|
I have read several articles about this town,
some saying it is now closed to public access, and others saying it is
their favorite ATV trail. All the articles do have one thing in
common, the road to Jacob City is very beautiful and the old town ruins
are well worth seeing. So in July 2004 we loaded up our 4 wheelers
and headed off to see for ourselves, or not which ever the case may be.
We learned that there are two ways to access Jacob City, one
from Stockton, and the other just off the main road to Ophir. We heard the route from Stockton was more
scenic and longer, so wanting to get every minute we could on
our bikes we choose this route. Once we arrived in
Stockton we were easily able to locate the Jacob City road,
considering Stockton is well, rather small. We
turned off main street onto what we thought would probably
be the center street in town due to the sign that said
City Hall this way, we headed east and as it arched back south it passed the city park, which was what our directions had said
to do. This road continues to twist and turn its way
south-east until you come to a "Y". We new we
were there because we could see the road climb the steep side of
the mountain, however there was a large sign that confused us a
little, it said "no OHV's or ATV's allowed on either sides
of both roads". Our interpretation was that as
long as we stayed on the road, and were not blazing trails
or taking every side road we saw, that we should be okay but we
wanted to be sure rather then make any one angry, and jeopardize
the access that was available, so we headed back to the
town hall. We were greeted by two very friendly and
informative ladies, they told us that our interpretation
was correct. They reinforced that the road was open but you
must stay on the main road at all times, which didn't leave
any room for a staging area. One of the ladies informed us
that there is a staging area up the road a little ways by some
of the first mines, but that the road to get there is a steep
single lane, and that her family has had to back down it,
due to running into traffic.
Not wanting to back a truck and trailer
down the loose shell rock that abounds, we opted with door number two,
the Ophir route. Right after you leave the highway on the Ophir
junction there is a nerve gas warning sign, and a road that
heads off to the north. Take this road and you will
find plenty of space to park and unload.
Alright so its off we go, we went about a
mile up the road and began seeing tailings, so of course we had to
investigate. At our first stop we found some old rails and a ore
chute. The ore chute was in immaculate condition, minus the modern
day graffiti that seems to go with everything these days. We also
found a nice size gopher snake laying in the tailings, which we almost
stepped on, so just an FYI this is there town and they are not the only
species so keep your eyes open.
 
Back to the trail, it was a
pretty good road for about the first two miles, and then disaster
struck, well not disaster but what a rut. Right smack dab in the
middle of the road is this large one foot wide by two foot deep rut.
We attempted to scale both sides of the rut, but the sides were too
steep and loose, so we were forced to criss cross the rut. Now
someone who had gone before us had filled the rut in several
spots with large rocks, but after several scary predicament's we
opted to leave the bikes and hike. We were under the
impression that it was only about a mile to Jacob City from
were we were, wrong - it ended up being about two to two and a
half miles, and the terrain was steep, loose, and treacherous.
Now just for the record after the section of road that we choose
to begin our hike on and one other smaller section that would be
its match, the trail would have been easily passable on
bikes, maybe next time I will throw a few more rocks in the
hole, and try a little harder.
 
Now along the road there are sights
to see at every turn if you take your time. There are
barred up mines everywhere along with the tools, and relics of a
previous life. When we finally reached Jacob City it was
almost worth the incredible hike it took to get there. Just
kidding it was very worth it if you like to relish the remains
from those that have gone before us, but I do want to reiterate
that it was one heck of a hike, so pack lots of water if your
going on foot. When you get to Jacob City it is easy to
see that you have made it, there are foundations, roofs, water
tanks, chutes, rails, and mines every were. Due to the
fact that there are mines everywhere be very careful as you
explore because it is very dangerous, and keep in mind that you
are standing on top of a network of tunnels.
We choose
to take a break before heading back down, and after our jaunt I
just could not imagine the strength, and determination that
those old miners must of possessed to choose to live in this
rugged terrain day in and day out. I was caring a back
pack, I could not imagine the effort that it took to get
the supplies up this mountain to keep this town alive. As
we made the trip down it was just as difficult as the trip up due to the loose shell rock that rolled under every
step, and don't forget steep.
This
was a very exciting fun day, I enjoyed all the sites and
remains that I got to take in, I just may opt to take it a
little slower next time. According to other articles on
Jacob City the Stockton route is blocked with boulders approximately
1 mile from town so either way you may end up doing a
little hiking. Just to put a time frame on
it, we started our hike around noon and were back to the
bikes by four thirty, and this was at a brisk pace both ways, so
plan accordingly. We were only able to explore for
about thirty minutes due to the late start that we got, so the
other four hours were spent hiking. This town is a must
see if you enjoy Utah's past. If you plan on visiting this
site in the winter, the roads may be impassible due to deep
snow. Whether you ride or walk pack plenty of water and
give yourself a full day to explore and you wont be
disappointed, have fun!
Driving
Directions:
From
Stockton Utah:
Stockton
is located just south of Tooele via highway 36. Once you
reach Stockton look for the sign that says City Hall.
Travel up this road for 2.1 miles and you will reach the dirt
road that takes you to the city. Remember to stay on the
main road as both sides of the road are marked No Trespassing.
This road is very narrow and steep, 4X4 or ATV's are recommend.
From
Ophir Canyon:
Travel
on highway 36 south out of Stockton to the highway 73 junction.
Turn east on highway 73. When the road nears the mountains, you
will see a sign showing the turn-off for Ophir. Once you
turn off and start heading to Ophir you will see a nerve gas
detector and a dirt road. This dirt road will take you to
the mouth of the hidden canyon that Jacob City is located
in. This is the shortest route and provides plenty of room
to unload your ATV's.
  |
