Pariah (Pahreah), Utah
Posted by: 
DavidMac
N 37° 14.830 W 111° 57.385
12S E 415176 N 4122720
Pariah (also called Pahreah) consists of a small abandoned town and cemetery, which has been used as a movie set, located in remote southern Utah. The movie set includes several new buildings, which can fool visitors into thinking they're visiting the town itself. Pariah was actually located across a nearby river, and the cemetery lies between the set and the town.
Waymark Code: WM7DA
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 02/09/2006
Views: 131
Pariah Utah was settled in 1871 by Mormon settlers. At one point, over 100 people lived in the town. however, several years after settlement, a series of devastating floods and severe winters forced people to move elsewhere. By the turn of the century, only 8 families remained in Pareah.
Although several attempts were later made to mine gold and build a dam in the immediate area, these failed, and the area was nearly abandoned during the middle of the 20th century, when it was used to build a set for the movie "Sargeants Three." Over the next few years, the buildings would be used to film several additional movies, but these later fell into disrepair and were also eventually damaged by flash flooding.
Today, the cemetery has been restored and new markers added in a fenced-in area. The road crosses the river at a ford and continues on to the old town site. Virtually nothing remains of the original town, but the movie set was restored by volunteers in 2001 following severe flash floods in the area.
The settlement was located in an area that is accessible from US 89 between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. A rough, washboarded dirt road leads several miles from the highway out to the old movie set, then continues on to the cemetery and the site of the actual town. Many of the unpaved roads in this area, including the Cottonwood Canyon Road to the east, can be hazardous and impassible in wet weather, even with 4 wheel drive. In addition, flash flooding adds another hazard. Exercise caution when visiting, and be sure to check the weather before setting out on any dirt roads. When we visited, the river was shallow enough to walk right across, but still too muddy to attempt driving across in our rental car.
Reason for Abandonment: Natural Disaster
Date Abandoned: 01/01/1912
Related Web Page: Not listed
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