Total size for all uploaded files must be less than 8MB. However, like many other small towns in the area, Thompson Springs began to decline in the mid-1900s as industry shifted elsewhere. Many of those buried in the graveyard were coal miners. yet been reported on the site. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Harry Ballard. At that time, some of the buildings were then moved to Moab andSegobecame an official ghost town. Javascript is required for this website. There are also some amazing petroglyphs on the way out to the Sego Canyon Ghost Town so it's a two for one stop. The road is generally passable for most vehicles, although you should always think twice before going if it has been raining. You dont necessarily need a 44 vehicle we drove to it in a sedan. Grand County's ghost towns: Boom and bust in Sego The branch starts at the D&RGW tracks on the northwest end of Thompson, enters Thompson Canyon, and veers through a cut along Sego Wash up Sego Canyon to the townsite. The other wooden buildings have all collapsed. Chenoweth. Sego Canyon Rock Art and The Ghost Town of Sego - Back Roads Utah It was an amazing experience, not many buildings are. Sego Canyon Ghost Town We were pleasantly surprised at the Sego Canyon Ghost Town. Reaching Sego involves first reaching Thompson, which is east of Crescent Junction (The junction to Moab.) Home of numerous petroglyphs and pictographs, a ghost town, nume. We were unable to access local storage on your browser. The closest railroad connection to Sego was the Denver & Rio Grande Western in Thompson Springs. Water issues caused bythe Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad building a spur line that crossed the creek 13 times were relentless, the water table constantly low enough to slow operations. The rock art in Sego Canyon is particularly well-preserved. Take the right fork, which quickly leads to Segos old cemetery. Sego, Utah - Thompson, Utah - Atlas Obscura We especially like camping on Forest Service land, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas, WMA's (Wildlife Management Areas) and county or city parks. Some miners were not paid for as long as a Sego Utah Townsite - Ghost town - coloradosghosttowns.com not by a prospector but by a rancher/farmer from England named These images depict a range of subjects, from human figures and animals to abstract symbols and shapes. The small group was sitting around a campfire in Sego Canyon. Verify that your network hardware is connected and functioning properly. A wye was built at Thompson Springs to facilitate the turning of the steam locomotives, the grade of which is still visible. Dead and Dying: Sego ghost town and Thompson Springs, Utah primary view as the prices have not been determined. You can still see the large mounds of tailings on both sides of the canyon. A crack flared at the base provides a pathway completely through a sandstone ridge near Moab. Sego, Utah, has been known by a few names since Euro-American activity began there during the 1900s. This website requires cookies and local storage. Sego Canyon - Rock Art & Ghost Town - Thompson Springs, Utah | Free Free campgrounds can be hard to find. Sego Canyon - Rock Art & Ghost Town - Climb Utah Activities: OHV Horse Trails Wildlife Viewing Been here? However, tragedy struck in 1949, when a fire burned the tipple, drastically decreasing production. Sego Canyon Pictographs & Petroglyphs - Yelp Take the Thompson exit (#187) off of I-70. The boys wanted to check out each one, so we did. Were Matt and Cheryl, and were in the Rockies. Its a bizarre spot with aliens, cars painted like Lightning McQueen or the Scooby Doo van, and a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor. There is only one road. An underground coal seam fire has continued to burn here for decades, and smoke still rises from deserted mine shafts. Tell us the route you want to take and we'll give you some suggestions for how to get there, along with free and low cost camping along the way. [4] The reorganization didn't solve the company's financial difficulties, however. We love the American West and the national parks. Next level hosting generously provided by. Four rock wall surfaces feature petroglyph and pictograph styles of three cultures - Fremont, Ute, and Barrier Canyon. Sego is a fascinating roadside attraction I would recommend visiting while the remnants are still visible and somewhat standing. year but received script, which enabled them to buy food and Our road trip planner is the best tool for planning your next vacation. You cant get lost finding your way to the ghost town as there is really only one road. On our road trip to Moab, Utah, we took a short detour to Sego Ghost Town, Thompson Springs. We'll keep trying to access your location. Sego got its start in the early 1890s when an affluent farmer/rancher named Harry Ballard discovered coal on land adjacent to his ranch. Though you can see many foundations, only a few walls and roofs seem to be recognizable. Soon, news of the high-quality coal in Sego Canyon reached Salt Lake City. The discovery was made in the early 1890s This is a platform for sharing campgrounds and camp sites you have discovered. In 1911, Ballard sold the The town is accessed via the grade of the Ballard & Thompson Railroad, a spur from the Denver and Rio Grande Western built by the founders of the town to transport the coal. Nestled in the east side of Utah, Sego Canyon is a hidden gem that offers visitors a glimpse into the areas rich cultural and geological history. Cisco is another run-down ghost town located nearby on Scenic Byway 128. We apologize for this reality check. There are enough Wal-Mart and truck stop directories out there already. This is an old coal mining town and it does have some nice rock paintings. We believe that free camping areas are often the most beautiful and peaceful camp sites. At its peak, the mine employed about 125 miners and the town supported about 500 people. [5] Paradoxically, the railroad was plagued by excessive water, flash floods frequently damaging the bridges and trestles. Before you enter Sego canyon, check out the cemetery, old house and the Sego Canyon Gap which are all located right next to each other. Get off exit 187 and go north through the tiny town of Thompson. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. The financial problems finally got so bad, that the miners reorganized under the United Mine Workers Union in 1933 and with the unions help, were finally paid regularly. A railroad was even built to connect Thompson Springs and Sego so the coal could more easily be delivered to the Denver and Rio Grande Western track. We're Matt & Cheryl, and we love traveling, especially in our awesome Rocky Mountains. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. all with their own water supply. 2WD was used for most of the trip, we kept following the trail up into the mountains and that's when things got dicey. We want to help you have a great vacation on your next trip to the Rockies. mine to a group of Salt Lake City investors. Today, the town is home to only a handful of residents. Thompson Springs is a very run-down town with abandoned and collapsed buildings. You can simply use your smart phone's GPS to find camping near you or even use our trip planner to plan your route from coast to coast. Utah's Sego Canyon Road: See Ancient Petroglyphs And A Ghost Town Take I-70 for 21.9 miles, take Exit 187 towards Thompson Springs and follow for 5 miles. Simply wait a minute and see if your GPS has acquired a signal. Ballard bought the land surrounding his find and Sego Canyon Petroglyphs and Ghost Town in 4K - YouTube To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Then, Sego caught on fire. I managed to find a house that was still partially standing. Cant Get a Reservation for Arches? access: 2wd Best of Sego More old structures Just north of I-70, tucked in the Book Cliffs is Sego Ghost Town. Join us on a journey through Sego Canyon to the ghost towns of Sego & Thompson Springs. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for those who want to explore the more remote areas of the canyon. Take exit 187 and drive north on the main road through the town of Thompson Springs. That bidder wasB.F. Bauer, who heard of the high quality find andbought out Ballards property. Sego Canyon - Utah Offroad Trail Sego continued to make people rich, but was plagued with problems. The exit toSegoCanyon is 25 miles east of Green River,Utahon I-70. Further in we came to a huge building that was the company store. On numerous occasions, the water table was so low; the coal washer could not be operated. Today, the area has several old foundations and wooden structures. Displaying cached listings. See the ancient rock art panels, learn about the history of the area, \u0026 experience the beauty and mystery of this incredible place.Tucked away north of Interstate 70 in Utah are several excellent and easy-to-access remnants of different generations throughout time. Exploring Utah's past! They also renamed the settlement Neslin, for the general manager of the American Fuel Company, Richard Neslin. There is a staging area for ATVs and UTVs just north of the pavement. 725 The Sego hotel skylight Doug Lynne on Flickr (Creative Commons) A boom. The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Delicate Arch, more Native American rock art close by on Potash Road, some amazing rock art in Horseshoe Canyon. SEGO CANYON - Trying to Find a Ghost Town - YouTube Then fire destroyed the tipple in 1949, and another serious fire the next year burned more equipment. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Theyd been anticipating a real-live ghost town all week, and they werent sure if they should be scared or not! These items will not appear on regional searches. The road gets more difficult, and this is where a high-clearance vehicle would be nice. The ramp and much of the grade, as well as three of the many single-span trestles crossing the wash, still exist, the first two miles being paved for use as an access road to Thompson's water supply. Plan to spend about 2 hours to visit both the rock art and ghost town combined with a little exploring on your own. Stone building, built into the mountainside Courtesy Dolores Steele Sego Cemetery Courtesy Dolores Steele When a road was built into the canyon in 1909, it required 13 bridges to get across the stream. [5] Neslen was a fairly typical company town, but in addition to building numerous company houses, mine owners took the unusual policy of allowing miners to build their own cabins wherever they chose. Sego Canyon, named after a lily native to the region, contains rock art from three different Native American cultures and a well-preserved ghost town. We hope you enjoy the same style of camping. Though preservation and restorationefforts are continual, unfortunately, there is quite a bit of graffiti and damage to the art. Sego has a history unlike any other Your respect will guarantee that future visitors will be able to continue to see these historic remains. Thompson Springs was founded in the late 1800s as a stopover for trains traveling through the area. Sego Canyon Rock Art: 54 Reviews, Map - Utah | AllTrails Sego, Utah is a ghost town which was occupied from about 1910 to the 1950s. 95 Main Street, Castle Dale Sego Canyon - History & Ancient History - Grand County, coal mining camp, a few crumbling buildings, mining remains, cemetery. Gas up your vehicle and head out to Sego Canyon for an afternoon adventure. See. Roadside Attraction Sego Ghost Town - Thompson - Road Trip Ryan There is only one road. 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A ghost town that held steady longer . Update May 2018:The only building left standing was the red rock building. Nestled in the east side of Utah, Sego Canyon is a hidden gem that offers visitors a glimpse into the area's rich cultural and geological history. We give you a simple, map based search engine to find free and cheap camping areas. 2023 Atlas Obscura. They were successful when they were able to purchase the equipment and property for $30,010. Freecampsites.net makes it easy. The coal was initially dug out manually and hauled down the narrow canyon by wagons. Picnic near Indian pictographs. It is fenced, so we didnt go in, but its not big enough to wander through anyway. This house is interesting because it has a cellar, a basement and even rock art (probably from the residents that lived here or from more recent times). Sego is a very interesting place that is full of history and cool things to explore. [5] American Fuel Company also developed the town, renamed Neslen during the railroad construction for the mine's new general manager, Richard Neslen. Visit. It is located about 15 minutes from Crescent Junction where you head down to Moab so this would be a very fun detour. 205 Want to Visit? Passenger service to Sego was almost nonexistent, although a small gas-mechanical railbus, which was owned by the coal company, was used for a short time. The water table was dropping, the creeks and springs drying up. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. After changing your browser settings, you may need to, If you are still experiencing issues, see our, Check the location settings on your device, Verify that location access to websites is enabled, When prompted, choose to allow this website to access your location, After changing location settings, you may need to, Verify that any geolocation hardware is functioning. Anton Flegar. That year, they secured electricity from Columbia, Utah, some 100 miles away at a cost of more than $100,000, placing more financial strain on the company. Once operations ceased, the use of the rail line also stopped. After about mile, the road forks, with the left fork headed into Thompson Canyon, and the right fork heading into Sego Canyon. When I-70 was built, Thompson Springs nearly died out. A few cars from the 40s are still recognizable, too. Make sure to remain on the designated routes, as this is a Wilderness Study Area. Green River is home to the John Wesley Powell Museum, a great place to learn about Canyonlands and early exploration of the West. You will pass the Sego Canyon Petroglyphs (make sure to stop), and then continue on to the Sego Canyon Ghost Town. The company store and a boarding house still partially stand in the center of town. There is an underground coal seam fire that is still burning. A man by the name of Henry Ballard found a vein of coal in Sego in 1908 and soon, mining operations were underway. Across the street the boarding house has recently collapsed. Been Here? Link to your blog post about this campsite. The road in starts out paved but quickly becomes a (fairly well maintained) gravel road. The train made 9 round trips a month to Sego from Thompson Springs. By sharing camping information freely, we can all spend less time researching campgrounds, spend less money, and more time camping. You will be prompted when enabling it. In Sego Canyon, the railroad played a crucial role in the establishment of the town and its coal mining industry. By 1947 production costs exceeded income, and the company decided to close down. Today, the remains of the town have almost all crumbled.