Outdoor notes

EXHIBIT CELEBRATES UTAH

Explore 50 years of history and get 50 percent off your entrance fee when you visit Iron Mission State Park Museum this Saturday in Cedar City from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first 50 visitors will receive a free Utah State Parks postcard book.

Utah's state parks are celebrating 50 years this year, and Iron Mission Museum recognizes the milestone with an interactive exhibit. Take a virtual tour of each state park, reserve a campsite and plan your summer vacation. In 1957, Utah had only three state parks: the Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore, Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn in Fairfield and Pioneer Monument in Salt Lake City (later Pioneer Trail and This Is the Place).

Today, there are 42 state parks and museums with reservoirs, sand dunes, kivas, wagons and stagecoaches, antelope and bison, trails and more.

The exhibit at Iron Mission — 635 N. Main in Cedar City — continues through Sept. 3. For more information call 435-586-9290.

GARDEN FOR RANCH

Work to turn a 51,000-square-foot area at the Hardware Ranch into a teaching garden — filled with plants that are native to the area — will continue Saturday when the first plants are placed in the ground. Volunteers — including the Backcountry Horsemen of Utah — have teamed with the Division of Wildlife Resources to make the garden happen.

The garden will feature plants common in the sagebrush steppe habitat found in Blacksmith Fork Canyon. It will also include a 600-foot Americans With Disabilities Act-accessible loop trail, interpretive

signs, picnic areas with tables and benches and small amphitheater.

The garden will also support elementary school programs in the summer and the fall as well as self-guided tours for individuals. "It is important to us that students are able to see firsthand the plants that support the wildlife at Hardware," said Marni Lee, assistant manager at the ranch.

For more information about the garden or ranch, call 435-753-6206.

BOAT SHOW AT JORDANELLE

In conjunction with Utah Safe Boating Week, Jordanelle State Park is hosting an On-the-Water Boat Show this weekend. Hours are Friday from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Safe Boating Week runs through May 25.

Nine area boat dealers will have a wide selection of boats and equipment to drive and test.

Those with boats can receive a free boat safety check by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. If your boat passes inspection, admission into the park is free.

Day-use fees at Jordanelle are $9 per vehicle. Discount coupons are available at www.boatshow.utah.gov.

HOLIDAY RESERVATIONS

Savvy campers have already booked their campsites for Memorial Day weekend. A few campsites and group-use areas remain. To reserve a site, call 801-322-3770 or 800-322-3770 from outside the Salt Lake area.

State parks with available individual campsites include Antelope Island, Bear Lake, Red Fleet, Starvation, Utah Lake and Yuba. Overnight and day-use group sites are available at East Canyon, Deer Creek, Rockport, Wasatch Mountain and Willard Bay.

Utah's parks host a variety of Memorial Day events. Check out www.stateparks.utah.gov for a full list.