Things to Do in Gunnison, Utah

Gunnison is a small city in southwestern Sanpete County, at the south end of the Sanpete Valley near where the Sanpitch River meets the Sevier. US-89 runs through town as Main Street. The 2020 Census counted 3,509 residents, a figure that includes the men housed at the state prison on the edge of town. The town was founded in 1859 and named for Captain John W. Gunnison, the Army surveyor killed in central Utah in 1853.

It is a quiet farm town, but the list of things to do is longer than its size suggests: a theater that has shown movies for more than a century, a 218-foot mosaic dragon under a highway bridge, a stone pioneer house on the National Register, the site of a Jewish farm colony a few miles out of town, and state parks, golf and hundreds of miles of mountain trails within a short drive. This guide groups them by type.

Gunnison at a Glance

• Location: Sanpete County, central Utah, on US-89 at an elevation of about 5,100 feet.
• Population: 3,509 (2020 Census).
• ZIP code: 84634.
• Neighbors: Centerfield and Mayfield to the east, Manti and Ephraim to the north, Fayette to the northwest.
• Hospital: Gunnison Valley Hospital, an independent, community-owned critical access hospital with an emergency room, labor and delivery and surgery.
• Schools: South Sanpete School District, with Gunnison Valley Elementary, Gunnison Valley Middle and Gunnison Valley High (the Bulldogs) in town.
• Employer: the Central Utah Correctional Facility, opened in 1990 just northeast of downtown, is a major local employer, and the Legislature approved funding in 2026 for a large expansion.

History and Landmarks in Town

Casino Star Theatre

The Casino Star Theatre at 78 South Main is Gunnison's best-known landmark. It was built in 1912 by Sims M. Duggins, opened in January 1913 and received its Beaux-Arts facade in 1915. The 360-seat theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, has operated almost continuously apart from a short break in the early 1970s, and still shows movies. Local lore says a tunnel under the building was used to move alcohol during Prohibition; it has since been sealed. It is one of the oldest operating theaters in Utah, and a night at the movies here is the simplest way to see it.

Old Gunnison City Hall

The old city hall was built in 1899. According to local histories it held city offices and meeting space on the main floor, the jail in the basement and Gunnison's first high school on the second floor, with a dance hall wing later used for classes. The building later became an antique and craft store.

Oberg-Metcalf House

The Oberg-Metcalf House at 12 North 100 East was built around 1880, probably by Johan Oberg, from local oolitic limestone, with a brick Victorian addition in the 1890s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 as one of only ten remaining classically detailed stone houses built in Gunnison before 1900. The Metcalf family, who owned it by 1909, were known for the flour mill Anthony Metcalf ran at nearby Warm Creek, now Fayette. It is a private home, so view it from the street.

Clarion Jewish Colony Site

About five miles southwest of Gunnison is the site of Clarion, a Jewish agricultural colony founded in September 1911 by Jewish settlers who hoped to farm the bench above the Sevier River. Water shortages and unpaid land payments ended the colony in 1915, when the state took back the land. Foundations, a cistern and two graves remain at the site, and the Clarion Ghost Town Kiosk at 15 South Main in Gunnison tells the story with interpretive panels dedicated in 2015.

Outdoors in and Around Gunnison

Sanpitch Dragon and the Gunnison River Walk

Just south of town, the Sanpitch Dragon is a 218-foot tile mosaic that winds along the walls under the US-89 bridge over the Sanpitch River. The idea came from a local girl who said passing trucks overhead sounded like a dragon roaring. Schoolchildren built it starting in 2007 with artists Elise Lazar and Kinde Nebeker, a Utah Arts Council grant and the Casino Star Theatre Foundation as sponsor, and it survived a flood in 2011. It sits on the Gunnison River Walk, a community trail built the same year that passes under the highway, and it is free to visit any time.

Gunnison City Park and Pool

Gunnison City Park is the center of town life and hosts the Fourth of July celebration. The city's public swimming pool is a summer favorite and offers free swimming during the July Fourth festivities.

Palisade State Park and Golf Course

North of Gunnison near Sterling, Palisade State Park has camping, hiking, OHV access and the 18-hole Palisade State Park Golf Course with a grill. Palisade Reservoir normally allows swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating (electric trolling motors only), but it was drained in the summer of 2026 for dam repairs, so check the park's website for current water conditions.

Sixmile Canyon, Skyline Drive and the Arapeen OHV Trail

From Sterling, Sixmile Canyon climbs east into the Manti-La Sal National Forest toward Skyline Drive along the top of the Wasatch Plateau. The forest is also home to the Arapeen OHV Trail system, more than 600 miles of routes for ATVs and side-by-sides.

Yuba State Park (Painted Rocks)

Northwest of Gunnison on SR-28 toward Levan, the Painted Rocks area of Yuba State Park offers camping, boating, paddleboarding and fishing for walleye, wiper, pike, perch and catfish. Yuba Lake is an irrigation reservoir and has been very low in recent seasons, with the Painted Rocks ramp closed at times, so check conditions before towing a boat.

Annual Events

• Gunnison Fourth of July (July): food and games in the city park, an auction that funds city projects, a concert and fireworks, followed by a morning parade and a Lions Club lunch on the Fourth.
• Scandinavian Heritage Festival (Memorial Day weekend): a free festival in Ephraim, centered on Snow College, celebrating the valley's Scandinavian settlers.
• Sanpete County Fair (late August): free admission at the fairgrounds in Manti, with a rodeo, demolition derby and carnival.

Nearby Manti is also home to the Manti Utah Temple, which was renovated and rededicated in April 2024 and whose grounds are a landmark of the valley. The long-running Mormon Miracle Pageant held there ended after its 2019 season.

Food in Gunnison

Gunnison's restaurants are small and local, and most sit along South Main Street. Sanpete County's restaurant directory lists Shelle's Drive In (547 South Main), Mountain Peak Cafe (424 South Main), Main Freeze (230 South Main) and TBK Pizza (557 South Main), along with Subway, Little Caesars and Gunnison Market for groceries. Hours at small-town restaurants change with the season, so check ahead.

Living in Gunnison

Gunnison appeals to buyers who want a small farm town with its own hospital and schools, at prices well below the Wasatch Front. Inventory is limited, with only a handful of homes listed at any time, and many come with room for animals and outbuildings. Browse every home for sale in Gunnison, look at Gunnison horse properties and homes with acreage, or filter for homes under $300K. For the trade-offs of small-town life here, read the pros and cons of living in Gunnison, and compare with neighboring Centerfield and Manti.