The Long Way
San Juan County
A black and white landscape showing a body of water in the foreground and snowy mountains in the background.
Plate I. Ken's Lake and surrounding mountains. From moabtimes.com
A covered picnic shelter with tables and a fire ring in a desert setting.
Plate II. Picnic shelter at Ken's Lake. From blm.gov
A scenic view of a desert landscape with cliffs and a lake under a cloudy blue sky.
Plate III. View of landscape and lake at Ken's Lake. From blm.gov
A calm lake reflects distant red rock cliffs under a clear blue sky.
Plate IV. Ken's Lake and surrounding red rocks. From moabtimes.com
Water flowing from a large pipe into a rocky landscape.
Plate V. Water diversion pipe at Ken's Lake. From moabtimes.com
A scenic view of a body of water with red rock cliffs in the background.
Plate VI. Campsite and lake view, Ken's Lake. Photograph by BLMUtah, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ken's Lake

Moab, San Juan County, Utah. SWIMMING SITE.

Details

Map. Moab, San Juan County, Utah. Larger map
Where
Moab, San Juan County, UT. No street address stated. Directions
Season
Loop B stays open year round. Loop A is closed during low use season (summer and winter).
Getting there
From Moab, drive south on Highway 191 until you see signs for Ken's Lake, approximately 8 miles. Turn left off the highway and follow signs to the lake.
Fees
Group Site A (max 40 people): $125; Group Site B (max 25 people): $125.
Access
There is no drinking water or electricity hook ups at this campground.
Walk-in or reserve
The Ken's Lake group campsites are available by reservation only through Recreation.gov. Reservations can be made the day of, up to 6 months in advance from anywhere service is available.
Phone
435-259-2100
Website
blm.gov
Managed by
Grand County Water Conservancy District.
Established
1979-1981.
Coordinates
38.476947, -109.422438.

Ken's Lake, constructed from 1979 to 1981, is an approximately 2,610 acre-feet reservoir located in the upper Spanish Valley.

Notable Events

  1. 1978Local voters approved a bond issue in October 1978 by a six-to-one margin, giving the project the go-ahead financially. moabhappenings.com
  2. 1980Excavation work was finished on the 95-foot high dam in December 1980, using approximately 900,000 cubic yards of earth fill. moabhappenings.com
  3. 1981On June 5, 1981, Ken's Lake was officially dedicated. moabhappenings.com
  4. 1981The completion of Ken's Lake in 1981 was marked with a celebration, photographs from which can be found in the Museum's Collection. moabsunnews.com
  5. 2000In 2000, the site was constructed into a campground and day use area for visitors to enjoy the surrounding recreational activities and scenic vistas. blm.gov

People

  • Horace Sheeley, namesake of the Sheeley Tunnel; according to some, hoped to supply water through the tunnel and a flume to farm below Blue Hill; abandoned the plan about halfway through the 645-foot tunnel.
  • Horace Sheley, pioneer who started the 645-foot Mill Creek tunnel decades earlier.
  • Ken McDougald, namesake; water conservancy district chairman who labored some 15 years for the project; former mayor of Moab (died Nov. 18, 1983).
  • Sam Taylor, publisher of the Times-Independent; master of ceremonies at the dedication (1981).
  • Curt Young, the only surviving original Grand County Water Conservancy District member that helped create Ken's Lake.

Sources

  1. blm.gov/visit/kens-lake-group-sites
  2. blm.gov/visit/kens-lake-campground
  3. recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251840
  4. grandwatersewerut.gov/ken-s-lake
  5. moabsunnews.com/2022/08/04/moab-history-cooling-off-at-kens-lake
  6. moabtimes.com/articles/kens-lake-legacy-from-a-94-year-old-that-helped-create-it
  7. moabhappenings.com/Archives/pioneer0308.htm
  8. blm.gov/visit/kens-lake-campground