Fremont Indian State Park ~ Utah

Fremont Indian State Park is very easy to access and a world of intriguing adventures await in this unique ancient sacred place. This state park is literally located next to I-70 in central Utah between Richfield and the intersection of I-15, so entering this park is as easy as hopping onto the freeway exit ramp. Because of the proximity to the highway, one might expect Fremont Indian State Park to be a very busy place year round, but the opposite actually is true. This section of Interstate Highway 70 definitely is a fly-by area, because the majority of travelers are in a hurry to get to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City to the west or east to the famous national parks in Moab or further down the line to ski resorts in Colorado. Fueling stations are sparse along the highways in this region and drivers coming from the west tend to be running on fumes by the time they get to Richfield. For these reasons, the highest percentage of I-70 travelers simply fly on by without giving much thought to checking out Fremont Indian State Park, so this destination actually is a gem hidden in plain sight.

A paved frontage road runs through the entire length of Fremont Indian State Park, which makes it easy to do a quick scenic drive tour when passing through. All it takes is one look at this majestic canyon to get the urge to stick around to experience more and the best way to get the details about the points of interest is to make the visitor center the first stop. Entrance fees can be paid here and there is a large Fremont native cultural museum on site, so a tour will certainly provide plenty of insight into what lies in store out in the grounds. 

The origins of Fremont Indian State Park are interesting, because this park was created when the I-70 freeway construction uncovered the largest ancient Fremont Native village in this entire territory. The museum houses thousands of artifacts from this old village and the lifestyle of these people is conveyed. The terrain in this area is capable of supporting a large civilization with forested mountains and creeks that constantly flow through the canyons. This canyon supported hunting, gathering and agriculture methods, so it is easy to see why this was the ideal place for a large village.

Along with the ancient civilized lifestyle came the arts and plenty of exhibits can be seen on the canyon walls. There are several rock art hiking trails in this park and many ancient petroglyphs can be spotted on the rhyolite butte columns from the roadside while cruising real slow. There is also a foot trail that crosses a bridge over the creek and the path goes under the freeway to the other side of the canyon to where the famous Cave Of A Hundred Hands can be found. Near the bridge is an old  Sheep Shelter cabin that also serves as a grassy picnic area with plenty of shade trees and there is an overlook nearby that features a spotting tube. One look through the viewing tube will reveal a very large blanket pictograph high on the opposite side of the canyon, which truly is amazing to see.

Fremont Indian State Park has a cozy campground located in the wide mouth of a picturesque canyon, so spending some extra quality time in this unique place is easy to do. For those who are in a hurry to get to destinations further down the line, spending an hour or two in this park will certainly be a good way to avert driver fatigue and the brief visit will still inspire memories that last a lifetime. The ancient rock art alone is well worth checking out, so be sure to keep this park in mind when planning a trip through central Utah!
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