When the summer heat ceases and the fall foliage ignites a kaleidoscope of color upon the hilltops, certain Southern Utah towns whisper their ghostly tales. The limbs of the bare branches reach for the passers by begging them to stay as the stories of past settlers echo from the red rock landscape that is unique to Southern Utah.

Along the Southern Utah I-15 corridor between Cedar City and Leeds, and then a small town near Zion, are early settlements which whisper such tales. It is in these early settlements that ghostly remains linger. These seven settlements trace their beginnings to the early 1850's. While some of settlements continue to persist, water, its availability, excess, or its accessibility was the determining factor in whether a town lived or simply withered away. Today, however, all of these ghost towns have stories, myths, and legends that echo in the autumn breeze.

To read the full story about the ghost towns of Leeds, Harrisburg, Grafton, Hamilton Fort, Fort Harmony, Pintura and Silver Reef, click here: http://aliveutah.com/content/southern-utah-ghost-towns-and-graveyards.