Dixie in Utah



Entering Utah's Dixie National Forest

 While on a recent road trip through Utah I was delighted to discover that some of the most scenic landscapes in the Beehive State are called Dixie.  Early settlers in Utah gave that endearing name to the warm southern part of their state.  

Established in the early 1900's, Dixie National Forest spreads across almost two million acres of southern Utah, stretching for about 170 miles, making it the largest national forest in the state. 

The beautiful Dixie landscape varies from 2,800 feet above sea level near St. George, Utah to 11,322 feet at Blue Bell Knoll on Boulder Mountain. Much of the Forest is actually desert, but there are also millions of acres of green - pine and juniper dominating the mid-elevations with aspen, pine, spruce and fir in the higher reaches of the forest.  The southern rim of the Great Basin, near the Colorado River, provides spectacular vistas of multi-colored cliffs and steep-walled gorges.

My hat is off to the good folks of Utah who, more than a century ago, named one of the most beautiful parts of their state for the place I hold dearest of all - Dixieland.   

Utah's Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest
"A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway", between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.