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Gunlock State Park

Gunlock State Park
Picnic table at Gunlock State Park, June 2009
Gunlock State Park is located in Utah
Gunlock State Park
Gunlock State Park
Location within Utah
Gunlock State Park is located in the United States
Gunlock State Park
Gunlock State Park
Location within the United States
Map
Interactive map of Gunlock State Park
LocationWashington County, Utah, United States
Coordinates37°15′13″N 113°47′4″W / 37.25361°N 113.78444°W / 37.25361; -113.78444
Area549 acres (222 ha)[1]
Elevation3,600 ft (1,100 m)[2]
Opened1970[2]
OperatorUtah State Parks
Visitors109,636 (in 2025)[3]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Utah State Parks

Gunlock State Park is a state park of Utah, United States, adjoining the 266-acre (108 ha) Gunlock Reservoir that impounds the Santa Clara River.[4] The park is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of St George. The reservoir dam was constructed in 1970 for irrigation water and flood control.[2]

Gunlock State Park is a primitive area; there are facilities. The park offers camping, swimming, boating, and fishing. The park and reservoir are named after the nearby community of Gunlock. The town was named after William "Gunlock Will" Hamblin, its first settler.[4] Hamblin was a Mormon pioneer born in Ohio who settled in the area in 1857. Gunlock Will was a good hunter and sharpshooter, and was skillful in repairing gunlocks, which are the firing mechanisms for muzzleloaders.[2]

The county road to the park is the Old Spanish Trail used by horsemen and raiders from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California from the 1820s until 1849, when the gold fields of California became the destination and a shorter route was taken.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. "Gunlock State Park". Utah.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2003. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gunlock State Park". Utah State Parks. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  3. "Park Visitation Data". Utah State Parks. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Gunlock State Park Resource Management Plan" (PDF). State of Utah Natural Resources: Division of Parks and Recreation. October 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2011.


 This article incorporates public domain material from the website of the Utah Division of State Parks.

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