It is estimated that there are more than 100 ghost towns scattered around the Beehive State. While many of these ghost towns were once busy and thriving, today they are left empty. The town of Widtsoe is one of these ghost towns in Utah. At this town’s peak, more than 1,100 people called Widtsoe home. Today, you’d never know it.

Widtsoe is located in Garfield County in southern Utah. It is approximately 15 miles northeast of Bryce Canyon National Park.

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This town was settled in the 1900s by dry farmer Jedediah Adair. He had such great success with his dry farming techniques that it attracted many settlers to the area.

The Places Where We Go Podcast/TripAdvisor

By the early 1910s, the town began to flourish. If you drove around Widtsoe at this time, you would see multiple stores and hotels. This town also had a church, post office, sawmills, and more.

Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration/Wikimedia Commons The photo above shows the grocery store in Widtsoe in 1936.

During its early days, the name of the town changed quite often. At first, it was known as Adairville, named after Jedediah Adair who settled the town. After multiple name changes, in 1917, it was finally named Widtsoe.

Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration/Wikimedia Commons Widtsoe was named after John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a University of Utah President.

The town continued to flourish and grow. In 1919, the U.S. Forest Service district office moved to the town of Widtsoe. Around this time, the town reached its peak with more than 1,100 residents living in this small southern Utah area.

Management/TripAdvisor In fact, the town had grown so much there was talk of moving the Garfield County seat from Panguitch to Widtsoe.

Unfortunately, a severe drought and other casualties struck the area in the 1920s. This caused major problems for this agricultural community and many dry farmers began to leave the area. Eventually, more and more people began to move away to find better areas to make a living.

The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company/Flickr During the Great Depression in 1936, and as part of the New Deal, the Federal Resettlement Administration began purchasing land from some of the remaining residents in Widtsoe. The Federal Resettlement Administration was designed to help relocate struggling farmers to more productive land.

In 1938, the last few residents left this small town, creating a ghost town. Today, if you visit, all you will find are a few structures that are left standing. It is quite the reminder of life in southern Utah decades ago.

puuikibeach/Flickr

Have you ever visited this ghost town in Utah? What was your first impression? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Google Maps

The Places Where We Go Podcast/TripAdvisor

Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration/Wikimedia Commons

The photo above shows the grocery store in Widtsoe in 1936.

Widtsoe was named after John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a University of Utah President.

Management/TripAdvisor

In fact, the town had grown so much there was talk of moving the Garfield County seat from Panguitch to Widtsoe.

The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company/Flickr

During the Great Depression in 1936, and as part of the New Deal, the Federal Resettlement Administration began purchasing land from some of the remaining residents in Widtsoe. The Federal Resettlement Administration was designed to help relocate struggling farmers to more productive land.

puuikibeach/Flickr

If you love to visit ghost towns in Utah, how about a road trip to some of the best around the state? Check out this haunting road trip we created that will take you through many of the best ghost towns in the Beehive State.

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Address: Widtsoe, UT 84712, USA