Nations of the Four Corners
Cultural Center
Personal Notes
This page presents our personal notes on our visit to the Nations of the Four Corners Cultural Center in Blanding, Utah.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
3:42 p.m.
From Westwater Canyon we drove back into Blanding to the El Canon Hiking Trail, at GPS Coordinates (NAD83): 37 37.161N; 109 29.404W. The trailhead has a large sign and a large parking area, both just north of the Heritage Center.
The description of the trails in the printed materials seemed very clear, but almost right away we got lost among the many paths leading through the area. There was no Kokopelli sign pointing the way, as was described, and the designated trail seemed to fade in and out. Eventually we came to an intersections with another prominent trail., so we turned south, toward the Heritage Center, and continued on that way until we followed our instincts and took a left fork in the trail and found ourselves, as we’d hoped, within the Heritage Center trail system. There they have a variety of primitive and historic dwellings scattered among the sage, juniper, and pinyon. They are well done and interesting to see.
There are several cross trails in this area, and it would be a pleasant place to walk if you lived nearby. All of the trails seem to lead up to the top of the main hill, where there is a replica of a watch tower (see the above photo) that can be climbed and used as an observation deck to view the surrounding countryside, including much of the town of Blanding and the upper portions of Westwater Canyon. There are also historic wagons and farm implements around the pioneer cabin area.
4:34 p.m.
We finished up our little hike and headed back to the motel.
