Adobe Rock is described by the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

as a

pediment (geology) A pediment, also known as a concave slope or waning slope, is a very gently sloping (0.5°-7°) inclined bedrock surface. It is typically a concave surface sloping down from the base of a steeper retreating desert cliff, escarpment, or surroundin ...

Lake Point, Utah Lake Point is a city on the eastern edge of northern Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is located 17 miles southwest of Salt Lake City International Airport and 11 miles north of Tooele, Utah. At its location on the south shore of the Great ...

. The large rock outcropping sits adjacent to SR-36 just north of SR-138 at Mills Junction. Because of its distance from the steep incline of the

Oquirrh Mountains The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that runs north-south for approximately 30 miles (50 km) to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range runs from northwestern Utah County–centr ...

and its prominent location on the edge of a hill, Adobe Rock has served as a natural landmark in Tooele Valley ever since the first pioneers traversed the

Hastings Cutoff The Hastings Cutoff was an alternative route for westward emigrants to travel to California, as proposed by Lansford Hastings in ''The Emigrant's Guide to Oregon and California''. The ill-fated Donner Party infamously took the route in 1846. Des ...

trail. Though not officially a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

like its nearby peer

Black Rock (Great Salt Lake) The Black Rock on Great Salt Lake near Lake Point, Utah is a historic landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 as part of the Black Rock Site. The site includes Black Rock and foundation ruins of the former Black ...

, it has equal significance as a navigating landmark and cultural significance as a monument with businesses using the Adobe Rock name, books using its images on their covers, and

depicting its likeness as their city logo.

History

On July 27, 1947, The

Daughters of Utah Pioneers The International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers (ISDUP, DUP) is a women's organization dedicated to preserving the history of the original settlers of the geographic area covered by the State of Deseret and Utah Territory, including Mormon pio ...

installed a Utah Historical Marker on the west side of Adobe Rock to designate it as a historical monument in

Tooele County, Utah Tooele County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 58,218. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele, Utah, Tooele. The county was created in 1850 and organi ...

. The marker says it was placed by the Tooele County Company of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, DUP marker No. 103.

Land Use

Although Adobe Rock makes a major visual impact throughout Tooele Valley, it is completely inaccessible to the public. The land is privately owned by

Kennecott Utah Copper Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (KUC), a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah. Kennecott operates the Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the largest open-pit co ...

LLC and fenced off for use of horse pastures. On October 18, 2018, the Tooele County Planning Commission approved Kennecott's proposed rezoning plan to develop 1,444 acres around Adobe Rock and across SR-36 into a large mixed-use housing development called Adobe Rock Ranch. This plan encompassed adding 4,710 residential units along with a variety of commercial, retail, and open space. Residents who opposed the Adobe Rock Ranch rezoning plan gathered enough signatures to allow a vote to revoke the approval of the county. During the

2020 United States elections The 2020 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Democratic presidential nominee, former vice president Joe Biden, defeated incumbent Republican president Donald Trump in the presidential election. Despite losing seats ...

a large majority of Tooele County residents voted no on Proposition #2: Adobe Rock Ranch which ended county approval for the Kennecott development plan.

References

External links

{{commons category-inline, Adobe Rock Rock formations of Utah Geologic formations of Utah

History

Land Use

See also

References

External links