Dragon

Dragon is a ghost town in Uintah County, at the far eastern edge of Utah. Its roots trace to around 1888, when it took shape as a Gilsonite mining camp. In the early 1900s it hit its peak as the terminus of the Uintah Railway, drawing activity that made it the most prominent of the region's Gilsonite towns.

The end of that boom came in 1911 when the railway's end-of-line shifted northward, stripping Dragon of its central role. Still, the town held on longer than its neighbors, finally going quiet in 1938 when mining operations ceased. The Uintah Railway itself folded the following year, and Dragon was left behind entirely.

Visitors today arrive at a remote high-desert site with little infrastructure. The setting reflects Uintah County's open, arid character. Access is best in the warmer months; winter conditions in this part of eastern Utah can make rural roads difficult or impassable. Come prepared for a self-guided experience with no services on site.