Ghost Towns and Graveyards

It’s official—October is here, 
and that means Halloween is just around the corner!

 (Imagine creepy music here)

I’m actually a scaredy cat at heart. Scary movies and blood and gore tend to give me the heebie jeebies, yet I love Halloween. It’s the one time during the year when I can make fun of my fears and face them in a non-threatening way. When else can I dress up as something from my childhood nightmares and have fun?  It’s also a time when I can share with my kids the strange and unusual things of this world. And let’s face it—sometimes it’s just fun to get creeped out.

Fall is interesting to say the least. Summer is gone and the world is changing around us. Plants and trees grow unusual and strange looking seed pods--knobby and gnarled. Leaves change color, and gardens shrivel up and die. It’s the perfect time to take the family out to enjoy the unusual.

Top on my list for fall outings are ghost towns and old graveyards, and this October we are also going to take a tour of a mortuary. Creepy? I can’t wait! Besides satisfying our curiosity, it’s also quite educational. 

And ghost towns and graveyards are a great way to introduce our children to the local history. I suggest taking a tour though Sego canyon just outside of Crescent Junction Utah for a great outing.  

The first thing you’ll notice is the ghost-like pictographs and petroglyphs that seem to haunt the canyon walls. Ute, Fremont, and Barrier styles, among others, have been discovered throughout the canyon.

Then visit the graveyard and ghost town for another excursion through history. The old coal mining town had quite a few buildings and homes, but due to a dwindling water supply and other problems the mine only operated from 1911 to 1947 before it closed completely. Only a few structures remain standing, but you can find several foundations and buried mine shaft entrances if you explore.

October is a great month to take the family out for some "creepy" fun, so get out there and do some exploring of your own. 

If you want to visit Sego Canyon here are the directions:

East from Green River going towards Grand Juction--Take Exit 185 off I-70, proceed on State Highway 94 through Thompson, and continue driving approximately three miles to Sego Canyon. Major rock art panels are visible from the road. To reach the ghost town of Sego, drive approximately 0.5 mile further up canyon until you reach a fork in the road. Turn right at the Sego Canyon sign. Proceed for about a mile, and you will see a cemetery and other historic structures.