9 weird and bizarre places in Utah you didn't know existed

9 weird and bizarre places in Utah you didn't know existed

(Thistle, Utah - Taylor Lewis, Courtesy of Utah.com)


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We are all familiar with Utah's captivating southern landscape, exhilarating snow-capped mountains and delicious (maybe) saturation of jello, but did you know the Beehive State has a strange side to it, too?

Here are 9 bizarre locations in Utah.

1. Thistle Ghost Town

Location: Thistle, Utah, Spanish Fork Canyon

It doesn't get any more old-west than this: railroad company sets up shop in the early 20th century, creates a cute little town that epitomizes small-town America, families settle in, and tourists glide on through via rail. Super fairytale, right?

Nope. Disaster hit this little town in 1983—mudslide extravaganza to the max. The population shrunk down to only 50 people when a very, very wet year pummeled the mountainside down into the valley. The town never recovered. Homes were devastated, and you can still see one house submerged in a permanent lake of sorrow. Eery indeed.

2. Victim of the Beast Gravesite

Location: Salt Lake City Cemetery

Dear Sarah Koenig, Queen of mystery podcast detectives,

We have a mystery for you: Lilly E Gray's gravestone tells Salt Lake City locals that she was "A Victim of the Beast 666"—what does it mean?! It's freaking us all out. Seriously freakin' freaked out. She was born in 1881, and died in 1958. Did the Beast kill her? Did the Beast curse her, and then she died later? Was it a cantankerous joke written by her anti-government husband, Elmer? Is "the Beast" a moniker, a code name, or was it seriously THE Beast that did her in? What kind of town do we live in anyway? I'm getting outta here. But not really. But, seriously. What happened?

Sincerely, Everyone in Utah

9 weird and bizarre places in Utah you didn't know existed

3. Devil's Slide

Location: Weber Canyon

As you drive along I-84 through Weber Canyon in northern Utah, you'll catch a glimpse of this bizarre and confusing geological formation. Protruding about 40 feet out from the side of the mountain and about 200 feet tall are two parallel "slabs of rock" made up of limestone strata. And if we want to get even more technical, the slide consists of old sea sediment deposits that have been weathered and eroded for approximately 170 to 180 million years.

Interestingly, the name comes from an early resident in the area, James John Walker, who claimed it looked like a "large playground slide only fit for the Devil". Seems reasonable, we guess.

4. Spiral Jetty

Location: Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake

"Oh, I know. I'll just move over 6,000 tons of black basalt rock and earth around here and there in the middle of a desert salty lake—in a spiral. Ya, that's it." That's probably pretty close to what went through artist Robert Smithson's head when he needed something productive to do. And then, bam, a giant art piece was born in 1970.

Video created by Vita Brevis Films; via KUER's VideoWest

The jetty disappears and reappears depending on lake water levels—drought years bring it out for all to see. Oh, and there's a debate: keep the jetty repaired and lookin' pretty, or let it succumb to a natural atrophy? It's a bit of a trek to see it, but you'll probably get the most Instagram likes you've ever had after you post a pic of this prehistoric landscape.

5. Mars Desert Research Station

Location: San Rafael Swell

*No, you can't visit. This site is only accessible to the team of scientists and researchers who are awesome enough to work here. No visitors. Learn more about MDRS.

Science agrees with us. Utah definitely has other-worldly landscapes worth exploring—and practicing what life on Mars would really be like. This place is still a place for pioneers. Space pioneers of the last frontier-ish. The MDRS field team consists of geologists, astrobiologists, engineers, mechanics, physicians, human factors researchers, artists and others who live in relative isolation in a Mars analog environment—science experiments they make movies about. And, lucky for you, if you're a science-y person, you can even volunteer to help out on the station. #marssociety

6. Pando | The Trembling Giant

Location: 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake

Utah wins again: the oldest and heaviest living organism in the world is nestled and sprawling within state border. Pando is an Aspen clone 80,000 years old and weighs in at about 6,000,000 kg. But, of course, as old as it is, Pando seems to be nearing its end. Saddest story you'll hear today, right? Plan on seeing this wise old organism for yourself before its atrophic journey consumes it back into the earth. Autumn will amaze you. Hello, October 2016 road trip.

9 weird and bizarre places in Utah you didn't know existed

7. Delta Solar Ruins

Location: Delta, Utah

The Delta Solar Ruins are the perfect example of an experiment gone terribly wrong. Originally built in 2008, these solar towers were to serve as an alternative source of energy for Southern California, but have since been left to rust and rot just outside Delta, Utah. The project was expected to be huge once completed, covering over 700 acres with a thousand sun-absorbing towers. Unfortunately, the cheaper (and not so rugged) plastic materials used for the solar collector panels couldn't withstand the relentless desert winds and the project was abandoned. But it's still pretty cool to look at.

8. Fantasy Canyon

Location: 27 miles south of Vernal, Utah

Want to get off the beaten path? About 27 miles south of Vernal, you'll find one of weirdest (and lesser known) rock formations in the world, aptly named Fantasy Canyon. The canyon is tiny, just a few acres, but visitors can get up close and personal with these unique sandstone formations with a short 0.6-mile loop trail. There's a reason the area is referred to as "Nature's China Shop." Continual weather erosion will eventually render this geological gem obsolete, turning it into a big sand pile, so get there quick!

Photo credit: Fantasy Canyon - Kristian Thorson
Photo credit: Fantasy Canyon - Kristian Thorson

9. The "Up" House

Location: Herriman, Utah

The charming and colorful little house from the Pixar movie "Up" is real! And it resides in Herriman, UT. Built in 2011, with the permission from the Disney company, the house is an exact replica from the one in the movie, down to even the smallest details, from the exterior paint to the custom-made furniture. It's definitely worth a drive-by.

Make your way to one of these destinations and explore the weirder side of Utah. For all things Utah related, from its valleys to its peaks and everything in between, visit Utah.com.

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