Fuell's Pond

Fuell's Pond

(near Fairfield) I always love it when my adventures take me into desert mountains. It combines my two favorite places: mountains and deserts. It always feels like you'll find something no one has ever seen before, even though that's most likely certainly not the case. But the peace and desolation gives you that feeling, even if it isn't true. That’s the spirit Aspen and I had when we made it to Fuell's Pond.

Mountains in the desert with cloud reflections in the water

This little pond is at the base of some mountains in Utah County’s Cedar Valley, right near the Five Mile Pass Recreation Area. It's all dirt roads to get there once you turn off the paved highway. At first glance, it looked like a peaceful little desert oasis. There was the water, a tree, a fire ring, and also a snake. More on that critter later. It's a really simple place and I could see how someone might pick this spot for a night of camping or car camping with a nice view of the stars at night. However, the closer I looked, the more this little slice of desert solitude started to lose its shine.

Lots of trash and discarded items in the pond

I thought this might be a decent place to take a swim when I first saw pictures of it online, but once I was here, I was worried about even letting Aspen into the water. In the pond, there were tires, busted wood, pallets, and who-knows-what-else submerged just beneath the surface. If Mother Nature tried to make this a peaceful watering hole, humanity responded by using it as a landfill.

The Jeep in the background gives you a little scale of size

Aspen, who really wanted to get into the water, was confused why I wouldn't let her. I didn't know if there were nails or broken glass in the water, and it looked like some algae was floating on the edge. In Utah, you have to be careful about dogs swimming with algae in case they swallow any water. It can be dangerous for them. Aspen is a good girl and listened, so we walked around the pond a bit.

Aspen and I were both a little hot. I should've tried panting to cool down

Speaking of nails, the biggest surprise here wasn’t in the water, it was in the dirt. Near the fire ring where I parked, there were hundreds of nails scattered everywhere. They were impossible to miss. It looks like they came from burned pallets. And if there's anything worse than a snake in the desert, it's a flat tire in the desert. I’d recommend watching where you step and maybe where you drive and park.

Some of the hundreds of nails everywhere

Speaking of snakes, I saw one burrowing into a hole opposite where we had parked and instantly decided we weren't going to walk all the way around the pond. Where there’s one snake, there are bound to be more. Right? I would love to show you a picture of it but I got out of there. I saw it slithering its way into one of the many holes in the ground around the pound. Nope.

It's time to run when Aspen would sometimes tilt her head and stare at the ground

Just below the pond is the nice peaceful spot I was talking about. It had a tree, an old wooden fence, and another fire ring. This is where I think car camping would be fun and where you could see every star at night. In the day, that tree gives you shade. It would be a neat place to hang a hammock between the tree and maybe your hatchback and read a book or take a summer nap.

A nice peaceful spot to camp or take a nap

Someone who cares about the trash problem here hung a garbage bag

Before we left, we drove a little farther down the dirt road and came across what’s left of the ghost town of Manning. There’s not much there now, except for just a few old foundations and hints of history fading into the grass.

One of the remaining foundations in the ghost town of Manning

This was a small mining town once bustling in the late 1800's. A short-lived mining boom in the area brought people here looking for silver, but the promise dried up as fast as the tumbleweeds rolling by. If you enjoy seeing old ghost towns, this one and a visit to Fuell's Pond is worth a quick trip.

Ghost town of Manning

Fuell’s Pond has potential. The views are nice and the desert serenity is as peaceful as it gets. No one was there when we visited, except for that nope rope. It this place was cleaned up, I could absolutely see camping under that tree with a little fire going in the ring. I could even see getting into a kayak or little blowup boat with a dog paddling next to you. But as it stands now, it’s tough to truly love this place. Between the garbage and nails, it just felt more like a place where you have to be on high alert than just sit back and enjoy.

Even with the garbage, Fuell's Pond is still very peaceful place

If you go, please pick up after yourself and leave no trace. We owe it to places like this. Even though I didn't love Feull's Pond, I'm sure there are a lot of people who do. And those who love it are probably really upset at seeing it trashed. I will definitely come back one day to check it out. I still think a hammock under that tree with a snoring puppy would be one of the best naps ever. As long as the snakes stay away.

I liked this spot under the tree more than the pond

LOCATION: Google Maps Link

Doesn't get much better than this

Parking next to Fuell's Pond

Old wooden structure in the pond

I love country wooden fences

The dirt road to the ghost town of Manning

A few of the foundations in Manning ghost town

View of the mountains toward the West of Fuell's Pond