The Bureau of Land Management recently acquired 231 acres from a private property owner near the Gooseberry Mesa National Recreation Trail. The acquisition will allow future upgrades to the road to White Trailhead. Also planned is a new trail connecting Gooseberry Trailhead with both the Practice Loop and the Windmill Trail.
The BLM received Land and Water Conservation Funds for the $600,000 purchase from Quarter Circle 2 Ranch LLC for sportsmen and recreational access. The Land and Water Conservation Fund supports specific conservation, recreation, and related projects that enhance management of and public access to existing public land and resources.
“The lands we’ve acquired already have dispersed campsites on them, and the previous owners wanted to see these lands added to the public domain so they can continue to be enjoyed by Gooseberry Mesa visitors,” said BLM St. George field manager Brian Tritle.
Gooseberry Mesa is approximately four miles southwest of Zion National Park and three miles northeast of the Canaan Mountain Wilderness Area. Northern views from the mesa include the sandstone sentinels of Zion National Park, and from the west rim is a panorama of desert mesas and water-carved canyons.
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