Box Elder Canyon (Box Elder County, Utah) facts for kids
Box Elder Canyon is a beautiful canyon located in the western part of the Wellsville Mountains. These mountains are a small part of the larger Wasatch Range, which is itself a branch of the huge Rocky Mountains. You can find Box Elder Canyon in the state of Utah, in the United States.
What is Box Elder Canyon?
This amazing canyon was formed a very long time ago by a prehistoric river. This river flowed into a massive ancient lake called Lake Bonneville. Today, the river's path comes out east of Brigham City, Utah.
The western entrance of Box Elder Canyon is about 56 miles (90 km) north of Salt Lake City, Utah. You can get there by taking Interstate 15 and then U.S. Route 91.
Two important national highways, U.S. Route 89 and U.S. Route 91, join together near Brigham City. They enter Box Elder Canyon about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the city center.
Box Elder Creek and Mantua Reservoir
Inside Box Elder Canyon, you'll find Box Elder Creek. This creek flows west from Mantua Reservoir. Mantua Reservoir is a medium-sized body of water created in 1961. It was formed by building an earthen dam at the upper end of the canyon. This dam is right next to the small farming town of Mantua. Locals pronounce Mantua as "Man-a-way."
From Mantua, the U.S. Route 89 and U.S. Route 91 highways enter another area called Dry Canyon. They travel through Dry Canyon for about 3 miles (4.8 km). After that, the combined routes reach their highest point at Sardine Summit, which is 5,981 feet (1,823 m) high.
From Sardine Summit, the highway goes into a mountain valley known as Dry Lake. Then, it crosses through Wellsville Canyon. Many people incorrectly call this "Sardine Canyon." Finally, the highway enters the Cache Valley near the town of Wellsville.
Images for kids
-
Travelling northward along US 89 near the summit of the canyon
