Searching for and finding, precious and semi-precious gemstones is known as rock hounding. You can often go rock hounding on almost any public land (some national parks limit what you can remove.) In addition to gemstones, you can also extract reasonable amounts of invertebrate fossils and petrified wood. In many ways, rock hounding is like prospecting except that you are not allowed to sell the specimens you find without a permit. Rock hounding can be a fun activity to share with family and friends. We, at the Lodge at Red River Ranch, have compiled a short list of the top places people go rock hounding in Southern Utah. Read More

There are many wonderful places to visit in Southern Utah. Some are well known – such as Zion National Park – and some are local secrets. One of the places that most tourists never visit is Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. The Petrified Forest Located near the town of Escalante, in Garfield County. It encompasses 1,300 acres of Southern Utah desert and offers the visitor a chance to explore ancient fossils, both from pant and animals – including dinosaurs. Read More