East Region, UT Land for Sale

Utah's East region encompasses the eastern part of the state, bordering Wyoming to the north, Colorado to the east and Arizona to the south. The largest city in the region is Vernal, with less than 10,000 people, and other larger cities are Price and Moab. Lake Powell borders the region, a reservoir on the Colorado River, the second largest man-made reservoir by water capacity in the country.

The region's economy is based on extracting natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, phosphate and uintaite (Gilsonite). Tourism also plays a role with many popular areas for outdoor enthusiasts, such as fishing, fly fishing, hunting, camping and other outdoor activities. There are also many sites of ancient dinosaur fossil, and Old West towns and historical places. The highest areas of employment in the region are construction and extraction, office and administrative support, transportation and material moving and food preparation and serving-related industry. Higher education institutions in the region include University of Utah Eastern in Price, University of Utah- Uintah Basin with campuses in Vernal and Roosevelt, and University of Utah-Southeastern in Moab.

There are more than 15 national and state protected areas in the region. Canyonlands National Park has a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones. Arches National Park preserves over two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. Dead Horse Point State Park is one of Utah's most spectacular state parks, with panoramic views from 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area features deep blue water under the gorge's red, steep walls, a serene place for fishing, boating, camping and hiking. Dinosaur National Monument has famous dinosaur fossils and remote areas to explore. Other protected areas are Ashley National Forest, Starvation State Park, with a 3,500-acre reservoir with fishing, boating, campsites and sandy beach, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Big Sand State Park, Steinaker State Park, Sweet Ranch National Historic Site, Browns Park National Wildlife Reservoir, Archers National Park, Manti-La Sal National Forest, Monument Valley State Park, Goosenecks of the San Juan River State Park and Edge of the Cedars State Park. Some other points of interest in the region include Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, with the densest concentration of Jurassic fossils every found, including the oldest fossilized egg, Dry Fork Canyon, Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway, Indian Canyon Scenic Byway, Mirror Lake, Nine Mile Canyon, featuring hundreds of petroglyphs etched into the boulders and cliffs, Sheep Creek Canyon Geological Area and Utah Field House of Natural History State Park.

Duchesne County is located in the northern part of Utah's East region. The northern part of the county includes the Uinta Mountains, with the highest natural point in Utah, Kings Peak. Roosevelt is the largest city and Duchesne is the county seat. Myton is another city in the county, and there are nearly 15 other towns census-designated places and unincorporated communities. Duchesne County's economy is based primarily on the livestock industry, but is also rich in oil and natural gas. Other agricultural products are alfalfa and hay. Ashley National Forest, Wasatch National Forest and Starvation State Park and Starvation Reservoir, and Big Sand State Park are in the county. The county is known for its big game hunting, with mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear and mountain lion are common animals observed in the county. The High Uintas Primitive Area is in the northern part of the county, and has some of the most beautiful alpine-like lakes in the Western United States.

Uintah County is also in the northern part of Utah's East region, just east of Duchesne County. It is named for the portion of the Ute Native American tribe that lives in the Uintah Basin. Vernal is the largest city and the county seat, Naples is the other city in the county, and there are less than 10 other towns, census-designated places and unincorporated communities. The extraction of national resources is the primary economic activity in the county, including oil, natural gas, phosphate and Gilsonite. The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation covers a large portion of the western part of the county, with the tribe's headquarters in Fort Duchesne. Much of the rest of the county is land owned by the Ashley National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, with a smaller portion of private land. Tourism also contributes to the county's economy. University of Utah ? Uintah Basin has campuses in Vernal and Roosevelt. The terrain in Uintah County ranges from high mountain terrain in the Uinta Mountains to the fertile Ashley Valley, the site of the county seat, to a rugged and desolate canyon area, where Dinosaur National Monument is located. It has gained national interest due to the discovery of significant dinosaur and other pre-historic remains. There is a large visitor center and Utah Field House of Natural History State Park, a museum showcasing some of the area's finds. There are many opportunities for world-class fishing, river running, hiking, biking and camping in alpine meadows and red rock canyons. Protected areas in the county include Ashley National Forest, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Red Fleet State Park and Steinaker State Park. The Western Heritage Museum is another point of interest in the county.