See mountain goats at 2 free events
SALT LAKE CITY — If you have ever wanted to see mountain goats in the wild, you will have a good chance at two upcoming Utah Division of Wildlife Resources events.
Rock Creek Viewing Event (Duchesne County)
The first free event will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in an area called Rock Creek near Mountain Home, Duchesne County. Biologists will be available to answer questions and provide information about mountain goats. Spotting scopes will be provided, but participants should bring their own binoculars if they have them. Attendees should also come prepared with warm clothing, snacks and water because the area is quite remote and services are not available.
DWR biologist Randall Thacker says that you can usually see 10 to 30 mountain goats from Rock Creek Road, which runs through the canyon where the goats spend their winter months.
The Uinta Mountains are the largest contiguous block of mountain goat habitat in Utah, and mountain goat populations in the Uintas are doing well.
“During our trend count in 2017, we counted 733 mountain goats,” Thacker said. “When we count, we know we miss some. We estimate that there are almost 1,000 mountain goats across the Uinta Mountains right now. The population is doing great.”
Thacker said mountain goats were re-introduced to the Uinta Mountains in 1987 when DWR biologists released seven animals from Lone Peak. In 1988 and 1989, biologists released another 25 goats from Olympic National Park. Between 1992 and 2000, the herd was supplemented by 57 additional animals from two Utah herds. After the releases were over, a total of 89 goats had been released at 12 sites on the mountains.
The mountain goats move around, so biologists will have to wait until the day of the event to determine the exact viewing sites. To find the viewing sites, simply drive up Rock Creek Road until you pass the U.S. Forest Service boundary sign. Once you pass the sign, drive slowly until you see biologists parked along the road.
There is still snow in the area, but Rock Creek Road is plowed and the Stillwater Dam is accessible. However, if it appears the weather will be too severe, the event will be canceled. Call the Vernal DWR office the day before the event to get updates. You can reach the Vernal office at 435-781-9453.
Directions to the Rock Creek Event
To reach the viewing site from U.S. Highway 40, take one of the roads from U.S. 40 to
Altamont/Mountain Home:
a) If you’re approaching from the west, turn left (north) onto state Route 87 (North Center Street) in Duchesne. Follow State Route 87 north for roughly 15.5 miles, and turn left onto the road to Mountain Home (21000 West). This road is about 4 miles before you reach Altamont.
b) If you’re coming from the east, drive through Roosevelt on U.S. 40 roughly 5 miles, and turn right (north) onto Ioka Lane (3000 South; this road is right before U.S. 40 turns south and goes uphill). Ioka Lane is also State Route 87, so stay on this road to Altamont, then drive through Altamont to reach Mountain Home Road, and turn north. This road is roughly 4 miles past Altamont.
If you are driving from the State Route 87/Mountain Home Road Junction, travel north on Mountain Home Road about 2.8 miles, and then turn left at the Mountain Home Inn & Store onto Country Route 95. This is the road to Rock Creek and Upper Stillwater Dam. The turn isn’t
well marked, but a sign for the Miner’s Gulch, Yellowpine and Stillwater campgrounds is posted near the turn. Follow Route 95 roughly 20 miles to the viewing area.
Registration for this event is requested, but not required. Participants can register here.
Contact Tonya Kieffer, DWR regional conservation outreach manager, for more details about the event. She can be reached at 435-247-1559 or at tonyakieffer@utah.gov.
Little Cottonwood Canyon Event (Salt Lake County)
The second event will take place on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 4385 Little Cottonwood Canyon Road (at the park-and-ride lot on the north side of the canyon at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon).
Biologists will also be at this event to provide information and to offer spotting scopes and binoculars. Scott Root, DWR regional conservation outreach manager, said the event is a great opportunity for Utahns to see some incredible wildlife along the Wasatch Front.
“I never get tired of the excited faces of people seeing their first mountain goat,” Root said. “People are amazed at the acrobatic abilities of the goats and how they keep their footing on steep, rocky ledges. The younger goats are a crowd favorite, especially when they are chasing each other.”
Goat populations in the Box Elder and Lone Peak Units increased to a total of approximately 300 animals about 10 years ago. They have since declined, dropping to fewer than 50 animals at one point, according to DWR wildlife biologist Dale Liechty. He said due to limited tracking and the difficulty of doing population counts, it is unclear if there was a true decline in population or if the animals simply relocated. But Liechty said there are roughly 120 animals in the area now.
“Viewing day goat numbers dropped to just a few goats about five years ago, but have slowly grown to about a dozen goats last year,” Root said.
Registration for this event is also requested, but not required since it’s a free event. Participants can register here.
Contact Root for more details about the event. He can be reached at 801-491-5656 or at scottroot@utah.gov.
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