From the imposing red rock canyons of Capitol Reef to the shifting white dunes of Little Sahara, Panoramaland offers as varied a menu of recreational opportunities as any of Utah's travel regions.
And it offers these additional advantages: It's close to the state's major population areas, and it's uncrowded."Panoramaland has lagged behind somewhat because it is off the main Interstate-15 corridor," said Glenn Greenhalgh, director of Juab County's community economic development agency, "but it has a lot of diverse kinds of things.
"Panoramaland is unhurried, uncluttered, not quite as busy."
Even some of the region's best-known attractions, places such as Capitol Reef National Park and Fish Lake, are far from teeming with visitors.
"When you consider national parks, Capitol Reef is the best-kept secret," said Lorraine Gregerson, Panoramaland tourism coordinator. "It's the least-known and least-visited national park."
"Capitol Reef is a hidden treasure," added Greenhalgh.
The region conceals other treasures, even more hidden than the little-known national park, such as Fish Springs Wildlife Refuge in Juab County, a virtually unknown birdwatchers paradise that provides a home to many migratory species, and Spring City - a whole community that's been declared a National Historic District.
And there's more:
Archaeology - At Fremont Indian State Park, located in Clear Creek Canyon just off I-70, the visitor can see unearthed pit dwellings of the Fremonts, along with petroglyphs and pictographs carved into the cliffs and displays of pottery, moccasins, necklaces and other artifacts. Throughout the Great Basin Desert region, artifacts such as arrowheads and spearheads are commonly found and petroglyphs abound.
Cycling - Uncrowded mountain-bike trails criss-cross Panoramaland, with several excellent routes in the Hell's Hole, Fish Lake, Gooseberry, Monroe Mountain and Pahvant Range areas of the Fishlake National Forest. For a list of bicycle trails, contact a National Forest office in Fillmore, Loa, Fish Lake and Richfield.
Fishing - Koosharem, Johnson and Otter Creek reservoirs in Sevier County are all fine angling sites with no crowds, and the Fremont River is noted for its big brown trout in the late winter; the Boulder Mountains south of Torrey have over a hundred lakes full of brook trout.
Ghost towns - Just off I-70 west of Sevier is the Kimberly Loop, particularly beautiful in the fall, that winds through the pine-covered Tushar Mountains to the ghost town of Kimberly, location of the Annie Lourie gold mine. Near the old mining town of Eureka, which is half ghost town itself, are several ghost towns, such as Silver City and Mammoth.
Mines - The Wolverton Gold Mine, originally built in the Henry Mountains but since relocated to Hanksville, has a 20-foot water wheel and other vintage inventions. Other mining attractions include a guided tour of the salt mines near Redmond or a visit to the Salina Canyon coal mines for a perspective into Utah's energy development program.
Springs - Monroe Hot Springs at the base of Monroe Mountain is billed as the only non-sulphurous body of water in Utah. Its healing mineral water bubbles up through the earth's crust at 168 degrees F, then cools to a comfortable temperature. The waters of Lemonade Springs in Sevier County have been popular for more than 40 years, and actually have the color and tang of lemonade.
Rockhounding - Topaz Mountain in Juab County is a rock-hunters' paradise, with beds of fossilized sea creatures (trilobites, brachiopods, etc.) that have drawn worldwide attention. And 12 miles west of Hanksville is Factory Butte, where dinosaur bones, sharks' teeth and petrified wood can be found in abundance.
Sightseeing - This area has several must-see drives: The Nebo Loop, which starts (or finishes) just east of Nephi off Highway 11 and ends in Payson, and traverses some of the state's most spectacular alpine scenery. It offers access to four camping facilities and a hiking trail to the summit of the highest peak in the Wasatch range, 11,928-foot Mt. Nebo.
Another, Skyline Drive, is an unimproved road that winds for nearly a hundred miles through the Manti-LaSal National Forest. Access is through such towns as Mayfield, Manti, Ephraim and Fairview.
Among many additional sights of interest are the Great Stone Face, a volcanic rock formation southwest of Delta that bears a resemblance to the Latter-day Saint prophet, Joseph Smith; Lehman Caves National Monument, on the Utah-Nevada border, featuring one-and-a-half miles of folded tunnels and rooms; and Big Rock Candy Mountain, the multi-colored formation made famous in song and said to be the only one of its type in the world.