Dave and Jan returned to camping early in May at a dispersed camping sight close to the Duncan Springs trailhead not far from Cedar City. The trailhead is located along a little-traveled dirt road which goes to the small residential community of Pinto. The trailhead is located across the road from the Lion’s Mouth historic site where there are some rock drawings in a cave-like hollow left by some of the Native Americans who have lived in the region for many years. Dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management land is allowed in Utah at no cost, so it was an inexpensive camping outing.

A Thursday evening walk across the road from the campsite up the trail to Lion’s Mouth provided scenes of evening’s glow on some of the rocky terrain which is characteristic of the area, as well as views of the iron mining areas north of highway 56 which gives Iron County its name.

The tree-bordered line of train cars along the bottom of the picture are used for shipping iron.

Fridays on Dave and Jan’s three-day camping outings are typically the day for hiking, so they stepped through the unidentified trailhead gateway for a hike they only knew about because of a U.S. Forest Service map of the area which identified the trail few people know about as the Duncan Springs Trail.

The trail passes through a forest of Pinyon Pine and Juniper trees which are typical of the area.

Looking west as the trail ascended the view included the reservoir just south of the town of Newcastle.

Just exactly where Duncan Springs is located is not clear, but its influence is evident for some distance.

There were a variety of spring flowers at various places along the trail of around five miles each way.

Though it was soon time to turn around and head back, there were still more mountains to the southeast of the Duncan Springs trail – accessible from various trailheads west of I-15.

A restful spot of green along the stream served well as a good stop for a welcome picnic lunch.

The hike back down the mountain provided views of the vast mountainous expanses to the west.

Dave and Jan are very happy to be able to enjoy camping outings at no cost (except for the cost of operating the car and the trailer) in what seems like a very remote location only twenty or twenty five miles from home! Living in Utah – which U.S. News and World Report has said for the past two years is the best place to live in America – has been a very pleasant experience for which they are very grateful to the Lord. As the Psalmist David put it in Psalm 16:6 – “the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.”