Gunlock State Park

Gunlock State Park
Utah State Park
Country  United States
State  Utah
County Washington
Location Gunlock
 - elevation 3,600 ft (1,097 m) [1]
 - coordinates 37°15′13″N 113°47′4″W / 37.25361°N 113.78444°W / 37.25361; -113.78444Coordinates: 37°15′13″N 113°47′4″W / 37.25361°N 113.78444°W / 37.25361; -113.78444
Area 548.5 acres (222 ha) [2]
Founded 1970 [1]
Management Utah State Parks
Visitation 55,912 (2011) [3]
IUCN category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Location of Gunlock State Park in Utah

Gunlock State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, adjoining a 266-acre (108 ha) reservoir.[2] The park is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of St George. The reservoir dam was constructed in 1970 for irrigation water and flood control.[1]

Gunlock State Park is a primitive area; there are no facilities. The park offers camping, swimming, boating, and fishing. The park and reservoir are named after the nearby community of Gunlock. The town was named after William "Gunlock Will" Hamblin, its first settler.[2] Hamblin was a Mormon pioneer born in Ohio who settled in the area in 1857. Gunlock Will was a good hunter and sharpshooter, and was skillful in repairing gunlocks, which are the firing mechanisms for muzzleloaders.[1]

The county road to the park is the Old Spanish Trail used by horsemen and raiders from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California from the 1820s until 1849, when the gold fields of California became the destination and a shorter route was taken.[1]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the website of the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation.

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gunlock State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  2. 1 2 3 "Gunlock State Park Resource Management Plan" (PDF). State of Utah Natural Resources: Division of Parks and Recreation. October 2006. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  3. "Utah State Park 2011 Visitation" (PDF). Utah State Parks Planning. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
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