Explore the Historic Mineral Mountains at the Beaver Jamboree

The dates are set for the Beaver County Trails ATV/UTV Jamboree in Beaver, Utah. Trying to squeeze between the volatile weather of spring and Memorial Day weekend, the jamboree will open on the 16^th of May and close with a BBQ dinner on the 19^th. Jammed in-between is more fun than a person ought to be allowed to have.

 

Beaver Is Situated Between Two Mountain Ranges

Beaver is situated right between the lofty Tusher Mountains on the east and the mysterious Mineral Mountains on the west. The trails connect with other trail systems that will have you riding until the cows come home.

 

Fees Packed with Value

Fees for this event are $125 and include two dinners, an ice cream social, a jamboree T-shirt, a ticket for some big prizes at a drawing on Friday night, and a card for the poker run on Friday. Opening day on Wednesday is considered a day for travel, gathering, checking in, and picking up your jamboree packets.

 

ATV Community Welcome in Beaver

The success of this jamboree rides on the support of the county and the city of Beaver. The pandemic shut down the Third Annual Beaver County Trails ATV Jamboree in 2020, but the travel council wanted to bring commerce to local businesses. In its place, they held the Beaver County Adventure Days. There was no charge to the riders, no meals, no T-shirts, and no prizes. The riders brought their business and got a taste of some of the best trails in the state. The ATV community did not forget this and while there is time to register – this event is filling up fast.

 

Jamboree Opens with Dinner at the County Fairgrounds

The fun begins with a ride to the County Fairgrounds near Minersville for a meet and greet over a Dutch oven dinner. The rides are guided by the Tusher Mountain ATV Club and will begin on Thursday morning.

 

The Rides Are the Reason to Go

New rides are being offered along with the old favorites. Here is a sample of what you have to choose from:

 

Cricket Mountains

I have been to these mountains, but it was a long time ago. The ride goes through ancient valleys of sedimentary rock formations, caves, mineral springs, and other geological features. I would like to revisit these trails with someone who knows more about them.

 

Bear Valley

This ride features a beautiful trail through the Dixie National Forest. The route will take riders through Buckskin Valley and into Cottonwood Canyon with its rocky precipices and scenic aspen stands. The views are worth the ride.

 

The Rock Corral Loop

This trail showcases the granite peaks of the Mineral Mountains. The images of a circus bear and dinosaur were pointed out as we traveled through large granite monoliths along the route. One special point of interest was the Indian rock paintings, which are very unique and different from typical petroglyphs.

The Granite Reservoir is passed on this ride. It is a natural pool tucked high in the jagged rocks of the Mineral Mountains. A hike of about 20 minutes will bring you to the edge of these pristine waters.

 

Parowan Gap

This ride will cross over the Bald Ridges south of Beaver and down Cottonwood Wash into the Parowan Valley. There will be a stop at Kane Springs passing by the Little Salt Lake. There will also be a stop to look at dinosaur tracks in the ancient sandstone rocks. Finally, the focus of this ride is the famous petroglyphs located at the Parowan Gap. These ancient markings were made by native people of the area as well as Spanish explorers passing through. Later markings were left by pioneers.

 

Frisco Kilns

The historic charcoal kilns are an important and interesting feature of this ride. The trailhead is west of Milford and the trail follows old mining roads as it winds through miles of junipers before arriving at the ghost town of Frisco. Charcoal was important to the process of smelting silver deposits mined in the area back in the 1870s. I enjoyed exploring these mining relics.

 

Picture Rock

This trail goes into the Tushar Mountains and crosses over Tanner Mountain to the base of Mount Baldy. Then it crosses over Tanner Mountain and up Twitchell Canyon where Indian Creek flows. We crossed Indian Creek many times before coming to the Picture Rock Quarry where we picked up shale rocks with intricate designs resembling art pieces. We had lunch by the peaceful waters of Manderfield Reservoir in a beautiful forest setting.

When you go, take plenty of water and keep the rubber side down. Find registration information and ride descriptions at RamblersUtah.com. I will see you there.