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PALISADE STATE PARK — Palisades State Park added a new attraction Wednesday with the opening of two white-walled “tent cabins.”
Located about 100 miles south of Salt Lake City, Palisade State Park was established as a state park in 1975, according to park manager Shon Tripp. In the 1860s, the area was owned by a group of Arapeen Indians, and early settler Daniel B. Funk, bought the land from them to turn into a weekend resort, according to the Utah State parks website.
Funk created a dam and built the lake which was originally named after him. Eventually Funk’s Lake was renamed Palisade Park and became a well-known pleasure resort, the website said.
Palisade State Park has a variety of activities, including staying in its newly installed tent cabins. The two canvas-walled tents have wood flooring inside and include an antique wooden bed, tables and futons, Tripp said. The grand opening to the public was held Wednesday morning.
“People love them so far,” Tripp said.
Here are a few other activities to try at Palisade State Park.
Golf
The Palisade Golf Course is probably the biggest attraction for the park, Tripp said. It was established as a nine-hole golf course in 1972. In 1996, it became an 18-hole golf course and is well-known for its signature hole number four, where you shoot 174 yards across a gorge.
“The golf course is first class, I think,” Tripp said. “It’s not your straight-up one fairway and down another. It’s got some turns in it and there are some trees you’ve got to go around and there are some hills that go up and down… it’s a really challenging, but fun course.”
The golf shop in the park has equipment available for rent.
Geocaching
If you want a little adventure locating a buried treasure, Tripp said the park has 15 geocache sites that people can find. Each box has information that tells a little about the history of the park. People can take a little prize and exchange another gift for the next group, Tripp said.
The park has GPS units available and a booklet with instructions and coordinates for the geocache sites.
Palisade State Park
OHV Trails
The park is located near several canyons that have a variety of motorized trails for ATVs, dirt bikes and other OHVs, Tripp said. Many of the trails begin in the park so campers can go straight from their campsite to the trail.
The park also has a kiosk with a map that shows the trails available in Mayfield Canyon, Manti Canyon and popular 6 Mile Canyon. Tripp said the Skyline Drive trail is the most scenic because it’s located on top of the Manti-La Sal Range.
If people don’t bring their own OHVs, there are some available for rent at Skyline Recreation L.L.C. in nearby Sterling.
Camping
Along with the new additions of the two tent cabins, there are 75 traditional campsites, 28 of which have full hookups for RVs and trailers, Tripp said. There are five group area campsites, two of which hold 30 people and three that accommodate 50 people.
There are also six cabins available for rent. Three of the cabins have running water and include sinks, toilets and showers.
A playground is located in the middle of the campground area, complete with swings and a slide for children.
“The biggest thing about us is that we have got a lot of variety and multiple use,” Tripp said. “You don’t have to come and just wonder what you are going to do. You can do a variety of things. That’s what makes us so unique, I think.”
People can make reservations by visiting the park website.
