The San Rafael Swell can be thought of as a "swell" or "uplifted bump" on the surface of the earth. The exhibit below helps a visitor see the unusual landscape in a three dimensional model:
Over time, the effects of wind, water, volcanic activity, floods, and temperature extremes, caused the "swell" we look at today, to be full of structures with varying heights, shapes, and composition.
On numerous trips through Utah, I have driven through the section of Interstate 70 that bisects the San Rafael Swell. The red line in the three dimensional model represents Interstate 70.
The photo below shows the divided highway snaking through the jagged cliffs of the Spotted Wolf Canyon, onto the desert floor. The construction of the Utah portion of I-70 is listed as one of the engineering marvels of the Interstate Highway System. As a two-lane route, Utah's I-70 was dedicated in 1970; but, the divided highway we use today was not fully completed until 1990. Most of the area designated as a part of the San Rafael Swell is within Emery County in Utah, and you can access the Emery County Travel Bureau at www.sanrafaelcountry.com
When I visited this overlook in July, 2021, I saw people exploring on the cliffs below the parking lot, and I wanted to do the same! However, I decided it was not wise to take off down the mountainside alone.
My son is used to rock climbing, so I waited to do my exploring until he was with me!
There are placards at the various I-70 overlooks, that tell stories about the history of this unusual area:
The Head of Sinbad is one of the best preserved ancient pieces of rock art in the world. It sits unassumingly on a wall a dozen feet off the ground, in the desert wasteland of the northern San Rafael Swell. Thousands of cars pass nearby every day, but most people do not know these examples of ancient art, lie just a few miles north of the paved highway. The whole area around the anthropomorphic pictographs is named Head of Sinbad.
Ghost Rock is a pinnacle along I-70 within the San Rafael Swell. The legend says a cowboy on a foggy morning saw the top of the pinnacle protruding from a bed of fog, and thinking it appeared ghostly, dubbed it "Ghost Rock".
The name "San Rafael" relates to Saint Raphael, who is considered the patron saint of healing. He is considered the special angel of apothecaries---meaning nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and others who minister to the sick. Since both my son and I chose careers in healthcare, we could be included in that group! Here is a photo a kind tourist took of us, as we started our trek across the rock outcropping:
I was thankful to be making a return visit to this area, so my son could evaluate the feasibility of various routes I wanted to explore. In this photo, he is studying the rock composition, to evaluate its suitability for various types of rock climbing:
Although I am not a rock climber, I like to pretend!
The rocks here are full of cracks, that beg to be photographed!
Some of the cracks can even serve as a "chair" of sorts!
No visit to a place this amazing, is complete without a gesture of gratitude with my arms uplifted!
There are numerous layers to the landscape that make up the San Rafael Swell:
Just as this ceiling banner covers all the different rock layers of the San Rafael Swell model that is below it, so God's love covers all the different parts of our planet Earth. And, it is God's love that needs to bind together all the various attributes (virtues) that Christians strive for. I am using this concept as the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:14
Besides providing a visual aid for my memory verse, this trip was a wonderful time to "bind together" with my son (aka "family bonding time"), as we enjoyed the beauty of God's creation!
That is why a visit to Utah's San Rafael Swell, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!
Over time, the effects of wind, water, volcanic activity, floods, and temperature extremes, caused the "swell" we look at today, to be full of structures with varying heights, shapes, and composition.
The photo below shows the divided highway snaking through the jagged cliffs of the Spotted Wolf Canyon, onto the desert floor. The construction of the Utah portion of I-70 is listed as one of the engineering marvels of the Interstate Highway System. As a two-lane route, Utah's I-70 was dedicated in 1970; but, the divided highway we use today was not fully completed until 1990. Most of the area designated as a part of the San Rafael Swell is within Emery County in Utah, and you can access the Emery County Travel Bureau at www.sanrafaelcountry.com
