This little ghost town sits on the south shore of the Virgin River, off a backroad in the desert hills, on the way to Zion National Park. The original town was flooded out, and rebuilt at the present site in 1862 by Mormon pioneers. Most resettled in Rockville on the other side of the river and everyone was gone in the next century.  It has been the site of several movies, including the bicycle scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

A restoration-heritage project was started in 1997.   Currently there are 4 buildings in good condition.

A few of the heritage machines can also be seen in the fields.

Higher up on the hill, the graveyard sits in the desert hills.

The ghost town lies east of Eagle Crags, not far from the gates of Zion.

With irrigation from the Virgin River, small farms line the shores near Rockville.

On a fall day, the leaves mirror the red sandstones of the hills.

The school are church were one building in the 1860’s.

On a sunny day in October, we enjoyed our exploration of this desert hill ghost town, dressed in the colors of fall.

If you are hiking in Zion, visit this location by turning onto Grafton Street in Rockville, crossing the only bridge, and then follow the signs through the hills.

Note – More information on these building can be found at http://www.graftonheritage.org/