Declassified: how the AEC bulldozed Utah’s Capitol Reef for a radioactive jackpot

The AEC’s Failed Uranium Hunt Through Capitol Reef

The Atomic Energy Commission had a big problem after World War II: not enough uranium. In 1948, they took a simple cattle trail in Utah and made it something more.

The AEC bulldozed steep switchbacks through Capitol Reef’s rugged terrain, turning John Atlantic Burr’s path into a road for trucks and jeeps.

They even offered $10,000 bonuses to anyone who found good uranium. For the first time ever, a national monument opened to mining claims.

Yet when the dust settled in 1959, all that work yielded just $13. 50 in royalties. Today, those same switchbacks offer one of Utah’s most stunning drives through Capitol Reef.

America Ran Out of Uranium After World War II

America used up its uranium after dropping atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. The government needed more nuclear material to build weapons as fights with the Soviet Union grew.

Military leaders told President Truman that uranium supplies were running low, putting national security plans at risk.

The new Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) got orders to find uranium in America fast.

Scientists knew uranium existed in the Southwest, but nobody knew exactly where or how much they could dig up.

The Government Started a Mineral Rush with Cash Rewards

The AEC kicked off the first government-backed mineral rush in 1946. They offered $50 per ton for uranium ore, much higher than normal prices.

Prospectors who found new rich deposits got $10,000 bonuses, worth about $120,000 today. Radio ads played across the country, telling everyday Americans to grab Geiger counters and head west.

The government even gave out free guidebooks showing how to spot uranium. Thousands of regular people quit their jobs to look for radioactive riches in the desert.

Geologists Found Promising Signs Near Capitol Reef

AEC survey teams spotted good uranium signs throughout the Colorado Plateau in 1948. They saw the same rock formations near Capitol Reef that showed up in good uranium areas of Colorado.

Government scientists marked Capitol Reef’s Waterpocket Fold as a top search zone. The colorful layers of rock showed signs of uranium, but the area sat miles from any good road.

Early prospectors who tried reaching these spots said the land was too rough to bring in equipment.

John Atlantic Burr Made the Original Trail for His Cattle

Rancher John Atlantic Burr created the first path through Capitol Reef in the 1880s.

Burr needed a way to move his cattle between winter and summer grazing lands through the steep Waterpocket Fold.

His trail followed natural breaks in the cliff walls and went back and forth up steep slopes. For decades, only horses and people on foot could use the narrow, dangerous path.

Local ranchers knew shortcuts and seasonal routes, but few outsiders knew about the trail until the uranium rush brought people to the area.

Bulldozers Turned a Cattle Path into a Road

AEC engineers brought bulldozers in late 1948 to widen Burr’s trail.

They cut switchbacks into almost straight-up rock faces, making the first route for vehicles through the Waterpocket Fold.

Work crews blasted through sections too narrow for jeeps and trucks. They spent months building the road in harsh desert heat, with summer temperatures hitting 110 degrees.

The finished route let mining equipment reach areas that were blocked before, though drivers still faced scary drops with no guardrails.

Park Rangers Tried to Stop the Mining Plans

Capitol Reef became a National Monument in 1937, putting it under National Park Service protection. Park Superintendent Charles Kelly fought against mining within the monument boundaries.

He wrote angry letters to Washington saying that all mining claims ended when the monument formed. Kelly took photos of untouched areas that mining would destroy.

Park Service leaders backed him until political pressure from Washington forced them to change their minds.

Cold War Fears Opened Protected Lands to Mining

President Truman called uranium gathering a national security emergency in 1951. His team told the Park Service that pretty scenery mattered less than building nuclear weapons.

The AEC talked Congress into believing that Soviet uranium supplies put America at risk. Government officials said that nature concerns must wait while America built up military strength.

The Park Service gave in when the White House directly ordered them to allow uranium hunting.

Capitol Reef Became the First Monument Opened to New Mining

The Park Service signed a special permit in May 1952, allowing uranium mining inside Capitol Reef. This marked the first time a national monument opened to new mining claims after getting protection.

The AEC promised to pay 10% of all mining profits to the Park Service as payment. They also agreed to remove buildings and gear when mining stopped.

The permit made miners limit damage to natural features, though checking up on this proved hard in the remote backcountry.

Thousands of Prospectors Rushed to Stake Claims

Nearly 10,000 mining claims popped up within today’s Capitol Reef boundaries between 1952 and 1955. Weekend prospectors camped next to professional mining companies throughout the monument.

The Oyler Mine got the most attention after early samples showed good uranium signs. Makeshift mining camps appeared along the newly fixed Burr Trail.

Prospectors used everything from professional drilling gear to simple picks and shovels as they looked for the yellow carnotite that showed uranium deposits.

Mining Produced More Hopes Than Uranium

Most claims gave tiny amounts of low-grade ore despite years of digging.

When mining permits ran out in 1959, the Park Service got a total of $13.50 in royalties from all uranium taken out.

The government spent $13,500 cleaning up left-behind mining sites, 1,000 times more than they earned. The famous Oyler Mine made less than 100 tons of usable ore during its run.

Hundreds of small test pits and prospect holes damaged the landscape, with many still visible today throughout the park.

Burr’s Trail Became One of Utah’s Most Popular Scenic Drives

The road built for uranium access created an unexpected tourist attraction. Today’s visitors drive the same switchbacks the AEC bulldozed for mining access in 1948.

The 30-mile route offers views of colorful rock formations and vast desert landscapes previously seen only by local ranchers.

The National Park Service eventually paved portions of the road, though some sections remain unpaved.

What started as a desperate search for nuclear materials accidentally created one of the Southwest’s most spectacular driving routes.

Visiting Burr Trail Scenic Drive, Utah

The Burr Trail is a 67-mile drive from Boulder to Bullfrog Marina that crosses three federal lands. The first 31 miles are paved, then it becomes dirt road.

During the Cold War uranium rush, the government bulldozed switchbacks through Capitol Reef when John Atlantic Burr’s cattle trail became a mining access road.

You can hike to Strike Valley Overlook to see the old uranium prospecting area and visit Singing Canyon for its unique sound effects.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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