Willard Bay State Park Opens After A Year's Clean-Up

The North Marina at Willard Bay State Park is re-opening, after being closed for a year because of an oil pipeline leak. Official ceremonies will be held Saturday, so the park will definitely be open for Memorial Day weekend. But we hear the gate is already down and visitors are utilizing park facilities, which include a campground, picnic area, beach and boat ramp.

During the closure, improvements were made to trails and wildlife habitat.

The Deseret News has this article about the park. Here's a quote:

(Park Manager) Morgan assures wary guests they have nothing to worry about. Utah's Division of Water Quality has tested the water for safety hazards and has determined it's clean.

Cleanup crews have worked since March 2013 to reinvent the bay after a Chevron diesel pipeline burst, spilling 600 barrels of fuel.

Extreme Adventure In St. George

I'm not quite sure what to make of this article, which touts St. George as a destination for extreme sports. The article provides cursory info on a few activities, without providing much meat. Still, some might find it interesting. It recommends:

Mountain biking

• Gooseberry Mesa
• Zen Trail
• Barrel Trail

Hiking Canyoneering

• Gardner Peak Trail
• Pine Creek Canyon

Competitions

• Distance Runs
• Ironman 70.3

13 crazy rock formations across the U.S

And this one caught my eye. It lists 13 crazy rock formations, although I'm not quite sure how some fit into that characterization. Utah attractions on the list:

• Goblin Valley State Park
• The whole of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

"Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument is Utah's other rock star. This enormous, 1.7 million acre property offers hikes to spectacular formations like Metate Arch in Devil's Garden and the Wahweap Hoodoos, slender, ghostly rocks that can reach several stories high. For a short and easy hike, try the Toadstools Trail to see special white, beige and red hoodoos formed by large boulders perched above softer, eroded rock. They give new meaning to the term 'magic mushrooms.'"