Fantasy Canyon
The North - Utah
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Our visits: So far 1 visit in October 2012
Fantasy Canyon
Description: Fantasy Canyon is located in the remote Ulintah Basin, about 37mi south of Vernal. The first photographs of the canyon appeared in 1909. They were published by the paleontologist Earl Douglass. Although the drive to the canyon is on dirt roads, the roads are in good condition because they are located in an area where gas and oil are extracted. Finding the location is very easy, as there is a signpost at every junction in the maze of dirt roads. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a GPS device with a track. The canyon captivates visitors with its numerous, bizarrely and delicately shaped sandstone towers. The name says it all—here, the imagination is truly sparked to discover shapes in the formations.
Trail length: 0.85mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: approx. 164ft
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty level: easy - The path through the canyon, although not completely flat, is very easy to walk.
Our rating: We liked Fantasy Canyon very much. It was a lot of fun to hike through the small washes and discover the great sculptures. If you are traveling in the Vernal area, you should stop by here. It is especially beautiful at sunset. Unfortunately, there was non at our visit so that we were not able to observe the colors at low sun.
Note: On dirt roads, road conditions can change constantly. Therefore, we strongly recommend that everyone check the road conditions before each trip. We do not recommend driving on unpaved roads before, during or shortly after rain or snowfall.
