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Hurricane Mesa, Utah

Virgin, Utah

This is an inter-active Maps.google Satellite Map. You can zoom in / out and change the formats to Satellite or Terrain; drag the map to scroll. Try it! Shown here is Virgin, Utah and Hurricane Mesa.

The above Google map is a Street map and on it you can see Mesa Rd. This road winds up onto Hurricane Mesa. Now change it to Terrain or Satellite view and you'll see how the Runway on the mesa top is laid out.

Also called Monkey Mesa -- the military use to test ejection seats on top of the mesa. They strapped Chimps into a rocket sled and sent them down a track and ejected them -- they ended up in the town of Virgin in a crazy state of mind; and had to be captured. They still use the base but not for tests of that sort anymore.The road that winds up along the mesa to the top is an experience in itself. Not far from St. George, Utah.

Download Garmin GPS topo Track

This is a view from 2/3 of the way up onto the mesa. You can see the town of Virgin in the lower right. If you look up on the mesa from here you'll see the water tower and trailer at the end of the test track.

Here is one of two Indian paintings to be found on the second leg of the journey. Once your on top of the first mesa you'll see the fenced area for the base. Continue on the road and climb up to the second level of the mesa. On the steep climb up to the second level right next to the road are the paintings.

These are all dirt and gravel roads once your on the mesa. After you get to the second level it's pretty flat and your in cattle ranch county. Their out in the roads -- so keep and eye on them. This is a very pretty area.

In the back ground here you can see the Westen section of Zion National Park. In fact when you wind your way back to the paved road you'll be in the Western boundry of the Park. No fee required here. In the higher elevations North of here you can sometimes see snow on the mountain tops. One of the great day trips if your in the St. George area Have fun -------