Beaver Statues in Beaver, Utah
One of my favorite things about traveling through Utah is stumbling across the unexpected — quirky roadside art, hidden small-town gems, and stories you never could have planned.
This is the first installment in a new series I’m calling Travel Memories, where I revisit moments from past travels that resurfaced through old photos and memories.
Today’s memory takes us to Beaver, Utah.
A Small Town with Big Personality
If you’ve ever driven Interstate 15 through central/southern Utah, you likely have passed right by Beaver without realizing how many fun little surprises are tucked away there.
Beaver is one of those towns that rewards travelers who slow down instead of simply rushing toward the next national park destination. Over the years, we’ve discovered several hidden gems there — especially the many beaver statues, signs, and roadside displays scattered around town.
Honestly, spotting Beaver-themed attractions has almost become a scavenger hunt for us.
And thinking about it more, the stop that probably inspired this fascination in the first place was Beaver Taco.
Their food feels home cooked and so satisfying. Over the years it became a must-stop when traveling from Salt Lake to Cedar City or St. George. In addition to serving the best Mexican food, they also sell Mexican candies and fun, bright colored Beaver Taco tshirts.
We recently learned there’s even another Beaver Taco location in Page, Arizona attached to the Pilot Travel Center near the Utah/Arizona border — perfect for road trip travelers like us.
The Beaver Bench Incident
One of the most memorable Beaver attractions is the “beaver bench” (not sure if it is actually called this, but I call it that!) located at the Shell gas station just off I-15.
The original photo of the bench popped up in my memories from 2017, and instantly brought back a funny story.
Back when we first saw the statues, the bench was positioned against the building.
As we walked up, a young father was holding a little girl who couldn’t have been more than two years old. He excitedly brought her closer to the first beaver statue.
She immediately burst into tears.
Clearly, the beaver terrified her.
Trying to salvage the moment, he said something along the lines of, “Well… how about the other one?”
He carried her over to the second beaver statue.
She cried even harder.
At that point, the poor little girl buried her face into her dad’s shoulder while we tried not to laugh too loudly nearby. Apparently, she was not ready to appreciate the artistic details featured on these particular beaver statues.
I sometimes wonder if that moment created a lifelong fear of beavers.
Revisiting the Benches in 2025
We stopped again in 2025 and noticed the benches had since been moved closer to the roadside. Naturally, we had to take updated photos — including one of me standing behind the bench and another of my husband sitting on it so you can fully appreciate both the front and back sides of the artwork.
Let’s just say… the sculptor clearly had a sense of humor.
Beaver Taco & More Beaver Benches
Of course, Beaver Taco also has its own beaver-themed bench outside the restaurant.
Photo: Beaver Taco carved bench
Photo: Beaver Taco bench with us sitting on it (2024)
I’m also sharing a photo of me wearing my Beaver Taco shirt — purposefully backwards, haha — so the Beaver logo would actually show in the picture. If I wear it normally, my hair covers the design. I also find it ironic that the Beaver Taco shirt/logo are in a similar color scheme to the carved wooden cow/bovine heads that I am standing in between.
Even better? That photo was taken in Kochi, which means Beaver, Utah somehow made an appearance all the way across the world.
A “Dam” Good Time at the Beaver KOA
I’m also sharing a few photos from Beaver KOA Journey — a full post about our stay there will come later.
The campground fully embraces the Beaver humor theme.
One sign says:
“Welcome to Beaver KOA. We hope you have a dam good time.”
Another says:
“Welcome to the Beaver Journey KOA. We hope you have a ‘dam’ good time!”
Both signs were located in their community/store area of the Beaver KOA.
A Hidden Beaver-Themed Campground
Another Beaver-themed stop worth mentioning is Beaver Canyon Campground.
This campground is tucked farther out from town rather than sitting directly off the interstate, giving it a quieter and more tucked-away feel compared to many highway stops. The campground includes a mix of long-term resident sites and short-term camping spaces.
One of the biggest surprises there is Maria's Cocina, an amazing restaurant located inside a rustic log cabin on the campground property.
Maria’s Cocina is typically open Thursday through Sunday from 4–9 PM during the season from April through late October, and it’s absolutely worth the detour.
The log cabin atmosphere makes the whole place feel especially cozy — and honestly, maybe the beavers helped build it. :)
Photos: Maria’s Cocina log cabin restaurant
The Beaver-Themed Greeting Card I Couldn’t Resist
One of the funniest Beaver-themed finds came from Surewood Forest on Main Street.
I spotted a greeting card in 2018 featuring a beaver that read:
“The dam work is piling up without you!”
Honestly, it would make the perfect get-well card for a favorite coworker.
And somehow it feels even more fitting that I found it in Beaver, Utah.
Surewood Forest is absolutely worth a stop if you’re passing through town. They have a great candle selection along with all kinds of interesting features and gifts throughout the shop — including a suspension type bridge decor (picture below), unique handicrafts, a glow-in-the-dark room, and plenty of unexpected surprises.
Other Food Stops in Beaver
Outside of Beaver Taco and Maria’s Cocina, we’ve also enjoyed stopping at KanKun Mexican Restaurant.
We’ve also tried places like The Creamery and Crazy Cow Cafe, though those just weren’t as much our style personally.
One thing I appreciate about Beaver is that for a relatively small town along I-15, it actually has quite a few interesting local dining options for travelers.
The Beaver Statue Hunt Continues
I’m not sure I actually have a favorite Beaver statue.
Part of the fun is simply spotting them unexpectedly around town. They’re quirky, cute, and make Beaver feel like one giant roadside scavenger hunt. It somehow reminds me of spotting the dinosaur statues in Vernal, Utah.
I’m honestly surprised I haven’t found one connected to a local school mascot yet — though maybe I simply missed it somewhere along the way.
And now I’m wondering how many other Beaver-themed signs, murals, welcomes, and hidden details I haven’t noticed yet. The KOA signs made me realize there are probably many more scattered around town waiting to be discovered.
As far as I know, I’m still missing at least one Beaver statue — the beaver statue/bench at Eagle’s Landing/Texaco on the north end of town.
If you know of another Beaver statue, sign, or hidden Beaver-themed attraction I should check out, let me know in the comments. I’ll happily stop again in the future to track it down.
Because apparently collecting photos of giant beavers across Utah is now one of my hobbies.
Future Beaver Adventures
There’s still a lot we want to explore in and around Beaver.
We’d love to spend more time exploring Beaver Canyon itself and possibly drive east across the mountains toward Junction if road conditions cooperate.
To the west, I’d also love to explore places like Minersville and Milford. I’ve heard there are ghost towns like Frisco Ghost Town, old charcoal kilns, mining history, wild horses, rockhounding areas, and other hidden gems out that direction.
That western route is also another path toward Great Basin National Park, which we’ve visited before and would absolutely return to again.
So yes… there will almost certainly be more Beaver adventures in the future.
Thank you for reading!
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Thank you for spending your time here.
Anchor when sharing: Uncovering Beaver, Utah through finding fun beaver statues, beaver signs, beaver memorabilia and some of the local businesses that make this area unique.
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