National Park

In June 1997, the Grafton Heritage Partnership was organized to protect, preserve, and restore the Grafton Townsite. With cooperation from former Grafton residents, the Utah State Historical Society, the BLM, the Utah Division of State History, and others, the old church, Russell Home, Louisa Foster Home, the Berry fence in the cemetery, and John Wood home were restored, with new windows, doors, roofing and other structural enhancements to represent the period in which they were built. In addition, 150 acres of farmland were purchased, on which agricultural operations are performed to enhance the farming appearance. The site is under 24-hour surveillance. 

Silver Reef

Ghost Towns

Located on the southern tip of the San Francisco Mountains on the Ely Highway (Hwy 21) 15 miles west of Milford Utah. You have to watch carefully for the turn off from the highway, there’s a non-descript memorial marker next to a covered picnic table, which is where you turn to take the road to the old mining site. There are two roads behind the memorial, take the left road. The road to the right is marked with no-trespassing signs. Frisco is on private property so please be respectful.

Frisco Utah

Harsh Existence

The left road ends at the Frisco Cemetery, which is where we parked. The cemetery is typical old west with faded stone markers sparsely scattered within an unkept fenced area.  It must of been a harsh existence in this isolated mining town on the rugged slopes of the San Francisco Mountains in southern Utah’s west desert. What caught our attention were all the gravesites of young children and babies of families attempting to make a living in this dry and desolate environment. We can only imagine the heartache and pain suffered by the families coming here with high hopes of finding a path to a better life. Old western cemeteries like this often give clues to what life must have been like.

Frisco Utah

Frisco’s History

From here we hiked north across a wash until we came to a road that lead to what must have been a town next to the mining operation. From our research we learned that silver was discovered in 1875 by a couple of prospectors who sold their claim for $25,000 thinking they had struck it rich. Little did they know at the time that Frisco would become the richest silver mining operation in its day that would ultimately produce over $50 million in silver. By 1877 there were two smelters, one of which had the unusual feature of beehive shaped charcoal kilns, which are located east of this site. Eventually an extension of the Utah Southern Railroad was brought to Frisco that was completed in 1880 opening Frisco to the rest of the country, the population grew to 6,000. The Horn Silver Mine at this time was considered the richest silver mine in the world.

Lawlessness Ruled the Day

Like most mining boom towns, violence was the rule of the day, murder became a daily occurrence. To clean things up a sheriff was hired to quell the lawlessness. A man by the name of Pearson from Pioche Nevada was hired to do the job. After showing up in town, Sheriff Pearson immediately began gunning down the town’s known outlaws. Pearson was said to have run the town with an iron fist that nobody dared cross, and Frisco’s lawlessness was resolved in short order, which made the sheriff a bit of a celebrity in the history of the Old West.

Frisco Utah

The End of the Town

Frisco thrived until the largest mine collapsed on February 2, 1885. They say the collapse was so immense that they could feel in in Milford. Eventually the mine reopened with the exception of its richest parts. The town was never able to fully recover from the mining disaster and by 1920 was all but abandoned.

Beaver County Utah

Exploring the Hillside

As we continued exploring the area we came upon a number of old dilapidated buildings, some of wood, others of stone and brick. On the hillside above the ruins are roads leading to mine shafts that have been grated closed to prevent people from entering them. We followed one such road the traversed the hillside that eventually lead to a cabin that was still in relatively good repair next to a grated mine shaft. We spent three hours exploring the area and could have stayed longer but had other places to visit before dark. We left knowing that we would be back believing we only scratched the surface with the time we had.   For more information on Frisco’s history click here.

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Horseshoe Bend

Utah's Adventure Family

Grafton Ghost Town

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  • Posted in Free Activities
  • Updated October 14, 2018

Grafton Ghost Town

While at Zion National Park in southern Utah, we decided to check out a ghost town. Our boys are still talking about Sego , the last ghost town we visited on a trip to Moab. Grafton Ghost Town is just a few miles from Zion and Springdale which makes it a perfect excursion.

The town of Grafton was established as a cotton mission. Brigham Young called missionaries to southern Utah to grow cotton after the Civil War. Many towns were established, and most survived, but Grafton was abandoned due to heavy flooding of the Virgin River and the outbreak of the Blackhawk War.

Grafton was a pretty important town for a while, even serving as the county seat of Garfield County. Its population peaked right around 1866 when there were nearly 30 families living there.

Grafton Ghost Town

Recently, Grafton has been refurbished. Several buildings including a few farms and an old school have been upgraded, and orchards have been restored around town. This gives the town a much different feel from the truly abandoned town of Sego that we visited along I-70. Each of the buildings has windows and there are interpretive signs that tell a bit of the history of Grafton.

Grafton Ghost Town

Make sure to stop at the Grafton cemetery as well. There are well-marked graves of several of the settlers there, and a few Native Americans have been buried in this cemetery as well. (Remember to be respectful of those who have passed at this site.)

Grafton Ghost Town

Grafton can be found a few miles from the town of Rockville. You access the town via a dirt road, which passes a historic bridge that is worth making the trip for even without the ghost town. If you’d like to see something a little different in the Zion area, Grafton Ghost Town is for you.

Grafton Ghost Town

Watch for Bridge Road in Rockville, Utah on Highway 9. It’s on the South side of the road and there is a small Grafton sign on the Stop sign as well. You’ll know you are heading the right way if you cross an old bridge. After you cross the bridge, turn right onto Grafton Road (there is another Grafton sign pointing the way to go).  You will travel on this road for about 2.9 miles (there is one fork in the road where you need to stay left. Watch for the Grafton sign!).  You will then see a sign for the Grafton cemetery. We pulled over and visited the cemetery first. When you are done looking at the old gravestones, continue down Grafton road and you will arrive at the ghost town. It’s a dead end road, so you’ll have to head back the way you came.

Grafton Ghost Town

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utah ghost town road trip

Latuda Ghost Town – Utah

Latuda Ghost Town – Utah

The Trek Details

The Trek in a snapshot

utah ghost town road trip

Trek Planner Maps

Trail map .

utah ghost town road trip

GPS Coordinates

Bridge: 39.70607, -110.95382 Hotel: 39.7059, -110.95516 Building Foundations: 39.70649, -110.95545 Foundations: 39.70658, -110.95468 Buildings: 39.70696, -110.95468

utah ghost town road trip

Experience. Discover. Explore.

Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!

utah ghost town road trip

Latuda was a very small town that sprung up around August 1917 when a man by the name of Francisco (Frank) Latuda bought land here.  He bought the mining rights to the coal seems and eventually more buildings were erected and a post office was built.  The original name of the town was called Liberty, but it changed to Latuda when they got a post office.  The small town had a hotel, doctors office, school, and many homes for the miners.  At the height of Latuda, there were 400 people living in the canyon.

The coal mine, which operated in Latuda, was called the Liberty Mine, and it was operated all the way to 1954 and eventually the mine entrance was caved in.

All that remains are some building foundations, an old bridge, and some coal tailings.  I didn’t want to get too close since there were some “no trespassing” signs, so I just took some pictures from far away.  Please also be respectful and don’t trespass.

utah ghost town road trip

I found a newspaper article in the Salt Lake Mining Review from December 12, 1927 stating that the Liberty Fuel Company spent $175,000 building a tipple in Latuda. Source.

utah ghost town road trip

Personal Thoughts

Latuda was kind of neat to see. It's your typical "boom and bust" mining town. I'm glad that many of the foundations are still visible.

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guest

April 9th, 2021 – My name is Brad Stone. I’m 67 years old. And always wanted to go the Latuda, Utah, where my Mom, Ranae Davis Stone was born. So on Friday, April 9th I rode my motorcycle up to Latuda from Salt Lake City, where I live. My Mom was born in Latuda in 1923, about 5 years after the town was settled. She was one of 4 girls in her family. Her Dad, Levi Washington Davis, worked in the Liberty Mine. In 1927 they decided to move to the adjacent town of Peerless, where they lived in a …  Read more »

IMG_4016.jpg

Thank you very much for sharing part of your history, Brad

Christ0mighty

Most insignificant and boring history I’ve read in a while. At least jazz it up with some horror stories or amazing thing. Zzz… Zzz…

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Grafton Is A Utah Ghost Town That’s Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip

utah ghost town road trip

Catherine Armstrong

Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.

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Utah’s autumn weather is perfect for a day trip to just about any corner of the state, but we’re particularly excited about checking out some of the Beehive State’s ghost towns this fall. Most of our ghost towns are located in the southern part of Utah, which start to finally cool down in October, and the scenery is simply beautiful right now. Grafton is the most well-known ghost town in the state, and if you’ve never visited, now’s the time!

utah ghost town road trip

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utah ghost town road trip

Have you ever visited Grafton? Tell our readers about your experience in the comments. If you’ve never been, do you think it’s time for a road trip? Tag the friends you want to take with you!

Learn more about Grafton on the Grafton Heritage Partnership Project’s website .

Looking for another great autumn road trip in the Beehive State? Take this fall foliage trip !

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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The few remains of Kelton, the first big railroad town west of Promontory, are 35 miles southwest of Snowville off Hwy 30 on a gravel road.

Today Park Valley, 38 miles southwest of Snowville on Hwy 30, is a ranching town with many stories of the gold rush and the town's Russian settlers.

Twenty miles south of Tooele is the town of Ophir, where many original building and artifacts have been preserved from its historic mining past.

Near the old mining town of Eureka are several ghost towns such as Silver City and Mammoth.

Located on a road out of Clear Creek Canyon near Richfield is the mining ghost town of Kimberley. At the turn of the century Kimberly was a lively, thriving community with a lucrative mining industry.

Bullion City, up the canyon west of Marysville, once had a population of over 1,600 people, and several significant gold mines. Today relics of the mines and a few buildings remain.

Twenty-three miles north of the historic town of Callao (which is near the Nevada border) on an unpaved road is Gold Hill, one of Utah's largest, best-preserved ghost towns.

In Utah's coal mining past, many boomtowns went bust. It is no wonder that so many ghost towns are located across the state. A few examples are: Consumers, National, and picturesque Coal City, 2 miles south of Helper on Hwy 6/50 and west on a dirt road to Consumers Wash for 10 miles. Coal City is nicknamed Dempseyville because Jack Dempsey lived and trained for fights there.

If you've ever seen 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', go to Grafton, the site of filming, and relive the bicycle scene. To find this southwestern Utah ghost town, settled in 1859, cross the bridge at Rockville and continue west on BLM's Smithsonian Butte National Backcountry Byway for 3 mi. on the south side of the Virgin River.

Just north of I-15 near Leeds are the remains of Silver Reef, a roaring 1870's mining town. The newly-restored Wells Fargo Building is on the National Historic Register. An excellent map of the townsite allows visitors to picture Silver Reef as it once was.

Thirty-three miles east of Kanab on Hwy 89, a winding dirt road designated as a Scenic Backway turns north for 6 miles to a movie set and Paria, settled in 1870 amid spectacular red rock BLM scenery.

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utah ghost town road trip

Thistle: The Eerie Utah Ghost Town Only Photos Can Describe

  • Thistle, Utah is a haunting reminder of a massive 1983 landslide that turned this town into a ghost town.
  • The eerie remains of Thistle include submerged homes and a historic schoolhouse, preserved in time since the tragedy.
  • Despite its eerie appearance, Thistle is full of life with new homes, horses, and cattle inhabiting the area. Explore from a distance!

Ghost towns are a favorite for travelers and adrenaline seekers around the world. Whether hopping on one of the many hiking trails leading to ghost towns around the US or just driving by abandoned buildings along the highway, there are countless ways to experience these eerie attractions.

Utah, in particular, is home to some of the best ghost towns in the US . Old mining and railroad towns, abandoned for their inconvenience, have been preserved by the dry desert air. Some ghost towns across the American West , including several in Utah, have been featured in old Western films, preserving them on the silver screen even as time wears them away.

Even among Utah's many ghost towns, there is one that stands out, both for its dramatic story and its truly bizarre appearance. The town's two main remaining buildings continue to tell the story of this forgotten town in Spanish Fork Canyon.

A true ghost town, we took a trip down Highway 89 to see what this little stop was all about. Thistle, Utah has to be seen to be believed.

All the structures in Thistle, Utah are on private property. Travelers are welcome to enjoy the views from a distance, and the structures are right along the road, making them easy to capture without having to trespass onto personal lands.

10 Gorgeous Desert Towns In Utah

What happened to thistle, utah, one of the most expensive natural disasters in history took out the town in 1983.

Before heading down to Thistle, Utah (or taking a look at the eerie pictures), it's important to understand what turned Thistle into a ghost town to begin with.

Thistle was primarily a town for railway workers (in fact, the railroad route that passes by the town is still used today), and many residents were part of the pioneer groups that were steadily moving west in the mid-1800s.

Thistle was officially founded in 1878 . By the 1950s, the town was on the decline as diesel locomotives shifted needs away from steam-powered operations like Thistle. Many of the families slowly moved on, which may have prevented a great tragedy in April 1983.

With only a few homes still occupied, a massive landslide came crashing down northwest of Thistle, damming up the Spanish Fork River and slowly drowning the town. As over 65,000 acre feet created a lake where Thistle stood, the residents were forced to evacuate, never to return.

Fortunately, no one was killed in the incident. The landslide did cause an estimated half a billion dollars in damage by today's standards, making it the most expensive landslide accident in US history. Even after the damage was cleared, Thistle was deemed beyond repair and has been a ghost town ever since.

How Do You Get To Thistle, Utah?

Just over an hour from salt lake city, a scenic canyon drive leads to thistle.

Starting on I-15 South, travelers will head down to Spanish Fork and follow signs for US-6. US-6 will take drivers into the canyon, winding along the river. Just past the Spanish Fork River Park, the route exits onto Highway 89, one of the most scenic road trips in the US . Coming around the corner just past the railroad tracks, the sunken remains of the town immediately come into view.

This stretch of Highway 89 is not heavily trafficked, so slowing down for a closer look, or pulling off on the wide gravel shoulder, is easy.

A straightforward drive that could serve as a fun side trip on the way to Arches or Canyonlands National Park (both of which are further south down US-6, I-70, and US-191), Thistle is one of the easiest ghost towns in the US to visit.

The road in front of Thistle frequently has standing water. Take the drive slow, focus on the road, and pull over to enjoy the views.

7 Affordable Small Towns In Utah To Visit

What does thistle, utah look like today, waterlogged and muddy, thistle is frozen in time.

Thistle may only have two prominent buildings left, but they are undeniably worth visiting, which is just what we did. The entire experience of driving to Thistle is beautiful, veering into the canyon for half of the drive.

Rounding a corner on Highway 89, the GPS chimed, "You have arrived," and the views quickly turned from dramatic canyon slopes to a nearly submerged home, right on the side of the road. It comes up so suddenly, unprepared drivers may pass so quickly that they think their eyes are playing tricks on them. Check out our photo gallery from our visit to Thistle, Utah in April 2024 to see what this town really looks like now:

The main attraction is indeed the submerged home, sitting in the river below the roofline. Mud sits caked on the structure, a reminder of the tragedy that wiped out the town. Across the street, the mud-caked walls of the old historic schoolhouse further emphasize that this was once a happy, healthy town.

The buildings themselves are fascinating, having been left exactly where they were years ago. The canyon walls still tower over the area, and standing water on the paved road stands as a reminder of nature's powerful forces.

Despite the eerie setting, the old ghost town of Thistle is full of life. Less than a quarter-mile down the road, a fenced field full of horses sits next to a happy, recently built home. Another round of fencing, this one with a built-in hay trough, surrounds the old school. Once a place full of giggling children, the historic building now provides shelter for the free-range cattle that roam the mountains. It's hard to say whether these new additions make the decaying ghost town more or less jarring in appearance.

7 Amazing One-Day Road Trips In Utah

Thistle, Utah is a one-of-a-kind ghost town, even in a state full of ghost towns. Once the site of the most expensive landslide in US history, today the last remaining buildings stand as a reminder of the destruction the canyon brought that day. While Thistle, Utah, is best appreciated in person, pictures are the next best way to appreciate this eerie Utah ghost town.

Thistle: The Eerie Utah Ghost Town Only Photos Can Describe

  • Places To Go
  • Parks & Outdoors
  • Zion National Park
  • Zion National Park Hikes

Grafton Trail

The Virgin River, after exiting its deep canyons in Zion National Park, bends southwest and twists along the floor of a wide valley flanked by towering cliffs. Early Mormon pioneers settled the fertile bottomlands along the river, building small villages, planting orchards, and digging water ditches. Five families homesteaded Grafton in Utah on the river’s south bank in 1859 and grew cotton and crops in irrigated fields. A few years later the hamlet’s population swelled to 168 people in 28 families and offered log cabins, a Mormon Church, post office, and adobe school and community center. A series of devastating floods damaged Grafton over the years, forcing residents to move away. The last couple left in 1944.

Ghost Towns in Utah

Trail Guide

Difficulty:  Easy mountain biking or hiking with shuttle vehicle (moderate round trip)

Distance & elevation gain:  3.3 miles one-way; 6.6 miles round-trip. Minimal elevation gain.

Trail type:  Paved and gravel road

Multi-use:  Hiking, trail running, mountain bike riding, and scenic driving

Dogs:  Allowed. Keep under control.

Fees:  None

Seasonality:  Spring and fall are best. Summers are hot.

Bathroom: None. Restroom facilities are in Rockville.

Grafton Trail follows a wide gravel bench below stair-stepped cliff bands to the south and green fields, orchards, and pastures along the Virgin River to the north. It’s best to find a parking spot on Highway 9 in Rockville, then shoulder your pack and start hiking or biking south on Bridge Road. After crossing an iron lattice-truss bridge built in 1926, the sunny road bends west. Keep right at a prominent junction toward Grafton. A left turn goes up scenic Smithsonian Butte Backcountry Byway.

Near the trail’s end is the Grafton Utah cemetery, with dusty graves dating to 1862. These include three early settlers killed in a raid by Indians in 1866 as well as the graves of Paiutes. Grafton, like most old places, boasts its share of eerie happenings. Some visitors hear phantom footsteps, feel cold breath on their necks, see shadowy figures in windows, or feel they’re being watched. The renowned  Grafton ghost town  is probably not a place to linger after sundown.

Past the cemetery is Grafton’s abandoned townsite, with the adobe schoolhouse framed against Zion’s pink cliffs and the well-preserved Russell home. Grafton, with its crumbling cabins and old buildings, seems like the perfect spot for a movie set, a fact not lost on Hollywood. Parts of several movies were  filmed here , notably the classic 1969 flick "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The film’s famed bicycle scene, with Redford and Newman riding antique bikes, was shot here.

The kid-friendly Grafton ghost town is easily explored. Ramble around and try to remember what life was like here in 1870. Some of Grafton is private property so don’t cross fences or disobey No Trespassing signs. Afterward, hit the road and head 3.3 miles back to your car in Rockville.

Hike or ride the trail/road in early morning or evening when temperatures are cool. The route crosses open country and is hot during the day. Bring water or sports drinks.

Nearest destination: Rockville on Utah 9

Where to park: Park in Rockville near the junction of Utah 9 and Bridge Street. From the Zion National Park South Entrance, drive 4.7 miles on Utah 9 to Rockville. The route begins at the road junction. Go south on Bridge Street. On the south side of the Virgin River, go right on Grafton Road to Grafton.

Trailhead GPS coordinates:  37.161151 N, -113.037713 W

Originally written by RootsRated for Utah Office of Tourism.

Well-prepared travel is responsible travel.

Do your part by planning ahead

utah ghost town road trip

CYCLONES RELEASE 2024-25 SCHEDULE

CYCLONES RELEASE 2024-25 SCHEDULE

CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Cyclones, in conjunction with the ECHL, have released the 2024-25 regular season schedule.  

Cincinnati begins the 72-game slate on the road against Kalamazoo on Saturday October 19th. The Cyclones then return to the Heritage Bank Center ice for "First Faceoff"   the next weekend on Saturday October 26th when they host the Indy Fuel. This marks the first of nine Saturday night home games for the ‘Clones who are scheduled to play 25 of the 36 home games on weekend dates (13 on Friday, 9 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday). Cincinnati will host three Sunday matinee contests downtown this season.

The Cyclones are slated to play a whopping 60 of their 72 regular season games against Central Division opponents, including six contests against the Bloomington Bison in their inaugural season. Cincinnati faces off with the ECHL’s newest club for the first time on Friday November 1st inside the Heritage Bank Center.

For the third straight-season, Toledo is Cincinnati’s most frequent opponent. The Cyclones will matchup against their in-state foe 12 times this upcoming year and play seven of those games on home ice. Cincy welcomes rival opponents to town for several marquee matchups over the course of the season: Field Trip Day (Tuesday Nov. 12th vs. Kalamazoo), Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday Nov. 27th vs. Kalamazoo), Black Friday (Friday Nov. 29th vs. Wheeling), New Year’s Eve (Tuesday Dec. 31st vs. Toledo) and Fan Appreciation Weekend (Friday April 4th vs. Kalamazoo and Saturday April 5th vs. Toledo).

Cincinnati squares off against seven exciting out-of-division opponents this coming regular season. The Cyclones travel to Norfolk for a three-game set in December to take on the Admirals for the first time since February 2023. January brings a swing into the South Division with a lone contest in Savannah against the Ghost Pirates and then a pair in Atlanta with the Gladiators. Inside the Heritage Bank Center, Cyclones fans will get a look at the Utah Grizzlies and Maine Mariners for the second-straight year and see Adirondack, Greenville, Kansas City and Wichita on home ice for solo contests.

The ‘Clones will enjoy a season-long eight-game homestand from January 20th against the Walleye extending to February 7th against the Mavericks. Cincinnati will conclude the 2024-25 regular season with its longest road trip of the year, playing four consecutively on the road.

Listed below is the full 2024-25 Cyclones schedule with times listed in EST:

October 2024: 4 games (1 home,  3 away)

19 SAT at KALAMAZOO 7:00PM

25 FRI at FORT WAYNE 7:35PM

26 SAT vs INDY 7:35PM

27 SUN at KALAMAZOO 3:00PM

November 2024: 11 games (6 home,  5 away)

1 FRI vs BLOOMINGTON 7:35PM

2 SAT at TOLEDO 7:15PM

6 WED vs WHEELING 7:35PM

9 SAT at TOLEDO 7:15PM

12 TUE vs KALAMAZOO 10:30AM

15 FRI vs BLOOMINGTON 7:35PM

16 SAT at BLOOMINGTON 8:00PM

17 SUN at FORT WAYNE 5:00PM

27 WED vs KALAMAZOO 7:35PM

29 FRI vs WHEELING 1:35PM

30 SAT at WHEELING 7:10PM

December 2024: 13 games (5 home,  8 away)

4 WED vs FORT WAYNE 7:35PM

6 FRI at FORT WAYNE 7:35PM

7 SAT vs WHEELING 7:35PM

13 FRI at NORFOLK 7:05PM

14 SAT at NORFOLK 7:05PM

15 SUN at NORFOLK 3:05PM

18 WED vs IOWA 7:35PM

20 FRI at KALAMAZOO 7:00PM

21 SAT at KALAMAZOO 7:00PM

27 FRI vs WHEELING 7:35PM

28 SAT at FORT WAYNE 7:35PM

29 SUN at TOLEDO 5:15PM

31 TUE vs TOLEDO 6:05PM

January 2025: 15 games (8 home,  7 away)

3 FRI at BLOOMINGTON 8:00PM

4 SAT vs INDY 7:35PM

5 SUN at FORT WAYNE 5:00PM

8 WED at SAVANNAH 7:00PM

11 SAT at ATLANTA 7:00PM

12 SUN at ATLANTA 3:00PM

15 WED vs UTAH 7:35PM

17 FRI vs MAINE 7:35PM

18 SAT at INDY 7:00PM

20 MON vs TOLEDO 1:35PM

24 FRI vs IOWA 7:35PM

25 SAT vs BLOOMINGTON 7:35PM

29 WED vs GREENVILLE 7:35PM

31 FRI vs WHEELING 7:35PM

February 2025: 11 games (8 home,  3 away)

1 SAT vs TOLEDO 7:35PM

5 WED vs IOWA 7:35PM

7 FRI vs KANSAS CITY 7:35PM

12 WED at IOWA 8:00PM

14 FRI at FORT WAYNE 7:35PM

15 SAT at BLOOMINGTON 8:00PM

16 SUN vs INDY 3:05PM

19 WED vs TOLEDO 7:35PM

21 FRI vs IOWA 7:35PM

22 SAT vs IOWA 7:35PM

28 FRI vs TOLEDO 7:35PM

March 2025: 13 games (6 home,  7 away)

1 SAT at TOLEDO 7:15PM

2 SUN vs ADIRONDACK 3:05PM

7 FRI vs WICHITA 7:35PM

8 SAT at TOLEDO 7:15PM

14 FRI vs TOLEDO 7:35PM

15 SAT vs INDY 7:35PM

16 SUN at WHEELING 4:10PM

21 FRI at INDY 7:00PM

22 SAT vs KALAMAZOO 7:35PM

23 SUN vs KALAMAZOO 3:05PM

26 WED at KALAMZOO 7:00PM

28 FRI at WHEELING 7:10PM

29 SAT at WHEELING 7:10PM

April 2025: 6 games (2 home,  4 away)

4 FRI vs KALAMAZOO 7:35PM

5 SAT vs TOLEDO 7:35PM

6 SUN at FORT WAYNE 5:00PM

9 WED at IOWA 8:00PM

11 FRI at IOWA 8:00PM

12 SAT at IOWA 7:00PM

Call (513) 421-PUCK for tickets and more information and stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website,  www.cycloneshockey.com .

Flo Hockey

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Grafton - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

IMAGES

  1. Visit This Ghost Town on a Southwestern Utah Road Trip

    utah ghost town road trip

  2. This Ghost Town Road Trip In Utah Is A Creepy Good Time

    utah ghost town road trip

  3. This Ghost Town Road Trip In Utah Is A Creepy Good Time

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  4. This Ghost Town Road Trip In Utah Is A Creepy Good Time

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  5. This Haunting Road Trip Through Utah Ghost Towns Is One You Won’t

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  6. This Haunting Road Trip Through Utah Ghost Towns Is One You Won’t

    utah ghost town road trip

VIDEO

  1. Grafton Utah Ghost town. Largest House. 1862. #ghosttowns

  2. Ghost Towns and More

  3. Ghost Town Road (east) featuring our new single ‘Swayze’ comes out this Friday!

  4. Someone Attack on Ghost Town Road😱 #shorts #shortvideo #status #allahuakbar

  5. THE SANDS OF TIME

  6. NASZ AMERYKAŃSKI ROAD TRIP! Miasto opanowane przez osły i najpiękniejsze Parki Narodowe

COMMENTS

  1. This Ghost Town Road Trip In Utah Is A Creepy Good Time

    Grafton is popular with photographers and is one of the most well-known ghost towns in the West. It was founded in 1859, but farming was difficult. Frequent flooding and Indian attacks led to the abandonment of the town. Starting in 1997, the Grafton Heritage Partnership began renovating several buildings in Grafton.

  2. Gold Hill and Clifton Ghost Towns

    Turn left onto Ibapah road and follow it for 16.4 miles to a dirt road on the left (Gold Hill Road). Follow the good dirt road 11.6 miles to the center of Gold Hill. Gold Hill to Clifton. To reach Clifton from Gold Hill, go south on Main Street from downtown Gold Hill. The good, graded dirt road leaves town and heads south.

  3. Famous Wild West Ghost Towns in Utah

    Southern Utah Ghost Towns. ... Follow a Germany-based film enthusiast on an extended road trip to discover the rich history of Utah cinematography. The Unknown & Otherworldly Near Vernal, Utah. Written By Arianna Rees 5 minute read UFOs, dinosaur bones, ghosts — there's a chance to see all of them in the wild, weird and existential ...

  4. THE 10 BEST Utah Ghost Towns (Updated 2024)

    By F1079EGjanb. This is a great place, on your road trip, to get out and stretch your legs and learn something at the same time. There... 5. Topaz. 3. Ghost Towns. By L6568YXjenniferd.

  5. Lost In Time: Utah's Ghost Town Treasures

    It's time to check out some of the many ghost towns; a Utah road trip offers something for everyone. Getting There. If you're looking to explore the historic ghost towns of Utah, one of the best ways to do it is by flying into Salt Lake City and renting a car. From there, embark on an adventurous road trip that allows you to spend a week ...

  6. Visit This Ghost Town on a Southwestern Utah Road Trip

    A Ghost Town Side Trip in Southwest Utah. Smack dab between Zion National Park and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area lies a small, abandoned town that was the place to be, be seen, and get ...

  7. THE 10 BEST Utah Ghost Towns (Updated 2024)

    Top Utah Ghost Towns: See reviews and photos of Ghost Towns in Utah, United States on Tripadvisor.

  8. THE 10 BEST Utah Ghost Towns (Updated 2024)

    It has great Vanishing Point and Thelma and Louise T-shirts (both films were filmed there), among a lot of other grea... See tours. 3. Frisco. 8. Ghost Towns. By 866TaylorB. With 23 saloons, Frisco was known as the wildest town in the Great Basin. Murder was common and drinking water had to...

  9. Northern Utah Ghost Town Tour

    His works quickly became the ultimate resource for Utah ghost town and rail road history aficionados and is still a fantastic resource for ghost town explorers and researchers to this day. Several ExpeditionUtah members were able to take a the equivalent of Ghost Town 101, taught by the charismatic Dr. Carr and hosted by the University of Utah ...

  10. 7 Utah ghost towns that are worth a visit this summer

    Paria. Paria (or Pahreah) is a ghost town near Kanab that's worth visiting for the geological views alone. The colorful, striped mountain vistas that surround this little settlement make you ...

  11. Grafton Ghost Town

    This ghost town is very well preserved and easily one of the best known and photographed ghost towns in Utah and even the west. I saw several cars with California and Arizona license plates pull up and check out the buildings too. ... Utah's "Mighty 5" National Park Ultimate Road Trip! | The Trek Planner. May 31, 2020 1:48 pm ...

  12. Roadside Attraction Sego Ghost Town

    Take the Thompson exit (#187) off of I-70. Go north on UT-94 N/Thompson Canyon Rd toward. Stay on this for 4.6 miles. It passes through the town of Thompson, crosses the railroad tracks, then continues into the Book Cliffs. The Sego rock art panel is on the left at about 4.1 miles. Just past the panel, after crossing the wash, take a right.

  13. 11 Ghost Towns in Utah

    Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina from $3,870 USD. View all trips. Experiences. ... Discover 11 ghost towns in Utah. Share Tweet. Cedar City, Utah. Old Irontown.

  14. Southwest Utah Ghost Towns

    Grafton is a ghost town, just south of Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States. Said to be the most photographed ghost town in the West, it has been featured as a location in several films, including 1929's In Old Arizona—the first talkie filmed outdoors—and the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The nearest inhabited town is Rockville.

  15. Grafton Ghost Town

    You access the town via a dirt road, which passes a historic bridge that is worth making the trip for even without the ghost town. If you'd like to see something a little different in the Zion area, Grafton Ghost Town is for you. We had a lot of fun driving over the old bridge. Directions. Watch for Bridge Road in Rockville, Utah on Highway 9.

  16. Latuda Ghost Town

    Latuda Ghost Town - Utah -3. Jeff Johnson. Leisure/Drives. June 6, 2020. The Trek Details. The Trek in a snapshot. Location: Latuda, Price, Utah. Managing Agency: Private ownership ... Utah's "Mighty 5" National Park Ultimate Road Trip! Next post. Exploring the Crown Mine - San Rafael Swell. Related Posts-Leisure/Drives. Roadside ...

  17. Take A Road Trip To Grafton Ghost Town In Utah This Fall

    Grafton is the most well-known ghost town in the state, and if you've never visited, now's the time! You'll find the little ghost town of Grafton along the southern edge of Zion National Park. Google. To reach the town, take UT-State Route 9 to Rockville. Drive over the bridge across the Virgin River, then turn right onto Grafton Road.

  18. The Unknown & Otherworldly Near Vernal, Utah

    Ghost Towns & Helper. Life feels sleepy in Helper, my final stop on this existential loop across Central Utah. Like the quarry and Nine Mile's panels preserve remnants of the past, Helper is a railroad and mining town whose downtown still looks like it may have looked back in 1881 when it was founded. ... This road trip across Utah to view ...

  19. Ghost Towns

    Located on a road out of Clear Creek Canyon near Richfield is the mining ghost town of Kimberley. At the turn of the century Kimberly was a lively, thriving community with a lucrative mining industry. Bullion City, up the canyon west of Marysville, once had a population of over 1,600 people, and several significant gold mines.

  20. Thistle: The Eerie Utah Ghost Town Only Photos Can Describe

    Hop on these one-day Utah road trip routes for natural landscapes, national parks, and otherworldly formations, and be back home for dinner. Thistle, Utah is a one-of-a-kind ghost town, even in a ...

  21. Planning Your Road Trip to Utah's Core

    See Visit Utah's map of film sets across Utah to add to your trip. Museums, ghost towns, Scofield State Park, East Carbon, Movie film spots (even the new Kevin Costner film spots!). ... Planning a road trip to the core of Utah promises an adventure filled with breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and vibrant local culture. From the awe ...

  22. Grafton Hiking Trail

    From the Zion National Park South Entrance, drive 4.7 miles on Utah 9 to Rockville. The route begins at the road junction. Go south on Bridge Street. On the south side of the Virgin River, go right on Grafton Road to Grafton. Trailhead GPS coordinates: 37.161151 N, -113.037713 W.

  23. Cyclones Release 2024-25 Schedule

    The 'Clones will enjoy a season-long eight-game homestand from January 20th against the Walleye extending to February 7th against the Mavericks. Cincinnati will conclude the 2024-25 regular season with its longest road trip of the year, playing four consecutively on the road.

  24. Stories

    Here's an insider's guide to planning the ultimate trip to Mallorca, Spain. beaches. Nice for next to no euros? Here are the best free things to do. Jun 7, 2024 • 7 min read ... Explore Boston by bike with this guide to the city's best off-road routes, its local bike-share program and top safety tips. destination practicalities. The best time ...

  25. Grafton

    Grafton is a ghost town just down the road from Springdale. We first missed the road as the sign is only visible going to Springdale. The road crosses the river on a small one lane bridge. It becomes a dirt road, but easily traveled by a regular car. At some point, you drive in front of security cameras, even infrared ones.