Idol Rock on the Old Spanish Trail

Looking at Idol Rock from the Old Spanish Trail.

Photo/Isobel Lingenfelter

Quick Facts

Location:

Idol Rock, Emery County, Utah (39.05500, -110.40100)

Significance:

An old sketch of this rock helped to verify the location of the Old Spanish Trail.

MANAGED BY:

Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Between 1829 and 1848, pack mule caravans and travelers used the Old Spanish Trail as a trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California, which were part of Northern Mexico at the time. In 1853, Captain John W. Gunnison’s expedition traveled on parts of the Old Spanish Trail searching for a railroad route. This geologic feature was sketched and named by Richard Kern, a geologist from the expedition. The modern-day discovery of this sketch, and its use to find Idol Rock, helped verify the location of the Old Spanish Trail.

Site Information

Location (Latitude: 39.055000305 Longitude: -110.40100097)

Idol Rock is located in Emery County, Utah along the northern limits of the San Rafael Swell. It is a large and tall mass of sandstone, making it stick out significantly from its surroundings. It can be seen clearly from the Old Spanish Trail.

The landscape surrounding Idol Rock is very dry and filled with sagebrush and cottonwood trees. As you travel here, you’ll pass through parts of the San Rafael Swell, a large geologic area that has been uplifted and eroded over time, creating many valleys, canyons, mesas, and buttes that can be observed the further you venture in.

Getting to this area requires 4WD and high clearance at a minimum and is impassible during or after rain. Plan trips accordingly as this site is a remote one with no amenities. A small pull-off is available near the interpretive sign for parking. As you make your way to this site, you may find other cultural sites and evidence of Old Spanish Trail travelers. Stone culverts, railroad grades, and dugways can be found all through this area, particularly on the ATV trails.

Safety Considerations

More Site Information 

Exhibit Audio Description available

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

• Emery County - Idol Rock on the Old Spanish Trail Exhibit Audio Description

  
  

  Listen to the audio description of the Emery County - Idol Rock on the Old Spanish Trail exhibit.

  Date created:

  09/09/2021

  Audio Transcript

  This exhibit is placed at a 45-degree angle a few feet off the ground. A sandstone cliff face is seen in the distance. The exhibit is 36 inches wide and 24 inches tall. The exhibit has a textured background resembling black and dark gray rock layers. Title: The Gunnison Expedition. Two red horizontal accents frame the elements of the panel. There is a block of text above a map with a description. To the right is a large photograph of a tall and heavily weathered sandstone rock with a white background. In the top left of the photograph there is a black and white sketch of the rock, labeled in pencil as Idol Rock, with other illegible writings. Caption: Travelers gazing upon Idol Rock could have seen it as a variety of different things. What does it look like to you? Primary Text: Between 1829 and 1848, pack mule caravans and travelers used the Old Spanish Trail as a trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California, which were part of Northern Mexico at the time. In 1853, Captain John W. Gunnison’s expedition traveled on parts of the Old Spanish Trail searching for a railroad route. This geologic feature was sketched and named by Richard Kern, a geologist from the expedition. The modern-day discovery of this sketch, and its use to find Idol Rock helped verify the location of the Old Spanish Trail. Map below Primary Text: Title: Routes of the Old Spanish Trail. The map shows the four routes of the Old Spanish Trail across the Western United States, spanning from New Mexico to California. The different routes, the Northern Route, the Armijo Route, the Northern Branch, and the Mojave Road, converge and separate at various places along the trail. Along the trail, major cities are labeled. A red square indicates that you are on the Northern Route section in Eastern Utah. Caption: The various routes of the trail span 2,700 miles, connecting Los Angeles to Santa Fe from 1829-1848. Mexican and American traders alike traveled with pack mules carrying precious goods like textiles and horses. Various other groups would use this trail up until the late 1860s when the railroad connected the Great Plains to the Pacific coast. Features for more information: Beneath the map there are two blocks containing text and QR codes. Text block 1 with QR code: Learn more about these sites. https://www.nps.gov/olsp/index.htm Text block 2 with QR code: Audio description available go.nps.gov/IdolRockUT Bottom Red Banner:

  Text: Explore the Old Spanish Trail.

  Text Block 3 with QR code: Travel the trail with the Explorer app to go on a self-guiding adventure! Maps can be downloaded and used offline.

  A black silhouette is set to the right of the text block. It shows a man with a cowboy hat sitting on top of a pack mule, with two other mules behind him in line attached by ropes.