The Grafton Cemetery is across the Virgin River from the Grafton ghost town, accessed by a short walk from the ghost town parking area. It’s the burial ground of the original 1860s Mormon settlers who built the town and were eventually flooded out, with grave markers dating from the 1860s through the late 19th century. It’s not a hiking destination in the trail sense — the walking is short — but it’s part of the Grafton experience and worth visiting alongside the ghost town itself.
How to get there
From Rockville (on UT-9 between Springdale and Hurricane), turn south on Bridge Road, cross the Virgin River, and follow the dirt road to the Grafton ghost town parking area. The cemetery is accessed by a short walk from the parking area. The drive in is dirt but passable in any vehicle in dry conditions; rain can make the road sloppy.
What’s there
A small fenced cemetery with grave markers from the 1860s through the late 19th century. Markers include settlers who were original to the Grafton community and a few who died young from disease or floods that drove the abandonment of the town. Several Indigenous (Paiute) graves are also documented in the area, marked separately and treated with appropriate respect by the heritage partnership that manages the site.
The Grafton story
Grafton was settled in 1859 by Mormon families sent by Brigham Young to establish settlements along the Virgin River. The site was chosen for irrigable bottomland, but the river flooded repeatedly through the 1860s and 1870s, washing out crops and rebuilding the floodplain. The community persisted intermittently into the 20th century before final abandonment in 1944. The cemetery records this history — multiple markers from flood years, multiple from disease epidemics that swept through the small community.
The film history connection
The Grafton ghost town’s role in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* (1969) made the site briefly famous. The cemetery is not directly used in the film, but it’s part of the broader site that visitors associate with the movie. The Grafton Heritage Partnership has worked to preserve the site for both its historical and its cultural-heritage value, with interpretive signs at the ghost town that contextualize both the original settlement and the film history.
Treat the site carefully
The cemetery is a real burial site and a preserved cultural resource. Standard rules: don’t disturb graves, don’t move stones, don’t add anything to the markers. Photography is fine but should be respectful — these are real graves of real people. The heritage partnership maintains the site with volunteer effort; pack out anything you bring in, and treat the fenced cemetery boundary as a real boundary.
Heat and seasonality
The cemetery sits in the Virgin River floodplain, with cottonwoods providing some shade. Summer afternoons are still hot. Fall is the most comfortable visiting season — the cottonwoods turn yellow, the temperatures are pleasant, and the dirt road is reliably passable. Winter is fine in dry weather; spring runoff can affect the road.
What’s nearby
Grafton ghost town is the immediate destination. Rockville’s small main street has a few amenities. Springdale is ten minutes east for full services. The Grafton Mesa trail network is accessible from the same general area for parties wanting hiking after the historical visit.
Where it fits
The Grafton Cemetery is the historical-cultural complement to the ghost town visit and the Grafton Mesa hiking. For visitors interested in southern Utah pioneer history, the cemetery is one of the better-preserved early-settler sites accessible by short drive from Springdale or Hurricane. Pair with the ghost town buildings and a Grafton Mesa trail walk for a full half-day in 19th-century context.