Pine Lake and Antimony

It was Halloween, I didn’t find any events in the area so Keith and I decided to head out for a drive. A small part of me was hoping to find a ghost town as a last-ditch effort to connect the adventure to Halloween. We didn’t find a ghost town per se, but we did find remote areas that were fun to explore.

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Pine Lake

Pine Lake is along the route to Antimony.  It features a small campground (17 sites) with access to the lake for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout. Horseback riding and hiking are also popular in the area. Off-road trails are plentiful, but off-road vehicles are not permitted in the campground.

I am so glad we got to see this beautiful lake! We walked on the footpath from the campground to the lake.  It was the perfect way to stretch our legs and let Lexi move a bit. There was no one around which was a little eerie, but peaceful at the same time.

Widtsoe and Antimony

The next stop on our route wasn’t a stop at all.  We found what is left of the small town of Widtsoe.  A couple of old buildings, along with some newer homes were all that we saw along the dirt road.  We weren’t sure if we were in the right place.  After rereading some information, the town was abandoned in 1936 with only 17 families remaining.  I would guess maybe half are still there now.  It was Halloween and I was looking for a possible ghost town. The area was very empty, but I did not get the vibe of a ghost town.  There wasn’t a place to stop so we turned around and headed back out to the main road toward Antimony.

Antimony, UT might be the smallest town I’ve ever been in! This old mining town is 10 square miles with a population of 122 people. We saw a small fire department with a picnic area, a tiny school, and a general store. I read that Antimony is known for its 4th of July fireworks display, which consists of three bottle rockets and free sparklers for everyone over the age of 3. Can you imagine? We are from a small town, but this was on another level.  This small community really piqued my interest. I even googled their school to learn more about it.  As a former teacher, I was shocked to find that it has a staff of 6 and it appears the whole school eats together at two cafeteria tables! It was fascinating to think about what life would be like here.

Otter Creek State Park

Finally, Otter Creek State Park was along our route.  The park closes for the winter and it was getting dark so we weren’t able to check it out adequately.  I read that the park is great for camping, hunting, off-roading, bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, etc. and the reservoir is known for quality fishing.