Fort Pearce
Historic sites
The stone remains of a Black Hawk War guard post about 12 miles south of St. George — one of only three such structures left in Utah.
What it is
Fort Pearce is a small stone structure built during Utah's Black Hawk War, a period of intermittent raiding between 1865 and 1870. It is one of only three guard posts from that conflict still standing in the state, which is why the Bureau of Land Management manages it as a historic site rather than leaving it as an unmarked ruin.
It was never a fort in the military sense. It guarded a water source on the route between the Virgin River settlements and the Arizona strip, and its scale reflects that.
Visiting
The site is roughly 12 miles south of St. George and is generally accessible year round by the unpaved Warner Valley Road. Conditions vary with weather; the road should not be driven wet.
There is no fee and no staff. Interpretive signing explains the structure and the conflict it belongs to.
Nearby
The Warner Valley dinosaur trackway is on the same road network, along with a surviving section of the Honeymoon Trail — the wagon route southern Utah couples took to the temple at St. George and later to Arizona.
See also historic sites in St. George.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Fort Pearce?
It dates to Utah's Black Hawk War, a period of intermittent raiding between 1865 and 1870, and is one of only three stone guard posts from that conflict still standing in Utah.
Can I drive to Fort Pearce in a regular car?
The unpaved Warner Valley Road is generally passable year round, but it is not maintained to highway standard and should not be driven in wet conditions.