One of the most enjoyable aspects of a road trip is discovering hidden gems. The tiny town of Castle Dale, population 1700, and miles off the beaten path in central Utah, offered two surprising gems. The excellent Museum of the San Rafael and the Pioneer Museum were totally unexpected and perfect examples of American-style "can do". Their fascinating contents were contributed mainly by area residents.

Castle Dale, the seat of Emery County government, is located on Cottonwood Creek in Castle Valley, a region of benchlands and river valleys bounded by the Wasatch Plateau to the west and the striking buttes, mesas, and canyons of the San Rafael Swell to the east. The high plateau barrier and the ruggedness of the Castle Valley landscape delayed settlement of the region until the late 1870s, when population growth and expanding livestock herds in Utah's central valleys stimulated a search for new agricultural and grazing lands.

The Museum of the San Rafael

The Museum of the San Rafael presents the natural history of the remote and colorful badlands of central Utah. The most prominent exhibits covers the Jurassic era dinosaurs for which the area is renowned. (The famous Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry is nearby.) Also, many other types of fossils and minerals. There are exhibits of contemporary mammals, insects, and birds.

Rural folks in the west tend to live an outdoor life, exploring, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Many have found extraordinary things in this lightly traveled area.

The 'Sitterud' Bundle

The Sitterud Bundle is a completely intact tool kit and knapsack belonging to a medicine man of the ancient Fremont Indians (contemporary to the Anasazi). This unique, world-class artifact was found in a cave by a local and donated to the museum.

This "Bundle" was found stashed in an overhang on the San Rafael Swell in Emery County. It represents the kind of portable tool kit carried by Fremont hunter-gatherers. It contains food in the form of Squaw Bush (Rhus Trilobata) Berries, finished tools such as snares and knives, and tools to make tools, such as antler batons and stone flakes. The bundle is radiocarbon dated to 1250-1450 A.D., which was a transitional period between the Fremont and later Ute and Paiute people.

The “Bundle" is considered to be one of the most valuable finds of the Southwest Plateau. The collection, found in 1968 by LaVar Sitterud, is an outstanding example of private collectors, local museums, and governmental agencies cooperating to assure that such collections may be enjoyed by all.

Emery County Pioneer Museum

The Emery County Pioneer Museum is a treasure for history buffs and antique lovers. It is filled with rooms depicting pioneer life. Don't be mistaken, these aren't scenes from glamorous western movies. "When school children come through they are amazed at some of the things in the collection. They ask questions like, 'Did ladies really have to wear those girdles and old-time clothes?" explained Jan Petersen, the museum's executive director.

Located in Castle Dale, the heart of Castle County, the museum shows a pioneer school room, farm equipment, a kitchen setting, country store and much more. One of the most interesting rooms in the museum is the "Red Room." It contains a beautiful organ and furniture the Johnson family purchased from the Utah State capitol when it was refinished. There is a fine arts exhibit of remarkable pioneer needlework.

Rougher cowboys called these parts home too. The museum has created a special exhibit on local outlaws. One of the most famous outlaws, Butch Cassidy, is highlighted.

Emery County Fair

Desertview Pro Rodeo (July 27-29)

Dinosaur Diamond Partnership