Deseret Livestock South Springs
Deseret Livestock South Springs flows at 73°F from BLM-administered public lands, emerging 89 meters from road access at 4,320 feet elevation in Skull Valley. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Salt Lake Field Office, the spring carries a protection status of three and open public access designation. The thermal output runs 17.4 degrees above ambient air temperatures in terrain receiving 11.4 inches of precipitation annually.
This spring occupies Skull Valley's central basin, where the floor grades gently between alluvial fans spreading from mountain fronts on both sides of the valley. Vegetation consists of salt-tolerant shrubs including shadscale, greasewood, and winterfat, adapted to soils enriched with evaporite minerals deposited when pluvial Lake Bonneville retreated over 10,000 years ago. The Stansbury Mountains rise sharply to the east, while the Cedar Mountains mark the western boundary. At this elevation, precipitation falls primarily as snow during winter months, accumulating to 26.9 inches before spring melt, though summer thunderstorms occasionally drop brief, intense rainfall that rarely penetrates the hardpan soils.
The springs take their name from Deseret Livestock Company, which consolidated Mormon ranching operations across western Utah in the late 1800s, using thermal seeps as reliable livestock water. The region's Indigenous Goshute inhabitants utilized scattered springs for millennia before displacement in the mid-nineteenth century, though specific documentation of thermal spring use at this site has not been located. The springs remain undeveloped, flowing from natural outlets on federal lands opened to multiple-use management including grazing.
Visit from late spring through early fall when Skull Valley Road conditions remain favorable and extreme temperatures moderate. The short walk from parking areas requires no technical skills, though visitors should carry ample water and sun protection in a landscape offering zero shade. The thermal output barely exceeds ambient temperatures in summer but becomes more noticeable during cooler months. Loop Campground sits 14.3 kilometers southeast in the Stansbury Mountains at 7,400 feet, providing developed sites and trailhead access.
Is Deseret Livestock South Springs worth visiting?
Best for
- Easy day trips
- Overnight camping trips
Overview Loop Campground is located southwest of Grantsville, Utah, in South Willow Canyon at an elevation of 7,400 feet. It’s located in the Stansbury Range where visitors enjoy exploring local trails. Recreation The multi-use Stansbury Front Trail and Medina Flat Trail begin across the road from the entrance, offering access to the rugged Deseret Peak Wilderness. Willow Creek offers rainbow and brown trout fishing. Facilities This campground has 9 single sites and 1 double site and has vaul...