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About Grouse Creek
Northwestern Utah is characterized mainly by the deserts and salt flats of the Salt Lake Basin. One highway passes through this country on the north side of Great Salt Lake, Utah Highway 30, and it reveals a country as desolate as anywhere in America. Looking north from Grouse Creek Junction, it is nearly impossible to imagine a thriving community anywhere nearby. What was our surprise when we found a school, gas station, and a brand new Mormon church, along with dozens of houses at Grouse Creek, surrounded by green fields and majestic mountains.
Grouse Creek is nestled in a valley watered by a creek of the same name, in the extreme northwestern corner of Utah. It is close to the route which the California Trail followed. It is a true oasis in the desert, supplied with water from the nearby mountains. Grouse Creek Valley is long and fairly narrow. Hay fields fill the valley floor, while houses are scattered along the western slope. The community is spread out for a mile or two along a Grouse Creek Road. The road is paved through the town, but many miles of dirt road separate it from anywhere else. It is extremely remote, with a drive of more than an hour to any town of more than a few hundred people.
The first settlers of Grouse Creek were Valison and Alma C Tanner, brothers, who arrived here in 1875. The Kimber Ranch was established soon after by Charles and William Kimber, and in 1877 Isaac Kimber wrote a letter in the Deseret News about the settlement, which brought a number of new settlers.
A sign at each end of Grouse Creek welcomes you to the town, calling it "A place like no other."
The nearest highway is Utah Highway 30, several miles to the south. The elevation is 5,300 feet. No population figure is available for Grouse Creek, but it can't be more than a couple hundred.
Street Index
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a road Grouse Creek Road |