Sevier County is 'in the heart of it all'

"It's in the heart of it all."

That's one of the slogans Sevier County uses, and well it should. It is, in fact, in the heart of it all.

What you know:

While the county is not located exactly in the center of the state, it's close enough to be convenient to a number of recreational sites outside its boundaries.

There are, for example, seven national parks within convenient driving distance — Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Great Basin, Capitol Reef and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Located on the very tip of its southernmost boundary is Capitol Reef's Cathedral Valley. This is not one of the "windshield" views — that is, quick glimpses of an area as seen through the windshield of a speeding vehicle. Cathedral Valley is one of those sites worth stopping and enjoying for a time.

The road leaves the pavement at U-24 east of Fruita and heads northwest to Cathedral Valley. There it forms a "T," with one road leading to U-72 and the second linking up with I-70.

Along the way (drive time over the maintained dirt road is three to four hours), travelers can take side roads to Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon formations, tall buttes and Utah's painted desert landscape.

Even though the area is spectacular in nature, it is among the least visited areas of the park because of its remote location.

Another of the Scenic Backways is the Gooseberry/Fremont Road, which starts a little northeast of the town of Fremont and connects to I-70. The road is paved, but because of the steep grades and narrow nature of the road, high-clearance vehicles are advised.

Along the way travelers pass through several high-mountain meadows and pass over a number of mountain streams. This road is especially popular when the fall colors are out.

One of the main attractions within the county is Fish Lake.

Fish Lake, in Fishlake National Forest, is the largest body of water in the county. It is among the state's more popular fishing waters. What may surface here could be any one of a number of fish — lake trout, rainbow, splake or perch.

The 2,500-acre lake holds a mix of fish that can create some interesting retrievals. Big perch or little trout? Large mackinaw or giant splake? Small perch or a gust of wind? You never know.