When you start low, you can only go higher. There's something so very liberating about that--about…read moreknowing that you're as low as you're going to get--and that no matter what step you take forward, you're going to stumble higher.
Beaver Dam Wash, besides being a small but relatively unknown national conservation area in the southwest corner of the state, also holds the state's low point. There's some disagreement on just how low that point is (I find most sources say it's 2350ft, but a geologist with the USGS was in the local paper many years ago saying it's probably more like 2178ft). No one disagrees that it's here in the wash, however.
It's also Utah's hottest point, so let's get the safety talk about of the way now: come prepared. The thriving metropolis of Shivwits, UT doesn't exactly have a 24-hour big box store, so if you're going to make the trek all the way out here, fuel up in St. George (and maybe pack an extra canister) and bring all the water, food, and supplies you'll need. Ya, it's technically not too far at all from St. George, but when you get out there running those dirt roads it starts to feel a little bit lonesome, and you'll want to give yourself the freedom to explore, too.
You'll want to explore, but it's not the most hospitable territory. You don't have any recreation facilities, at least that I saw. This is a national conservation area, not a national recreation area. The landscape is mostly brush and there are Joshua trees out this far, and you've got 60,000-plus acres to stretch out. Mostly it's about the dirt roads that wind and twist and turn and lead over through Arizona and Nevada. All motor vehicles must remain on designated roads, and not all roads are designated for OHVs or motor travel. Do your homework and get a map. Note that it's probably equally as popular to access this from the Arizona side, by going to Littlefield, AZ and heading north on the road out of Beaver Dam (HWY 91) and later it turns to a high clearance 4WD situation when you head back west into the wash.
So, what's out here, really? Well, there's a neat confluence of different landscapes, so you get this funky variety of brush, Joshua trees, bighorn sheep, and other flora/fauna that are coming together. It's not in-your-face amazeballs, but if you're quiet and know what you're looking for, it's really something simple and special. Get out on foot and walk around. Just don't do it in the summer. It's extreme weather and totally inhospitable.
I wish I could spend a lot of time here. Not too, too much... but sometimes you have to get low to appreciate the highs.
