Bullion Falls

May 1, 2015 - HIKE

This weeks hike will put more miles on your car than on your boots, but the drive is scenic and there are tons of other great attractions on the East side of the Tushars in Piute County.  Here’s some suggested adventures to plan ahead for so you’re investment in time and fuel is better spent.  Off I-70 exit 17 is Fremont Indian State Park.  The geology alongside the Sevier River is fascinating with striking colors like at Big Rock Candy Mtn.  If you take bicycles there is a sweet ride on a paved railroad grade where you can inspect the weird green and purple rock formations for yourself.  There are river rafting companies for the Sevier River which can have lots of white water in May and June. We love to eat at Hoover’s for lunch between activities or dinner on the way home.  The town of Marysvale has a rich mining history which you can learn about by picking up a “Canyon of Gold Driving Tour” guidebook at the Forest Service boundary in Bullion Canyon.  Just a quarter mile beyond today’s trail head is Miner’s Park which has picnicking on Pine Creek and the most outstanding interpretive display I've ever seen.  It showcases old fashion mining equipment and tools of the trade from the 1800’s and early 1900’s.  The fully restored cabin is authentically decorated with furniture, food and clothing.  The Antiquities Act protects all this stuff under Federal Law, so take only photographs. Private property and mining claims are all over the canyon, so please read and respect all signs.

So you see, there is so much cool stuff out there I get distracted, and my article is about hiking!  So on to an awesome short hike to a raging 60 foot waterfall! Did you even know there is a 60 foot waterfall in the Tushar’s that is easy to get to?  I’m talking about Bullion Falls along the 074 trail.  All the runoff water from Mount Delano’s north side gets pinched by a box canyon of gray rock and at the mouth of this deep narrow ravine the water spews over a tall quartzite cliff.    Even though ATV’s are allowed up 80% of this route, I suggest starting at the bridge and walking the whole 1.5 miles to the falls.  It means more at the view point when you’ve earned it, and May is National Physical Fitness month - so get going!  I would allow two hours round trip hiking time to check out Bullion Falls.  Keep in mind the 074 trail goes on for miles, clear up to the Big John’s Flat road (FR123), so if you need a challenge just keep hiking.  You may even be tempted to summit Mount Belknap from this trail like I did back in 2005, (I was backpacking for two days, so not really a dayhike)  which was a big reason I wanted to relocate to Beaver in 2010.  This canyon changed my life, hopefully it will inspire you as well.

Check your tires and oil and load up the family!  From Beaver drive like you’re going to Richfield, exit off I-70 onto 89 South. Marysvale town is at MM 180 where you’ll turn west on Center St. and at the top of Center St., veer left on Bullion Canyon Road, which is paved for 2 more miles.  Then the next 3.5 miles is dirt which gets steeper and narrow, so drive carefully! The one and only bridge across pine creek is where to park and find the signs for Bullion Falls via Trail 074.  The actual Miners Park Trailhead is one mile up stream where the ATV’s must stop, but as you walk up through historic mine dumps and cabins imagine how it looked in its heyday with 1600 people.   

Here is some advice on footwear; even though young kids can summit peaks in flip flops, I don’t recommend it.  All footwear choices come with trade offs.  Sneakers, are light and may give you agility, but if there are stream crossings or puddles, you’ll have wet feet.  I usually wear my 8” high leather boots because they’re waterproof, keep seeds, sand and rocks out, and with full length pants and gaiters, you’re unstoppable; the trade off, they’re hot and heavy.  So there’s not one perfect shoe for all hiking, versatility is key and it’s not unheard of to pack two styles of footwear and switch up as necessary.  Whatever you put on your feet, I just want you to point them “Into the Tushars”.