Grafton, Utah

Grafton School House

Grafton is a historic ghost town just south of Zion National Park and located along the Virgin River.   The modern day town nearest Grafton, is Rockville.   Grafton was first settled in 1859 and was located just one mile west of its present town site.   In January of 1862 the town was completely washed away by a flood on the Virgin River.   Settlers rebuilt the town a mile further up stream at its present site.

Gravestone of young teenager killed in uprisings

There were many log houses, a post office, a church, a school, and a community hall.  The town was deserted in 1866 due to Indian attacks and resettled once the threat had subsided.

Said to be the most photographed ghost town in the West, it has been featured as a location in several films, including 1929’s “In Old Arizona” and the classic “Butch Cassidy and the Sandance Kid”, filmed in 1969 and starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.   If you are familiar with the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” you may remember the scene where Newman is riding a bicycle while the music of B.J. Thomas serenades he and Katherine Ross (Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head).   This was part of the scenes that were filmed at Grafton.

Directions: To get to Grafton Ghost town you will drive to the town of Rockville and look for a road labelled “Bride Road” at the east end of town (south side of street).  Turn on this road and go south across the old iron bridge. Follow the road to the right as it turns west and becomes a dirt road.   Travel this direction for a couple of miles until you see the Grafton cemetery on the left.   The road to the old Grafton town site curves right (north) toward the Virgin River (just a few hundred yards).  Park your car and wander around the old school house and through the old cemetery.

Grafton Cemetery