Sanpete County is a bit of a Utah hidden gem. This area of the state has a charming small-town feel and remote beauty that you can’t help but fall in love with. Discover these 5 beautiful places to explore and things to do in Sanpete County!
6 Fun Things to Do in Sanpete County
Table of Contents
- Spend the Day Outdoors at Manti-La Sal National Forest
- Visit the Charming Town of Mount Pleasant
- Cool Off at Palisade State Park
- Spend the Afternoon at a Haunted Museum in Fairview
- Explore Historic Spring City
- Learn About Pioneer History in Manti
Spend the Day Outdoors at Manti-La Sal National Forest
The Manti-La Sal National Forest is a beautiful mountain region that is easy to access on the outskirts of the town of Ephraim.
Take Ephraim Canyon Rd up the mountain to Skyline Dr where you will discover several reservoirs, lakes, and shaded forest trails.
Lake Hill is a great spot for fishing and picnics. You’ll find a small lake with a wildflower-fringed walking path contouring the shore.
There is also a great ATV trail that leads to New Canyon Reservoir.
This remote summer swimming hole is lined with a thick forest of trees and even has a rope swing.
*And if your kids love rope swings, you’ll definitely want to check out Burriston Ponds!
Manti La-Sal National Forest is beautiful any time of year. Groves of aspens are scattered across the mountain, creating golden pockets in the fall. In winter, the pine trees are heavy with powdered snow.
In the spring, the wind-rippled grass is carpeted in wildflowers. And in the summer, the verdant landscape becomes a sublime respite from the summer heat.
Summer is also the perfect time for camping. Camping within the National Forest is also free with plenty of primitive campsites dispersed throughout the mountain.
There is also an extensive OHV trail system throughout the Manti-La Sal National Forest. ATV rentals are available at Skyline Recreation in the nearby town of Sterling.
The ATV trails can be accessed right from the Skyline rental facility so that you can just park and go.
We also love that their rentals are so affordable. They offer 6-seater vehicles for only $199 for the entire day. You can pick it up as early as 7:30 am and drop it off anytime before 7 pm.
I don’t know anywhere else that you can take a family of 6 on a fun full-day adventure for less than $200!
We took the Six Mile Canyon and Sand Ridge Trail and it was filled with incredible adventure and beauty.
The Six Mile Canyon Trail is a scenic leisurely drive, but if you crave a little more adventure, take the Sand Ridge spur trail!
Things will quickly get exciting as you make your way up the rock pile portion of the trail!
There are also several stream and bridge crossings as you make your way up the mountain where you’ll find a beautiful grove of aspen trees.
When you rent your ATV, you’ll receive instructions to install an app that utilizes a map with satellite technology so that you don’t get lost even if you have no cell service. It was so helpful!
*For more of the best ATV trails in Utah, check out our Moab Guide and San Rafael Swell!
Visit the Charming Town of Mount Pleasant
This small town lives up to its name and really is a pleasant place to visit. The Main Street is punctuated with cute shops, boutiques, and restaurants.
Grab a burger and shake at the corner Dairy Freeze or pizza from Main Street Pizza. My kids always insist that we stop at the Maverik Gas Station for sodas too.
Then stroll down Main Street and pop into one of the many shops, like Neven’s Nearly New Thrift Boutique.
In the summer, food trucks line up outside of the Mount Pleasant library every Wednesday from May-October. (Update: the location may have changed to the Mount Pleasant Rodeo Grounds).
The whole community comes out for Food Truck Wednesdays where you’ll often find live music playing.
It doesn’t get much better than eating a slow-roasted BBQ picnic under the shade trees while a local band plays Brown-eyed Girl.
Just behind the library, you’ll find a splash pad perfect for kids to cool off in the summer.
And if you’re looking for some hot springs to soak in, there are several located near Sanpete County, check out our guide 4 of the Best Hot Springs in Utah for details!
Kids and adults alike will also enjoy watching a movie under the stars at the Basin Drive-In.
Drive-in movies are becoming a thing of yesteryear and it will be a nostalgic experience that your kids will remember.
Load up the car with treats and blankets and enjoy a double feature on a warm summer night. Their snack bar is also known for grilling up the best burgers in town, so grab a bite to eat before the movie starts.
Basin Drive-in is one of the few remaining drive-in movies in the state. It is also the smallest one in Utah with a capacity of 200 cars. It is open seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
And if you’re looking for a spot to let the kids burn off some energy, the Horne Activity Center at Snow College offers day passes for only $3 for adults and $2.50 for kids.
This allows access to their swimming pool, sports courts, indoor track, and fitness center (kids must be 16 years or older to use the fitness center).
If you’re hungry, stop in at the Coffee Depot for a coffee, smoothie, pastry, or sandwich.
The Grilled Cinnamon Roll Panini is one of our favorite dishes on the menu.
This coffee shop is located at the Track 89 Caboose Village where guests can stay in a refurbished train car.
Mount Pleasant is also home to the elite Wasatch Academy boarding school. This historic school was opened in 1875 and is considered to be one of the top boarding schools in the US.
It is actually where my grandma went to school, so I love driving by and admiring the beautiful brick buildings and perfectly manicured grounds.
*Related post: Be sure to check out all of our Utah Guides for more travel ideas!
Cool Off at Palisade State Park
Palisade State Park is the perfect spot to cool off on a hot summer afternoon.
The state park boasts a calm reservoir perfect for swimming and kayaking. Watersport rentals are available and include kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, and paddle boats.
I would also recommend bringing your own tubes and blow up rafts. There is also a dock that is fun for kids to jump off and swim around, just be sure to wear life jackets.
Picnic tables are scattered around the water’s edge with some shade trees. A day-use fee is required and campsites and cabins are also available by reservation.
This is always our family’s favorite hang-out when the cousins get together in the summer!
Palisade is also one of our favorite state parks. For more of our top picks, see our guide, 9 Utah State Parks We Can’t Get Enough Of!
Spend the Afternoon at a Haunted Museum in Fairview
The Fairview Museum of History & Art is housed in an old schoolhouse that was built over 115 years ago. The Heritage building is filled with a treasure trove of historical displays, as well as a few bizarre artifacts.
My kids were a little creeped out by the leg bone stuck in a bear trap, and the doll room filled with cracked and weathered baby dolls. They honestly had the best time seeing who could spook each other the most!
You can also pick up a scavenger hunt checklist at the information desk to keep your kids entertained during your visit.
We happened to talk to a sweet old museum docent who is convinced the museum is haunted.
He said at night you can hear the sounds of children laughing and running through the halls of this former schoolhouse.
I’m not one to believe in ghost stories, but it did make our museum visit just a little more thrilling! Overall, the exhibits are compelling and they do a great job chronicling the history of the area.
The museum also consists of the more modern Horizon building where you can find contemporary art as well as interesting artifacts.
Our favorite was the bones of Spirit, the Colombian Mammoth, that were found in the nearby mountains. We were fascinated to learn that a high concentration of Woolly Mammoths and dinosaurs once roamed this area.
Admission is free, check the Fairview Museum website for seasonal hours.
And while you’re in Fairview, be sure to grab lunch and browse the co-op shop at The Corner Station Deli. This 1921 gas station was renovated in 2008 and has been a fixture in the community for the past century.
The deli serves hearty sandwiches, steaming bowls of soup, and fresh salads. They also serve the best homemade potato salad that I’ve ever had!
In the co-op shop you can find handmade gifts and decor, unique vintage finds, kitschy trinkets, and much more.
As an interesting side note, Willie Nelson’s 95-acre ranch can be found about 20 minutes north of Fairview in the small farming community of Birdseye.
While he no longer owns the ranch, you can spot the gate bearing the metal letters ‘W-N’ just off Hwy 89.
Explore Historic Spring City
You will be completely smitten with Spring City! In fact, in 2010 Forbes magazine listed Spring City as one of the prettiest towns in America.
This once vibrant pioneer community still maintains the same timeless warmth and charm.
Spring City was named after the spring that runs right through town. Most of the residents rely on it as their major water source and you can actually get a drink straight from the spring!
The pastoral valley was once nicknamed “Little Copenhagen” or “Little Denmark” due to the influx of Danish pioneers immigrating to Utah.
They were skilled craftsmen whose architecture has withstood the test of time and whose history is woven in the details of this community.
This cheerful town has been listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, with many of the homes preserving the original pioneer architecture.
The town’s LDS church was even made using limestone from the same quarry as the nearby historic Manti Temple.
Many of the homes have been turned into utterly charming bed-and-breakfast inns, quaint cafes, and boutique shops.
This small farming community has also become an enclave for artists over the years with local art studios and galleries being housed in the historic homes as well.
Be sure to stop by and see the original Victorian-style elementary school, the red brick Bishop’s storehouse, the limestone city hall, and early log barns and primitive adobe structures scattered throughout the town.
You can also visit the gravesite of Orson Hyde, an early apostle of the LDS church who was laid to rest in the Spring City cemetery.
See our Spring City Guide for more fun things to do in this historic pioneer town!
Learn About Pioneer History in Manti
The small town of Manti holds historic significance to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was the first pioneer settlement outside of the Wasatch Front.
The stately Manti Utah Temple dominates the skyline and can be seen for miles away. This is the fifth temple built by the LDS church and was dedicated in 1888.
The massive temple was built by hand, using horses and wagons to cart the limestone from a nearby quarry.
The temple took only 13 years to complete, which is a staggering rate compared to the 40 years it took to complete the Salt Lake Temple.
This temple once hosted the Manti Miracle Pageant which ran for two weeks every summer and attracted visitors from all over the world.
Today, visitors can walk around the beautifully manicured Pioneer Heritage Gardens across the street from the temple.
You can also learn more about the historic roots of the early pioneers at the John Patten DUP (Daughters of Utah Pioneers) Museum.
This small museum is located inside the former home of John Patten which was continuously occupied from 1854 to 1975. You can also visit the one-room log cabin next door that once served as the schoolroom.
In true small-town fashion, you must call Darleen (435) 851-0012 to schedule an appointment to visit the museum.
The nearby city pool is also great for families, with waterslides and a beautiful poolside view of the temple.
If you’re hungry, stop by Main Freeze or Millers Drive-thru & Bakery for old-fashioned burgers. I just love all the small-town diners that can be found throughout rural Utah.
One of our favorites is actually located a little further south outside of Sanpete in the town of Salina, but you’ll find plenty of locally-owned burger joints around Sanpete County as well!
We hope you enjoy exploring Sanpete County and discovering more Utah hidden gems!
If you’re interested in more hidden gems in Southern Utah, check out our guide A Weekend Getaway in Bluff Utah!
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