7 fascinating Utah places you aren’t allowed to visit

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There’s a biological reason you might feel compelled to explore dark, scary or unfamiliar places.

Simone Redaelli for Psychology Today explains research shows people like places and environments of mystery. This likely dates back to early humans who constantly confronted dangers and had to identify safe environments rapidly.

But no matter how intrigued you may be, there are certain areas you’re forbidden to explore. In Utah, this includes a few abandoned structures, a haunted ranch, a dangerous spelunking cave and more.

The following places may tantalize your curiosity — but keep out.

Dugway Proving Ground

Encompassing parts of Tooele and Juab counties, Dugway covers more than 1,250 square miles–meaning it is slightly larger than Rhode Island. Controlled by the U.S. Army, for decades the specifics of what takes place on the base are top secret.

“While the remote army base used to be responsible for creating chemical weapons — and, at one point, testing them on US soldiers — it now only analyzes them,” according to an Insider article by James Pasley.

Technically, you can access parts of the base. There are a few public roads that cross portions of it but not many people use them because the installation was intentionally located in an extremely remote area. But the portions of the base that house top secret projects are protected by guards and fences with signs warning that for unauthorized persons entering the restricted areas, the use of deadly force is authorized.

The Mars Desert Research Station

If mankind eventually sets foot on the planet Mars, Utah may be to thank for it. Because of southern Utah’s similarities to the red planet, the Mars Society established the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Wayne County in 2001. It’s one of four simulated Mars habitats in the world that allows astronauts and research crews to practice what it might be like to explore Martian terrain.

Though it undoubtedly sounds intriguing, the website clearly states that they “do not at any time offer tours” and they’re not open to visitors. But the MDRS is currently accepting applications for new crew members in case you’d like to apply.

Granite Mountain Records Vault

Carefully sealed up in the mountainside of Little Cottonwood Canyon are 3.5 billion images of microfilm and digital records belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Granite Mountain Records Vault was built in 1965 “to preserve and protect records of importance to the Church,” according to the Church Newsroom. It houses the largest collection of genealogical records in the world.

Though the general public isn’t allowed to access the vault for security reasons, the Church is currently in the process of digitizing the records to make them available on FamilySearch.org.

The Old Mill

If buildings could talk, the Cottonwood Paper Mill — or Old Mill — would have some stories to tell. Since its construction in the 1880s, the Old Mill has been passed through several different owners for various purposes. It was originally the Deseret News Paper Mill and pumped out large amounts of newspapers, books and other records for a time.

On April 1, 1893, a devastating fire changed the mill forever. According to an article by Courtnie Erickson for Only In Your State, many people assumed the fire alarms were an April Fools Day joke and ignored it.

Unfortunately, that left the flames to blaze out of control, rendering the mill useless and empty for several years. Many people tried to repurpose it through the years — it was once an open-air dance hall and then a discotheque — but Cottonwood Heights ultimately condemned the building in 2005.

Today, the Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But for many Utahns, it’s one of the most haunted spots in the state. Many people say the mill is haunted by two spirits and a dog that perished in the 1893 fire. Some say they’ve seen an old caretaker who died on the property wandering around.

If you want to see these apparitions for yourself, be sure to keep your distance. Aside from provoking the spooky spirits, you could also be slapped with a trespassing violation if you’re not careful.

Nutty Putty Cave

Nutty Putty Cave in Utah County was once a popular site for curious cavers, explorers and Boy Scouts. Today, it’s a sealed up gravesite.

“The most recognizable characteristic of the cave was the strangely viscous clay oozing from some of its walls, which the cave’s first explorer, a man named Dale Green, compared to Nutty Putty, the original product name for Silly Putty,” writes Dave Roos for HowStuffWorks. “Like Silly Putty, the clay would change from a solid to an elastic fluid when lightly squeezed.”

The cave attracted thousands of visitors per year, but several people ran into trouble in the tight passageways. With names like “The Helmet Eater,” “The Scout Eater” and “The Birth Canal,” it’s no wonder a few people had to be retrieved by rescue crews through the years. For a time, the cave was closed from 2006 to 2009.

Shortly after it reopened to the public, tragedy struck. On Nov. 24, 2009, a man named John Edwards Jones got stuck headfirst after taking a wrong turn. Despite a 27-hour effort to rescue him, Jones eventually died in the cave.

Sara Lenz for the Deseret News wrote that since recovering the body proved to be too dangerous, the landowner and Jones’s family decided to seal the opening in the cave where Jones’s body is stuck, making it his final resting place. The main opening is also sealed off to people who want to explore.

Skinwalker Ranch

Whether you’re a fan of the History Channel’s hit series, “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch,” or you’re just a longtime Utah resident, you’re probably somewhat familiar with this story. The Skinwalker Ranch website claims that this 512-acre secure site in northeastern Utah is “the most scientifically studied paranormal hotspot on the planet.” Apparently, the site’s been studied for “UFO activity, cattle mutilations and strange phenomena.”

It’s understandably intriguing for anyone interested in the supernatural — but if you want an in-depth scoop, you’ll just have to watch the TV series. The website states that the ranch is closed to the public because of ongoing scientific experiments.

Home of Truth

With a backstory that may remind you of an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the Suan Juan County ghost town known as Home of Truth has quite a history.

According to Atlas Obscura, a woman named Marie Ogden claimed that God was talking to her through her typewriter in 1933. She said the message was to build God’s kingdom on a plot of land in Utah. The earth would shortly be destroyed and only the members of that community would survive.

The community reached as many as 100 followers by 1935, but it eventually dwindled to just seven devoted followers once word spread about the compound’s strange rituals. Ogden’s prophecies repeatedly failed to come true, so the cult dissolved in the late 1930s. It’s now private property, but you can still catch a glimpse of the abandoned buildings from the road.

Siegfried & Jensen

Since 1990, Siegfried & Jensen have been helping the people of Utah and surrounding states who have suffered needless injuries and death caused by car accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, defective drugs, dog bites, wrongful death, and other types of personal injury.

The firm is committed to keeping Utah families and communities safe by ensuring wrongdoers are held accountable. While a lawsuit isn’t always the answer when it is needed having someone on your side can mean the difference between declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding your life and moving forward, especially when you’re up against an insurance company or a hospital.

Siegfried & Jensen has represented more than 35,000 clients and recovered over $1.2 billion for them.