Elk gather on the ranch each winter where they are fed by the state. The ranch was created as a place to collect elk and prevent them from ravaging haystacks in the Cache Valley.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials have been operating sleigh rides on the elk grounds for a fee for more than 50 years.
Rides, conditions permitting, are offered Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday from noon to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prices - cash or check only - are $5 for ages 9 and older, $3 for children 4 to 8, and children younger than 3 are free.
Weekly moonlight dinner rides and Saturday evening rides are also available. Visit www.hardwareranch.com for more information. The visitor center at the ranch is open Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food services are no longer available at the visitors center.
Hardware Ranch also offers education tours for schoolchildren. Call 435-753-6206 ext. 301 for more information.
The ranch is 15 miles east of Hyrum, up Blacksmith Fork Canyon on Highway 101.
Snowmobile grooming
Utah State Parks and Recreation officials announced snowmobile grooming has started on trails across the state where conditions allow. State Parks operates 11 grooming machines for 1,200 miles of snowmobile trails.
All snowmobile riders on public lands must be at least 8 years old and possess either a Know Before You Go! certificate or a valid Utah driver license.
For information on the certification course, call 801-538-RIDE or 1-800-OHV-RIDE. A series of 17 snowmobile complex trail maps is available at the State Parks offices, 1594 W. North Temple or online at www.stateparks.utah.gov.
Avalanche conditions are available by calling 801-538-RIDE or 1-800-OHV-RIDE or visit www.avalanche.org.
Grand Teton permits
Advance reservations for backcountry camping sites in Grand Teton National Park can be made starting Jan. 1. The new cost of a backcountry permit in the park is $25.
Free walk-in permits can be obtained after May 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. Only one-third of the backcountry sites are reserved; the rest are available for walk-in requests. The fee is required to handle processing on advance reservations.
Reservations can be made on an automated form on the Web at www.nps.gov/grte/. Reservations can also be made by writing or faxing Grand Teton National Park, Attn: Permits Office, P.O. Box 170, Moose, Wyo., 83001. To send a request by fax, call 307-739-3438.
Ski resort podcasts
Rocky Mountain Voices is making available free Utah Ski and Snowboarding Resort Guide podcasts, including interviews with resort spokespeople. Podcasts are available for Alta, Brighton, The Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Snowbird and Solitude. The podcasts are available through the Apple iTunes Store or from www. RockyMountainVoices.com.
Shed antler gathering
The Utah Wildlife Board recently approved a change in the antler gathering rules by closing the Northern Region to collecting from Feb. 1 to April 30.
Division of Wildlife Resources officials proposed the antler restrictions to reduce possible stress on big game animals which already have a hard time making it through the winter.
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