Range Creek

Range Creek, rising in the Book Cliffs in Emery County, Utah, is a high tributary of the Colorado River, effluent to the Price River near Price, Utah, an affluent of the Green River, a major affluent tributary of the Colorado. The creek flows year around.

It has been nominated for classification as a National Wild and Scenic River.

The Range Creek canyon has recently become publicized because of its pristine archaeological remains of the Fremont culture, a Native American archaeological culture that was geographically and chronologically adjacent to the Anasazi culture.

The land was owned by a cattle rancher by the name of Waldo Wilcox. He recognized the value of the remains that he saw with his own eyes, and protected it by erecting a gate with "no trespassing" signs on the only road in. In 2001 he sold the property to the State of Utah however retained the rights to any subsurface mineral and energy deposits. State archaeological authorities are developing a plan for carefully protecting and studying the cultural resources of Range Creek. Interest is high due to the undisturbed nature of the site.

ources

*Smithsonian, March 2006, "Secrets of the Range Creek Ranch", pp. 68-75.
* [http://www.greatoutdoors.com/published/general/news/thelostworldofrangecreek/ Great Outdoors site]
* [http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/range_creek/index.php State of Utah site]
* [http://www.utahrivers.org/wild_scenic/utah_map/green_river/range_creek.shtml Wild river status]
* [http://www.wildernessutah.com/adventure/rangecreek.html Wilderness Utah] "Finding History in Range Creek"