A History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks (Revised)Woodbury, Angus M. (Angus Munn)
History
A History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks (Revised)
Woodbury, Angus M. (Angus Munn)
National parks and reserves -- Utah -- History; Utah -- History
Means and Finch found Winder running logs down the cable. He immediately
suggested the Pine Creek route and tunnel. The next day, the three men
studied Pine Creek and the possible route up to the Arch. Winder then
took them horseback to his ranch on the East Rim, via East Rim Trail.
They walked down Pine Creek afoot to the top of the cliff. Encountering
difficulties of grade and outlet at the top, they studied alternative
possibilities and finally evolved the route now followed by the present
road and tunnel.
_The Salt Lake Tribune_ (June 25 and 26, 1923) published a sensational
report of their investigations, but there was much skepticism in and out
of official circles. In the end, however, the Pine Creek route was
finally selected because it traversed the National Park, where federal
funds would be available without being matched by the state.
Congressman Louis C. Crampton of Michigan, chairman of the House
Committee for the National Park Service, took a personal interest in the
route and tunnel and sponsored the appropriations that made it possible.
During the planning and construction of this superb highway, which was
to become an attraction second only to the canyon itself, Crampton made
several trips to the park to watch its progress.
Since it was realized that the Pine Creek route would be years in
building, several short-cuts were provided. A road connecting Cedar
Breaks with Highway 89 on the summit between Hatch and Glendale was
opened in 1923 so that parties making the loop could return to Cedar
City via Cedar Breaks instead of Panguitch and Paragonah. In 1924,
another cutoff was made from Rockville to the plains leading to Pipe
Springs, thus eliminating the long trip down river to Hurricane and
back. This road was firmly financed by a contribution of $5,000 from
Stephen T. Mather.
In the Park itself, a road was surveyed from the cable up-canyon and was
finished to the Temple of Sinawava in the spring of 1925. From that
point on to the Narrows where the walls close in to leave room only for
the river, a foot path, one mile in length, was constructed.
Simultaneously three other trails were constructed: one to the West Rim,
one to the top of Lady Mountain (Mount Zion) and one along the east
bench under the cliffs from Wylie Grove in both directions. The next
year, a trail to the top of Angel Landing was constructed and two
suspension bridges across the river were installed and the trails opened
to Emerald Pool.
[Illustration: A camp fire circle at Bryce Canyon.
_Courtesy Union Pacific Railroad._]
[Illustration: A view of Hurricane (1929).
_Courtesy U. S. National Park Service._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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