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Yellow Fork Canyon
The road into Yellow Fork Canyon begins
at the parking lot along the Rose Canyon Claim.
The beginning of the claim is marked by a gate that is normally
open and
unlocked. However, there are signs
warning that the gate is locked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Beyond the gate the dirt road winds its way
along a drainage a short distance until it reaches a picnic area with
additional room for parking. After
leaving this picnic area the road continues on through the Yellow Fork
Canyon
County Park. The road has not been
maintained in quite some time, and is a very narrow dirt road. In places the road is impassable without a
high clearance vehicle. After driving
for approximately 2 miles you reach the end of the claim.
There is a small picnic area here and several
small trails that head off in different directions.
"The
right-of-way for the construction of highways over the public
lands not reserved for public uses, is hereby granted."
Construction:
"Means an intentional physical act or series of intentional physical
acts
that were intended to, and that accomplished, preparation of a highway
by a
durable, observable, physical modification of land for use by highway
traffic."
While there is no
evidence of any significant construction
or improvement, at some point this route was cut through the
surrounding trees
and brush. However, the condition of the
road would suggest that it has been a long time since any maintenance
was
performed on the road.
Highway:
"Means a thoroughfare that was prior to the latest available date used
by
the public, without discrimination against any individual or group, for
the
passage of vehicles carrying people or goods from place to place."
It is believed that this
road was first constructed to
access a spring at the top of Yellow Fork Canyon. Currently
this road is open and accessible to
the public.
Unreserved
public lands: "lands owned by the United States...that had not
yet
been set aside, dedicated, withdrawn, reserved, settled, preempted,
entered,
appropriated, or disposed of, or on which claims had not been located."
It is unclear whether
this road was constructed before the
land it is on was withdrawn from the public domain in 1914. This area eventually became part of the Camp
Williams Military Reserve with its creation in 1926.
Mormon settlers first
attempted to settle the land at the
foot of the Oquirrhs in 1848. By the mid
1860’s the settlers began to realize the potential value of the mineral
deposits in the mountains. Mining claims
began to be patented in many of the canyons to the north.
However, since there were no mining claims
patented in the area of the Yellow Fork Canyon claim it is thought that
the
road was most likely constructed by settlers farming in the area. The road ends at a spring in Yellow Fork
Canyon and was probably built to provide access to the water.
Currently the Yellow Fork
Canyon claim allows the public to
access the Yellow Fork Canyon Regional Park.
This 800 acre park is currently managed under the guidance of
the Salt
Lake County Master Plan. However, the
Master Plan calls for the development of a management plan specifically
for
Yellow Fork Canyon. As it is the park
currently sees use by horseback riders and an occasional four-wheel
drive
vehicle.
Coon, Bill.
Past
President of the Utah Backcountry Horsemen (currently President of
Friends of
Sound Horses). Conversation on August
25, 2005.
Salt Lake County
Surveyor’s Office. “The Bible” - Book of
maps (sheet 16B), accompanied by a book of field notes.
Specific date of maps unknown – most likely
from the 1890’s.
Map of the Yellow
Fork Canyon Claim