Loving my trip to Utah in 2014, I decided to head back to see more of the incredible sights. In plotting my path to Utah I identified a campground at the Curlew National Grasslands by Snowville, Utah that seemed like a good location to spend a night.  It turned out the stop was better than good, it was wonderful.  The summer’s campground host and I (plus three dogs) were the only ones there that night enjoying the open view and wildlife.  Big open sky in a quite area.  The simple campground is a green oasis on Stone Reservoir surrounded by 360 degrees of long views which put a smile on the face of this western Washington city girl.

The generous host invited me to dinner serving a fresh-out-of-the-ground baked potato with cheesey corn eating by a camp fire.  Swapping stories I learned he had raised rodeo bucking bulls in his earlier life.  If I remember the explanation correctly; he would first scour pedigrees looking for the best bulls/cows to mate.  After the bulls were about a year old he would let children try to ride them.  This sounded strange to me being a city person – letting children ride bulls?  He continued to explain, that any dolce bull was then neutered.  Later at age 3 or so, the bulls were taken to a high school rodeo.  Any bull that appeared to not have bucking vigor was then removed from the herd.  I didn’t hear a more detailed explanation, but I’m assuming that the bull became beef.  Bulls were ridden and evaluated and there is some sort of training.  Once proven their worth, they are sold and transported through the rodeo circuit providing cowboys a challenge.  How interesting.

Facts:

• Small campground with few camping sites.
• During the summer, camp sites can be reserved.  $10/night.  The host told me the campground is full most of the summer.
• During the winter season the water is turned off and the campground is left open for primitive camping.  Free.
• There is a large parking lot that a host might allow to be used for a short overnight stay if the campground is full.