In late May we were able to spend time in small, but mighty, Morgan County. What a special place! Morgan is essentially the back door to four counties with much larger populations (Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Summit). By contrast, Morgan County has around 12 thousand residents, is rural, pristine and quiet.
At the heart of Morgan County, is the city of Morgan, where half the county’s residents live. One of the highlights is the commercial area along Front Street which faces the railroad tracks. Many of the buildings here are historic, and feature locally-owned retail shops and restaurants. The town’s old train station just reopened to the public for the first time in decades following a massive restoration effort. Visitors can now step inside and easily imagine buying a train ticket at the counter, and waiting on heated, wooden benches for the old “iron horses”. This attraction is worth a visit to Morgan, alone.
Several events are planned for the summer and fall, including rodeos, festivals and a Fourth of July celebration which will include a parade, a visit from the famous steam engine train known as “Big Boy”, and the annual Morgan Chamber Cardboard Regatta Race! Yes, really. Locals craft ships from cardboard, float the river (if they can stay afloat) and compete for prizes. This unique, homegrown event gets bigger every year.
The Utah Office of Tourism’s Community and Partner Relations team was able to meet with several tourism partners including Morgan City Mayor Steve Gale, and County Commissioner Blaine Fackrell. Both understand the need to foster authentic, sustainable tourism, sharing some of what Morgan County has to offer, without compromising the quiet nature of their community.
Projects in the works include careful developments in and around East Canyon State Park which will allow for more camping, and a future star-gazing village with a structure in the center which will serve as an observatory and education center. Property to the north of the park which was privately owned has also recently been acquired by the state with goals of preserving greenspace and providing the public access for hiking, camping, and other low-impact uses. Commissioner Fackrell was heavily involved in this acquisition, and put a lot of thought into re-imagining how the public can both preserve and interact with the land.
One of Morgan County’s greatest assets is the Weber River which flows through the county from east to west through a beautiful canyon full of rock formations, greenery, and wildlife.
We had the honor of meeting with Dawna Zukirmi, the owner of Destination Sports and Adventures who offers a variety of guided outdoor adventures, including rafting trips on the Weber River. She took us on an unforgettable float down a portion of the river. There were a few thrilling rapids, two red rock arches (yes, in Northern Utah!) that came into view, a unique view of the rock-finned “Devils Slide” geological feature. A blue heron even made its presence known and seemingly escorted our raft down the river for a time. When most people think of rafting in Utah, the Green and Colorado Rivers are most likely what come to mind, but this adventure -so close to Utah’s major population centers- is not to be missed.
It’s also worth noting that Dawna Zukirmi is exactly the kind of guide and owner any community would love to have. She grew up in Morgan, moved away for several years to pursue professional and educational opportunities, and ultimately settled back in her hometown, buying the guide business she once worked for. Nine years into owning the company, she rolls all of her experience, knowledge, and care into each guest experience. She’s a great example of how tourism done right can protect and preserve our natural assets while also providing jobs and tax revenue in rural areas.
Read more of our Partner Highlights on the road here.