Mountain Dell

Utah's ghost towns split between failed Mormon farm villages and the rough mining camps the faithful mostly watched from a distance.

The Mountain Dell Dam provides a water equalizing and storage reservoir for Salt Lake City, Utah located 10 miles (16 km) east of the city in northeastern Salt Lake County, near Interstate 80 in Parley's Canyon. Designed by John S. Eastwood, and constructed between 1914 and 1925, the dam is an example of a mixed buttress dam and multiple arch dam construction. At the time the plans were made, the city was in need of a sufficient supply of water, especially during late summer and the middle of winter.

The on-the-ground condition of Mountain Dell is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Mountain Dell is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Mountain Dell is roughly 40.7506, -111.7211 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.