Red rock canyons and high-elevation alpine meadows, desert wilderness and trout waters: Emery County brings together landscapes with very different character. The regional scenery also includes trout lakes, whitewater rivers, and badlands. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Emery, you can first choose your focus based on the discoveries you want to shape your trip: rock landscapes, dinosaur history, or traces of historic routes. The destinations and activities described here don’t make up one fixed itinerary, but offer very different ways to engage with the region.
Rock Landscapes and Trails on Different Scales
The Valley of Goblins covers almost three square miles and is an open area to explore in Goblin Valley State Park. Its size describes an area to explore; the route to The Goblin’s Lair, by contrast, is a specific trail: the out-and-back trail is 1.5 miles long and rated strenuous. These offer two different points of reference side by side—the extent of an area, and a trail’s length and rating.
Little Wild Horse Canyon and Bell Canyon can also be explored on a clearly defined loop: the trail is eight miles long and takes almost four hours. At the Little Wild Horse Trailhead, there is a parking lot, vault toilets, and an information kiosk. So different details help with a comparison to the trail to The Goblin’s Lair: there, the out-and-back distance and difficulty are specified; here, the loop’s total length and approximate duration.
The San Rafael Swell offers opportunities for OHV riding, hiking, biking, horseback riding, canyoneering, and river trips. This range brings together different ways to spend time outdoors without combining them into a single route. If you’re still weighing which activity you want to shape your stay, you’ll find several clearly distinct options here.
Discover Dinosaurs and Explore Exhibits
At the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, the visitor center focuses on dinosaurs and features more than 2,000 square feet of interactive exhibits. There are also trails, each with its own focus. The Jurassic Journey Trail is a 1.5-mile loop with ten interpretive signs. The Cretaceous Climb ends at Raptor Point, where there is an overlook. Signs along a loop and a trail leading to an overlook offer different highlights, alongside the visitor center’s interactive exhibits.
These differences offer more than one way into dinosaur history: the exhibit connects the subject with interactive displays, while the Jurassic Journey Trail shares information on ten signs along a loop. For the Cretaceous Climb, the overlook at the end is the specifically named destination. If you’re interested in the individual trails, their described features can help you distinguish whether interpretive signs, a loop, or the endpoint with its view takes center stage.
History, Rock Art, and Route Alignments
The John Wesley Powell River History Museum features exhibits on geology, archaeology, and local history. The Old Spanish Trail can also be considered through different geographic and route-related details: it crossed the Green River about 2.5 miles north of the museum. A 30-mile OHV loop partially follows the Old Spanish Trail. By contrast, a five-mile hiking trail in the northern San Rafael Swell runs along the trail’s exact route; a four-mile hiking and horseback riding trail follows its original route. These connections are not all the same: they range from a partial alignment with the trail to following its exact or original route.
Another example of cultural heritage is the Buckhorn Panel, a Barrier Canyon-style rock art depiction. The drive to Buckhorn Draw is described in specific terms: take Exit 131 off Interstate 70, then travel 25 miles north. During Melon Days, melon growers from Green River offer slices of melon. These are different facets of the destination—rock art, directions for the drive, and a local food tradition associated with an event.
Discover more destinations: Green River, Orangeville, Summit, Beaver County, Grand, Hanover County, Salt Lake, Uintah County.
For the main travel overview: Utah.
