Paul Bunyan's Woodpile is a geological formation that resembles several large piles of cut wood. It is actually a volcanic formation of basalt that fit together roughly as hexagonal columns running horizontally.
The site is roughly 83 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. The most direct way to get there is to go to Redwood Road (Utah highway 68) which is 1700 West running through the entire Salt Lake Valley. Travel south on Redwood Road into Utah County, past Camp Williams, west of Utah Lake, until you get to the town of Elberta. Then turn right (west) on U.S. Highway 6 and follow the road through Eureka and south as the road turns towards Delta, Utah. The turn off to Paul Bunyan's Wood Pile will be a little before the mile marker 125.
The Woodpile is on the top of a hill near Jericho, Utah (Jericho is uninhabited, just an old railroad stop). The access road is dirt, often heavily rutted, and at times impassible, particularly when the soil is wet, except for four-wheeled drive vehicles. There is a road sign for Paul Bunyan's Wood Pile along U.S. Highway route 6, about 3.2 miles north of the turnoff to the Jericho Sand Dunes (Jericho road), or 14.8 miles south of Eureka Utah. The access road winds east and northeast for about 3.2 miles until you reach a fenced area near a spring (Riley Springs on the map).On the map, the black lined squares represent 1 mile square. This map is from the BLM map for Lynndyl Utah.
From the fence, there is a moderate hike of about 3/4 mile along a streambed. As of early 2001, much of the larger vegitation appears dead from a recent range fire, but small growth seems to be flourishing. Trail markers have also been destroyed by the fire. When you reach the base of the hill of the woodpile, there is a path that zig-zags up the face to the formation. It is important to stay on the trail because of the loose basalt rock in abundance on the hillside. As you approach the formation itself, be very careful about the loose rock, because it is heavy and can cause injury as it rolls down the hill. In hot weather, you should also be wary of rattlesnakes that like to live around rocks in this region. At cooler times the snakes will be hibernating or very lethargic and pose little danger unless provoked. Woodticks can be found in the brush, so be careful to check for them on your clothes and body when you leave.
The two largest sections of the basalt piles form a narrow passageway, filled with loose rock, that can be climbed, bringing you up to a point where there is a hole in the formation forming a natural arch looking to the east.
There are no facilities at the site, so be sure to bring water with you and carry off any refuse.
On the hill looking up at the formation.
The main formations.
In the passageway by the arch.