Sunday, July 5, 2015

Pipe Spring National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – June 30, 2015


Tuesday was another day of driving. We drove south to Pipe Spring National Monument and then over to the southern part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

There’s not a whole lot around Pipe Spring National Monument. However, it was interesting to hear about the conflict between the Paiutes and the Mormon pioneers. The Mormons built a stone structure, Winsor Castle, directly over the springs as a stronghold against raiding Indians. They maintained a cattle ranch and delivered butter, cheese, and cattle to St. George, Utah. It took four days to travel from the spring to St. George. The castle was also a hideout for polygamous wives after federal laws were passed against polygamy. The Paiutes were forced to move from the area after they no longer had access to the spring and the cattle destroyed the native plants they depended on for food.





Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is huge, nearly 1.9 million acres. It consists of cliffs and plateaus of many different colors: vermillion, white, gray, and pink. The more interesting features of the park are only accessible by dirt roads; most of which require a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle. We drove up Johnson Canyon, as it was paved. I didn’t take many pictures.

 
 

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