07/14/2026
Sharing a little history. After an adventurous hike in the area the thought came to mind about who made the trail and who made the campground. Doing some research it was found that the Cottonwood-Harmon Trail was used by early settlers in the 1800's to get from Pine Valley or St George to Leeds and to New Harmony. The section hiked was far from well established but had the feel that it was old and useful. Along the way a horseshoe was found that was probably from a pack mule in the 1900's. Definitely not a trail for the moderate hiker but could be a great one with some trail maintenance. Digging further into the camp and roads... research shows that many of the forest roads and the Oak Grove Campground were built by CCC enlistees around 1933-1942 and at that time the campground included a tennis court, wading pool, and playground. In the town of Leeds that is driven through to get to the forest road leading to Oak Grove Campground, there is a historic sign on the west side of the road referring to something called "CCC Camp". Always wondering, the stop was finally made to check it out. It is reported that in 1933 the "CCC" (Civilian Conservation Corps) was enacted by President Roosevelt to help the economy and the young adults during the Great Depression.
You can find out more at https://wchsutah.org/ccc/leeds-ccc-camp.php
