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Spring and early summer is an excellent time to ride the south Monroe Mountain– Elbow Ranch Loop near Marysvale Utah and the Paiute ATV Trail in search of wildflowers. For those of you who are looking for Paiute Trail numbers; it would be trail 02 east out of Marysvale to trail 25 to a left on trail 01 and then a left on trail 02 back to Marysvale. Your early summer excursions may be dampened by the snow across the trails in the high country; the wise Utah excursionist will learn to adapt and take advantage of the particular benefits that each season has to offer. Spring in the Sevier valley in the heart of the Paiute Trail is no exception; it has many benefits to offer. In Spring, there are many trails open along the foothills beneath the high mountain ranges of the Paiute Trail area. These trails can lead you through a continuous studio showcase of natural wildflower art that may be one of your most memorable days in the area if you make the effort. The season for these valley wildflowers start in late April through the first part of June. The end of May seems to be the time when these flowers are at their peak. This is the time I would recommend to see them in the lower elevations. The Paiute Trail leg between Marysvale and Monroe Mountain has some ideal areas for these seasonal flowers. The bright orange fields of desert globe-mallow just south of the old Elbow Ranch are one of these. The desert globe-mallow has a small cupped bright orange flower with a bright yellow center and is distantly related to the familiar potted geranium. Another highlight at this time and place is the Utah State flower, the Sego Lily. This root of this native species was dug and eaten by the native Paiutes bands who frequented these areas in by-gone days. It sports a 3 pedal white tulip-like flower with yellow and red center. The well-known Indian Paintbrush can usually be found together at the same time and place as the Sego Lily. The cacti blooms come mostly in two basic species. One small barrel- shaped species comes in clumps and has a blood-red cupped flower with a yellow center. The Prickly Pear subspecies are of particular interest. There are three main colors that we have been able to identify. The bright pink-red, the yellow and the rare in-between orange blossoms are all to be found here. Sometimes the different colors appear to be in the same plant but close examination will reveal separate plants growing closely together. It would be an interesting study to find out how the different prickly pear colors genetically inter-twine. The desert primrose with its showy delicate petals can cover acres at a time in certain places along these sage brush corridors and is a must see for the wildflower lover. There are many other beautiful flowers to be seen on a spring excursions like this; way too many to highlight. This article describes generally when you need to come and ride the lower valleys of the Paiute Trail to see these flowers. If you would like some free advice on how to get to the ATV trail and to these specific locations where these photographs were taken then contact me and I will be glad to help you. |
“Spring is a good time for Wildflowers on the Utah Desert” |
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Barrel Cactus clump |
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Spring Wildflowers on the Paiute Trail |
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Sego Lily, the Utah State Flower |
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Mixed Pink and Yellow blooming Prickly Pear |
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Indian Paint-brush flourishes |
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The mysterious and rare orange Prickly Pear |
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Cluster of the yellow-variation Prickly Pear blooms |
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Daughter Tamara relaxes in a field of desert Primrose with part of the Paiute Trail in the background. |
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Unknown little plant with yellow trumpet bloom and succulent-like powder-green leaves. Please contact me if you can identify this plant for me.
( Christian Desenfant from France identified this recently as ‘Chambers Twinpod’ or Physaria Chambersii, Thanks Christian) |
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Spring Desert Globe-mallow and Cactus Blooms along the lower trail. |
