Utahraptor State Park offers history beyond dinosaurs and fossils
Apr 24, 2025, 6:00 AM
MOAB — Even though Utahraptor State Park isn’t officially open yet, Haruo Kawate couldn’t wait to visit.
For most, the park is about fossils, dinosaurs, and recreation. But for Kawate, who traveled all the way from Japan, it was about something much deeper.
His father.
“My father up in heaven has brought me here, it feels that way,” said Kawate through a translator.
What is now Utahraptor State Park was once very different
During World War II, the land that now hosts Utahraptor State Park was home to the Moab Isolation Center, a place where Japanese Americans deemed troublemakers were detained.
Among them was Kawate’s father, Masao Kawate.
“Now I’m finally here in the place where he had been incarcerated and it’s a deep honor,” Kawate said, standing on the grounds where his father once lived under confinement.
Today, little remains of the camp’s buildings.
There are just a few concrete slabs and broken pillars, but the memories remain.
Slabs like these are all that remain of the Moab Isolation Center. (Alex Cabrero, KSL TV)
As Utah State Parks established the new park boundaries, they felt it was crucial to honor this history.
This sentiment led to Kawate and his sister being invited to a special event before the park’s official grand opening.
(Alex Cabrero, KSL TV)
“A lot of people are going to come here for a lot of different reasons, said Chris Haramoto, deputy director of Utah State Parks. “We wanted to keep this event a little special for our folks that came in. More intimate in the setting where we can spend time with the family.”
Pictures and exhibits tell the story of incarceration
The visitor center at Utahraptor State Park is filled with pictures, exhibits, and stories of those who were detained here, offering visitors a glimpse into this somber chapter of American history… not only for the Isolation Center, but the for the CCC Camp that was based here as well.
(Alex Cabrero, KSLTV)
For Kawate, the visit brought a sense of peace and a closer connection to his father.
“He feels even closer to his father now than he did when his father was still alive,” Haruo Kawate’s sister said.
Other reading: Body of Provo boy missing nearly 43 years confirmed to be ‘John Doe’ buried in Moab
As the park prepares to officially open next month, visitors can look forward to camping, trails, and the thrill of discovering dinosaur bones.
Yet, the history of the Moab Isolation Center is something park managers hope everyone will take the time to learn about.
