Fantasy Canyon, Utah
      The official name of this area administered by the Bureau of Land Management is "Fantasy Canyon", although it is in no way a canyon. The formation covers only a relatively small area-perhaps less than an acre. It is part of a larger area designated as "The Devil's Playground" on U.S. Geological Survey maps. It consists of uplifted sandstone, siltstone, and shale originally deposited from a large lake (Lake Uinta) during the Eocene Epoch (38 to 50 million years ago). Different rates of erosion of these deposits has resulted in formations so fantastic it is a miracle they have not been destroyed or eroded away long ago.
      The area is located about 27 miles south of Vernal, Utah. Anyone planning on visiting the area should stop at the Vernal District Office of the BLM located in Vernal at 170 South, 500 East St. to obtain directions and a map. When the author and his wife visited in 1996, there were some deep gullies in the road near the formation in which one could get stuck; and Red Wash which must be crossed was filled with running water over the hubcaps on the Scout. Most of the road, however is either paved or graded gravel. The photographs were taken either by the author or his wife.
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