A
View to a Swell
Interstate 70 through Eastern Utahby
Mark Sedenquist (Continued from Page
1)
Clear Creek
Petroglyphs at Fremont Indian State Park
The next exit (mile marker 8) provides a very
nice two-lane drive along Clear Creek on SR-4 (it parallels
I-70). The creek bisects the Kimberly Mine district that at
one time employed 2,000 gold miners, and it's easy to see some
of the mine tailings as you head down to the Fremont Indian
State Park. This park can also be accessed from I-70 at mile
marker 17. I must have driven by this place ten times, each
time saying, "Next time I'm going to stop and see what's
there." Don't follow my example -- stop the first time!
In most places in the west, it takes a bit of a journey off
major routes to see pictographs and petroglyphs left behind
by native cultures. Not here! The traffic lanes for the east-bound
side of I-70 were constructed directly through a historic Fremont
Indian village, and the canyon walls surrounding the highway
are covered with all kinds of rock art. No one really knows
what these drawings signify, but the local Paiute nation considers
Clear Creek Canyon to be sacred. There is an excellent visitor's
center and short (.3-mile) loop walking trail that winds
past a number of examples of this art. There are 14 separate
trails within the park, and once you know what to look for,
you can even spot petroglyphs from the highway!
