Garfield County Rocks & Minerals

Stibnite is the most common ore found in Garfield County. In 1880, Indians first found Antimony in the form of Stibnite.  They tried to use it as lead because that's what they thought it was.  Stibnite usually contains small bits of iron, silver and gold.  The surface parts are usually dark colored.

Conglomerate is a Sedimentary Rock. It is a well rounded gravel that is made of clay and sand. It is held together by other natural cementing agents.

There is a place called Wolverine Petrified Wood Area in Garfield County.  There are large amounts of petrified wood just laying around there.  The wood was formed by forests that grew in swampy marshes. Over time, thousands of layers of rock buried the trees and they became petrified.

Climate In Garfield County

*Garfield County gets 11 in. of rain per year. That's not much not much compared to the U.S average which is 37 in. per year.

*Garfield County gets 27 in. of snowfall per year the U.S average is 25 in.per year. The average low temperature in January is 12.8 degrees.










*Garfield County gets 255 sunny days per year. The average high temperature in July is 85.6 degrees.











*The elevation of Garfield County is 6,801 feet above sea level.

Ute Indians in Garfield County

*Native Ute Indians inhabited the Garfield County area in earlier days. Some Ute people still live in this area today.


*These Indians lived in small groups and hunted and gathered for their food. They hunted small game and deer, buffalo, and elk. Seeds, fruits, and roots were gathered by the women.  The Spanish thought it was disgusting that the Utes sometimes ate insects, such as grasshoppers.  But, the Utes thought that when the Spanish ate eggs, it was disgusting.









*When the Utes hunted, they used bows and arrows.  While fighting, the men used their war spears and hide shields.  They also fired their arrows.








*Storytelling was a Ute specialty.  Fairy tales and legends, like the one about a man-eating monster, were a traditional part of Ute culture. 

*Ute Indians were very creative and did things like basket weaving, pottery, and bead work.

Garfield County Waterways

          


            The Sevier River
The Sevier River is one river found in Garfield County. Many people enjoy the rapids for short river rafting trips.
The Sevier River gets water from the high plateaus.Then it ends in the Great Basin in a dead -end lake.














Escalante River
Another river in Garfield County is the Escalante River. It carries water from lots of creeks and washes and brings it to the Colorado River-Lake Powell.

Garfield County Map

Garfield County is located in the middle, southern part of Utah.  It's county seat is Panguitch.  Some of the major cities in Garfield County are Escalante, Panguitch, Bryce, and Boulder.  It is 5,158 square miles and it's population 2,900,872.