Parowan, Utah, offers recreation, historical attractions

Set in a beautiful valley at the base of the high, forested Markagunt Plateau, Parowan, Utah, provides access to year-round recreation and scenic splendor just three hours' drive from Las Vegas. The appealing little town offers attractions of its own worth pausing to explore before heading for the high country.

To reach Parowan, drive north on Interstate 15 into Utah. Parowan lies 20 miles north of Cedar City about 190 miles from Las Vegas. After turning off the freeway, head east for a couple of miles to reach the southern outskirts of town. Turn left to cruise the main street with its charming business district, handsome vintage buildings and historical attractions.

Known as the Mother Town of Southern Utah, Parowan became the first settlement in the area in 1851 when Mormon pioneers arrived. Parties of colonists fanned out from there to establish settlements throughout the region, including little Paragonah located just four miles to the north. The frontier community enjoyed a lush setting in a well-watered valley suitable for farming and stock raising. The Mormons scouted the area for resources like timber and iron ore.

Parowan boasts many surviving structures from the early days, including a few original adobe homes, log cabins and buildings of stone and brick. One of the earliest adobe homes, a restored two-story residence built in 1857, serves today as the Jesse N. Smith Museum. It sits across the street from the 1863 Rock Church, a chapel and meeting house on the town square that now houses a museum. The first doctor arrived in Southern Utah in 1865. Dr. Priddy Meeks built a log structure to house his family and office, which now serves as a museum located north of Center Street.

Ancient cultures lived in a series of small villages throughout the valley. They farmed in the valley, hunted in the high country and traveled seasonally to gather pine nuts and other native foods. They left many signs of their existence, including fascinating petroglyphs in a natural pass located 12 miles west of Parowan at Parowan Gap. To reach this prehistoric site, follow 400 North Street west and go under I-15 on the Parowan Gap Road.

The glyphs at Parowan Gap lean more toward geometric designs than naturalistic figures of animals and people. Study of the site reveals those early Fremont people charted the movement of the sun, recording on stone 180 days between summer and winter solstices and devising an accurate calendar of months 45 days long. Information on-site explains the meaning of some of the petroglyphs.

Parowan sits astride Highway 143, a designated scenic byway. Followed the whole route, it ends up in Panguitch on U.S. 89, but it connects to several other roads worthy of exploration. Follow 143 south from Parowan five miles to the turnoff to Vermillion Castle, a popular scenic area featuring brilliantly colored cliffs and eroded "hoodoos." Locals favor the picnic area and campground within Dixie National Forest at this beautiful spot open mid-May to mid-October. Hikers find trailheads nearby, while anglers fish the creeks and reservoirs of the area.

The part of the byway most familiar to many Southern Nevadans climbs through gorgeous Parowan Canyon about 15 miles to the ski area developed at the town of Brian Head. In winter, snows close the byway beyond the ski area. The village and ski area take their names from nearby Brian Head Peak, at 11,300 feet the highest point on the plateau. Beyond the ski area, just off the byway, a short side road and pathway take visitors to a roofed pavilion at Brian Head that commands sweeping views, particularly rewarding in the coming fall color season.

Highway 143 accesses spectacular Cedar Breaks National Monument, open during snow-free months. Late summer wildflowers still brighten meadows there. Trees start to color up within a couple of weeks, peaking within the first two weeks of October, if early frosts don't get them first. Fall color enthusiasts suggest visitors continue on the byway toward Panguitch Lake, but turn off on the Mammoth Creek Road for splendid color scenes. This road connects with U.S. 89 near Hatch or with Highway 14 near Duck Creek for a scenic return to Cedar City.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.