Discovery Road – Winner of Best In State 2022 – Best Documentary

Since its debut in 2012, Discovery Road has produced over 60 episodes, taking viewers on immersive journeys down U.S. Highway 89 through six historic counties in central and southern Utah.

 

Each 30-minute episode blends history, mystery, heritage, and natural beauty into family-friendly storytelling that educates as much as it entertains.

 

Broadcast locally on KUED-TV and across the country through the National Educational Television Association, or NETA, the series has become a public media touchstone for anyone seeking a deeper connection to the region’s past. It is also used in classrooms across the state as part of Utah’s history curriculum.

Mormon Pioneers traveling to the west Covered Wagons Courtesy of Shaun Messick

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is the only National Heritage Area designated and named for a specific people, the Mormon Pioneers – as they forged to the west. Their remarkable story of dedication, fortitude, and extraordinary efforts offers one of the best features of the Mormon colonization experience in the United States. The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area has been identified by Congress as a factor in the expansion of the United States and contributing to the United States.

Districts

travel planner for the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

Cowboys, Outlaws, and the Movies 

The unique landscape features a geological wonderland that has been the backdrop for feature films including; “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid,” and “Jeremiah Johnson.” While traveling through the picturesque scenery, you might recognize a scene or two. Included in the heritage area is the birthplace of Utah outlaws, Butch Cassidy and Matt Warner. Matt was a lifelong friend and a gang member alongside of Butch.  Many movies were filmed in the scenic Under the Rim District of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

Mormon Colonization 

In the later part of the 1800s the Mormon pioneers began their great relocation to the west. They trekked 1,400 miles from Illinois to the Great Salt Lake. This mass-Exodus brought about colonization in Utah, Nevada, the southwest corner of Wyoming, the southeast corner of Idaho, southeast Oregon, and a large portion of southern and eastern California.

log cabin with Mormon Pioneer Family Echo City Utah
Family Portrait of Mormon Pioneers in Echo City, Utah

Discovery Road/Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area wins 2022 Best of State – Visual Arts – Documentary

Discovery Road

Utah’s Best of State Winner: Discovery Road

Discovery Road, the celebrated PBS Utah series produced in partnership with the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, has been honored with a Best of State® medal in the Arts and Entertainment category. Utah’s premier awards program recognizes programs that excel creatively, meaningfully enrich Utah’s local story landscape, and elevate quality of life across the state sanpetemessenger.com+2bestofstate.org+2.

Since its debut in 2012, Discovery Road has produced over 50 episodes, taking viewers on immersive journeys down U.S. Highway 89 through six historic counties in central and southern Utah. Each 30-minute episode blends history, mystery, heritage, and natural beauty into family-friendly storytelling that educates as much as it entertains sanpetemessenger.com.

Broadcast on KUED‑TV and across Utah Educational Network channels—and even used in state history curricula—the series has become a public media touchstone for Utahns and visitors seeking deeper connection to the region’s past sanpetemessenger.com+1.

More than a TV show, Discovery Road supports local tourism, highlights under‑the‑radar communities, and preserves cultural memories within the heritage area. With its Best of State honor, the series now stands as one of Utah’s definitive storytellers—bringing curiosity, pride, and discovery into homes statewide.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.

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