The town of Scofield is situated on high ground two miles south of the reservoir of the same name, the oldest and largest of the major impoundments on the Wasatch Plateau.

Among the first settlers of this region were S. J. Harkness, T. H. Thomas, William Burrows, O. G. Kimball, D. D. Green, A. H. Earll, R. McKecheney, who were attracted by the immense ranges for their cattle.

Because Bishop Williams controlled the Mormon miners, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company brought in Chinese laborers to work the Mud Creek mine.

The Union Pacific still continued to collect their ground rent, and the knowledge that the miners had of the company that was ruling the camp at that time deterred them from beautifying their homes as they desired.

The business district was more than a mile long and boasted dozens of substantial stone buildings, including an Odd Fellows Hall.

On May 1, 1900, an errant spark touched off the fine haze of coal dust deep underground, and the Winter Quarters #4 mine exploded with fury.

Exactly 100 of the men were killed in an instant, and another 99 died from the poisonous afterdamp, making this one of the worst coal mine disasters in history.

Almost 150 of the slain miners were buried in the cemetery in nearby Scofield, and two special funeral trains carried the rest of the victims to burial grounds in Utah and in other states.

The coal tipple and other large structures were dismantled for their salvage value during World War II; the chapel and the boarding house were leveled.

By the 1920s, however, the coal industry in Pleasant Valley was clearly in decline and most mines ceased operation causing the town to lose nearly all its residents.

The town of Scofield lies in the bituminous coal field of Carbon County, Utah, about 19 miles (31 km) from the main line of the Rio Grande Western Railroad, and is nestled among the hills that surround the upper part of Pleasant Valley.

Scofield has an alpine subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with enormous yearly snowfall in its long, cold winters due to its location in the Wasatch Range.

Madsen Bay is a 40-unit campground with restrooms, fish cleaning and disposal areas, a boat ramp, and parking for day use.

Lake Side has no camping areas and is strictly day use, offering restrooms, a group use pavilion and a fishing platform for the disabled.

Clear Creek Camp is an outdoor education center located 2 miles (3 km) south of the town of Scofield, for post-fifth grade students in the Alpine School District.

The summer camp experience is designed to educate students about the outdoors and help foster a deep appreciation for the abundant natural resources and beauty in their surroundings.