Stop number three is still fairly dry, but the vegetation has changed significantly as you have moved into an area with a few scattered pinyons and junipers but also with a large amount of shrubs and grasses. The shrubs at this stop include sagebrush, mountain-mahogany, and Wood’s rose, but most of the vegetation is either Gambel oak or serviceberry. Gambel oak is one of the only three oaks native to Utah, and the only one that grows in this area.

Gambel oak, also known as scrub oak, is the multi-stemmed tree with dark green, lobed leaves. It typically doesn’t reach more than 10 feet high. As you walk or drive around, try and find the two growth forms for Gambel oak. The thick, dense shrub form limits access to the young leaves and acorns as food for wildlife and livestock. The larger tree form allows grass to grow beneath while providing both food and shelter to deer, elk and other animals. Gambel oak is also unusual amongst oaks in that it will sprout new shoots quickly when the tree is either grazed heavily or burned; because of this characteristic, it is often the first tree in these areas to come back after a fire.

Serviceberry is another shrub-like tree with small rounded leaves that is quite common in the area. In the northwest corner of the intersection at this stop you will find a thick stand of serviceberry. The entire plant is considered an important forage species for wildlife, including the small apple-like fruits that appear on the shrub in the summer.