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!
