Tag Archives: Bryce Canyon National Park

Discovery Road Celebrates National Park Service Centennial

MPNHA-Press-Release1-Park-Service-Centennial

One hundred years. That’s a birthday to remember for the National Park Service and one Discovery Road hosts Maryda Nicole Gallo and James Nelson celebrate in “Precious Jewels in any Language” as they tag along with groups of international visitors who visit the five national parks in Utah: Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Bryce and Zion.

In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone as the first national park and on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service, an agency that now protects more than 380 parks, covering more than 83 million acres.

The national parks have been called “America’s best idea,” and in this Discovery Road episode, international visitors learn why.

The visitors hail from such faraway places as France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, and also from our next-door neighbor, Canada.

Without fail, every visitor is struck by the sheer size of the national parks. “Enormous,” “magnificent” and “majesty” are words that trip off their tongues as describe what they are seeing. It’s clear that each is affected by the beauty that surrounds them.

“It feeds my soul,” Sonja Groening from Austria says.

“It opens our minds and opens our eyes. It helps us understand other people and their thoughts,” one South Korean visitor says. The visitors enjoy the sights and sounds of the American West from the sweeping vistas to the open road and the characters they encounter along the way.

Near Zion National Park, the visitors meet Richard Budd of Kanab and get to explore his anti que, restored Ford pick-up truck. Many of the visitors have only seen the likes of it in old Hollywood movies.

In the episode, the hosts also visit with former volunteer ranger Black George Simmons, 82, who says he loved “giving people a sense of place one yeehaw at a time.

Serving as a backdrop to all the visiting and the storytelling in this episode of Discovery Road is the incredible open space of the parks protected by our forbearers for generations of Americans and their guests to enjoy.

“There is nothing so American as our national parks…. The fundamental idea behind the parks… is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”   President Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Precious Jewels in any Language” will air on the Utah Education Network on Saturday, May 21 and Wednesday May 25. It is running on an ongoing basis on CentraCom , Fairview, Channel 10; Manti Telephone, Channel 3 and KTTA 8.1 Monroe, which serve central and south central Utah. It can also be found at the MPNHA website at htt p://www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/discovery-road-videos/

Interested viewers may find out how to access UEN-TV at htt p://www.uen.org/tv/translators/ Find Your Park

As part of the centennial celebrati on, the Nati onal Park Service has kicked off a movement called Find Your Park to inspire people to connect with, enjoy, and support America’s national parks. At FindYourPark.com visitors can virtually explore Utah’s (and other states’) national parks and fi nd out about special events such as Loa Elementary School students in Wayne County celebrati ng the nati onal park centennial in Capitol Reef National Park today, May 19, at the historic Fruita School house (built in 1896) with a graduati on/birthday ceremony. FindYourPark.com is just one of the many ways the National Parks Service is celebrating its centennial. Visit www.nps.gov to fi nd out more. ### The Mormon Pioneer Nati onal Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, catt le and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89.

Discovery Road Celebrates National Park Service Centennial

MPNHA-Press-Release1-Park-Service-Centennial

One hundred years. That’s a birthday to remember for the National Park Service and one Discovery Road hosts Maryda Nicole Gallo and James Nelson celebrate in “Precious Jewels in any Language” as they tag along with groups of international visitors who visit the five national parks in Utah: Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Bryce and Zion.

In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone as the first national park and on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service, an agency that now protects more than 380 parks, covering more than 83 million acres.

The national parks have been called “America’s best idea,” and in this Discovery Road episode, international visitors learn why.

The visitors hail from such faraway places as France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, and also from our next-door neighbor, Canada.

Without fail, every visitor is struck by the sheer size of the national parks. “Enormous,” “magnificent” and “majesty” are words that trip off their tongues as describe what they are seeing. It’s clear that each is affected by the beauty that surrounds them.

“It feeds my soul,” Sonja Groening from Austria says.

“It opens our minds and opens our eyes. It helps us understand other people and their thoughts,” one South Korean visitor says. The visitors enjoy the sights and sounds of the American West from the sweeping vistas to the open road and the characters they encounter along the way.

Near Zion National Park, the visitors meet Richard Budd of Kanab and get to explore his antique, restored Ford pick-up truck. Many of the visitors have only seen the likes of it in old Hollywood movies.

In the episode, the hosts also visit with former volunteer ranger Black George Simmons, 82, who says he loved “giving people a sense of place one yeehaw at a time.

Serving as a backdrop to all the visiting and the storytelling in this episode of Discovery Road is the incredible open space of the parks protected by our forbearers for generations of Americans and their guests to enjoy.

“There is nothing so American as our national parks…. The fundamental idea behind the parks… is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”   President Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Precious Jewels in any Language” will air on the Utah Education Network on Saturday, May 21 and Wednesday May 25. It is running on an ongoing basis on CentraCom , Fairview, Channel 10; Manti Telephone, Channel 3 and KTTA 8.1 Monroe, which serve central and south central Utah. It can also be found at the MPNHA website at

https://www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/discovery-road-videos/

Interested viewers may find out how to access UEN-TV at htt p://www.uen.org/tv/translators/

Find Your Park

As part of the centennial celebration, the National Park Service has kicked off a movement called Find Your Park to inspire people to connect with, enjoy, and support America’s national parks.

At FindYourPark.com visitors can virtually explore Utah’s (and other states’) national parks and find out about special events such as Loa Elementary School students in Wayne County celebrating the national park centennial in Capitol Reef National Park today, May 19, at the historic Fruita School house (built in 1896) with a graduation/birthday ceremony.

FindYourPark.com is just one of the many ways the National Parks Service is celebrating its centennial. Visit www.nps.gov to find out more.

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, cattle and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89.

Happy 100th Birthday National Park Service

National Park Service
National Park Service

On 25 August 2016 the National Park Service celebrates its 100th year serving the United States, her citizens, and the countless visitors to our great nation!

As a way to help citizens and visitors join in the celebration the National Parks will host free days for park goers.  The beginning of the second century stewardship, the National Park Service, will begin with engaging communities in recreation, teaching conservation, and educating others concerning historic preservation programs.

The National Park Service invites all to find your park to discover the programs in your very own back yard, or venture to the many National Parks outside your backyard.

The state of Utah has five National Parks, the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area boasts three of those National Parks:  Zion National ParkBryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park.

Check with the National Park of your choosing to find your park’s free admission day as part of the Centennial Celebration.

Find your park, explore the great outdoors, take park tours to learn all there is to know about these great American historic places!  Go to National Park Service, to plan your visit.

Make sure and check out the National Park Service website to make the most of the centennial celebration!  Find Your Park, find some fun, find quality time to spend with your family, neighbors, friends, and spare an adventure during the Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service as a way to connect with other.

Railroad Resorts Bring Sevier County’s Railroad Past to Life

MPNHA-Press-Release-Sevier-Railroad

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad is being resurrected in an unusual way in the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Partners David Grow and George Jones of Environetics have built a caboose and railroad village at Big Rock Candy Mountain, north of Marysvale in Piute County. In February they received a 50-year lease of the old Denver and Rio Grande Depot from the city of Mt. Pleasant to build a similar resort there.

Jones, a retired railroad union executive with an interest in historic railroading, began collecting cabooses several years ago. About six years ago he approached Grow with the idea of turning them into a unique resort.

After several years of planning, last year the pair opened the Track 89 Caboose Village Resort at Big Rock Candy Mountain with three railroad cars. This year they have seven and next year they hope to have 10. The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area recently awarded the project a $25,000 grant for landscaping and parking.

Grow said it is unlikely the Mt. Pleasant facility will be open this season since major work needs to be done to prepare the site and move the railroad cars into place. He is very excited about the location, however.

“We’ve always loved that old depot and looked into moving it further down Highway 89 but found it was too expensive,” Grow said.

In 1977 the building was rescued from demolition by a group of local citizens who wanted to preserve it and had it moved to its present location from 500 West and Main.

The new location is ideal, Grow said. “It has great visibility, right on Highway 89. We will make sure that no lodging will block the beautiful view of the terrific old depot.” Grow said the Mt Pleasant site could eventually have as many as 15 rail cars.

He said they plan to incorporate several historic elements into the resort, but they have not yet determined if that will be in the setting of a small museum or as enhancements to the railroad cars themselves.

While some have suggested that the pair open a similar resort in Thistle in Utah County, Grow said that the Utah County planning department is not open to the idea.

“It would be like trying to push a river upstream,” he said.

MPNHA Director Monte Bona sees these two resorts as a first step to bringing about a railroad museum and interpretive center in the area, one of the goals of the MPNHA’s management plan.

“The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area reached the high threshold for national designation by articulating the thesis that Mormon colonization played a major role in the development of the West. The coming of the railroad era had a signifi cant impact that needs to be interpreted, displayed and conveyed as a crucial part of the Mormon country story,” he said.

The railroad first came to the Sevier Valley in 1893 when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad expanded its line from Chester to Manti , connecting it with its Valley Line at Thistle Junction via Mt. Pleasant and from Manti to Marysvale.

At its peak, the line ferried passengers to Richfield where tour companies would meet the train at Marysvale and take tourists to Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. For several decades it spurred economic growth in the area, especially in the livestock trade.

However, as automobiles grew in popularity, the railroad began to wane. In 1949, D&RGW dropped passenger service in the area. From then until the Thistle mudslide of 1982 shut down the line completely, the line primarily carried freight. Aft er the mudslide the D&RGW determined it would not be cost-effective to restore the line, which had been operating at a loss for decades.

Now, with the Environetics projects, railroad buff s and families will have a unique opportunity to experience a taste of the rich railroading history of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

For more information, contact or MPNHA Director Monte Bona at 801-699-5065 or David Grow at 801-375-9090.

###

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area includes 400 miles of glorious scenic byways, a vast array of wildlife, the best of western living, cattle and sheep ranches, and colorful mountain vistas, all within a trip on Utah Heritage Highway 89

ANNOUNCING EVERY KID IN A PARK

every kid in a park

The Federal Land Management agencies, National Parks, National Park Service, Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the White House have joined together in a partnership to initiate the EVERY KID IN A PARK incentive.  This program is designed to give every fourth grader and their families to visit all our country’s natural treasures.  The history of our great country can engage each student to enjoy the beauty, culture, and enjoy the federal lands and waters free of charge.

This initiative began 01 September 2015 and ends on August 31, 2016.  The free pass allows free access to the national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges, and so much more.

nps_arrowhead_300The National Park Foundation which is the nation’s official charity for the National Parks has been raising funds to work with connecting the fourth graders of our nation to have free access to all of  public land and waters in America.  A division of the Foundation’s Open Outdoors for Kids program, is designed to remove stumbling blocks for our fourth graders admission into the wonderlands of our natural parks and water ways.   The Every Kid in a Park initiative has been designed for students in under served and urban communities.  Due to the schools wide cutbacks in funding for grants for fields trips, the strategic funding will hopefully provide a learning experience for all fourth graders and their families.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is the only Federally recognized Heritage Area with three National Parks.

These are: Bryce Canyon National Park: Boulder Loop District

Sunset from the Sunset Point area at Capitol Reef Ray Mathis/NPS
Sunset from the Sunset Point area at Capitol Reef
Ray Mathis/NPS

Capitol Reef National Park in the Boulder Loop District

double rainbow

Zion National Park: Under the Rim District.

Zion National Park
Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wonder of the “Hoodoos”

Bryce Canyon is another great National Park that has beauty beyond description, come experience the wonder during National Park Week.

Bryce Canyon Natural Bridge Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com
Bryce Canyon Natural Bridge Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com

Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon pioneer assisted in the settlement of southwestern Utah and northern Arizona.  He came to the area in 1875 to harvest timber and live.  He settled behind what is now Bryce Canyon National Park, located in the southwestern part of the state of Utah.  His neighbors would call the canyon behind his home “Bryce’s Canyon.”  In 1928 it was given the designation of a state park. Bryce Canyon National Park is a small park, 56 square miles, by the standards of the National Parks.Bryce Canyon in the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

What is famous about Bryce Canyon?

Bryce Canyon, with its acclaimed geology, countless colors of varying hues, and amphitheaters shaped as horseshoes, cut out the eastern edge of  the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah.    With the power of nature the rainwater and the frost moisture dissolved to shape and affect the color of the limestone to create various shapes of “hoodoos,” slot canyons, windows, spires, and fins.  The miraculous natural tinting of the stones and a power that is unexplanable, has colored and arranged capriciously the rocks to have created a wonderland landscape of mazes.  Those that have taken a walk along this wonderland have experienced a memorable and exciting memory.

Bryce Canyon National Park Photo Courtesy of Kreig Rasmussen Photograpy
Bryce Canyon National Park Photo Courtesy of Kreig Rasmussen Photograpy

With the meadows located in the high elevations of the plateau, the foliage is abundant  and the wildlife flourishes.  The plateau has also been deemed as one of the world’s best air quality.  The rim affords a panoramic view of approximately 200 miles in a three state radius.  It is also known as one of the best stargazing locations due to a very small light sources.

Bryce Canyon Forest Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com
Bryce Canyon Forest Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com

The marvel of the “hoodoos” were described by the Paiutes as the “Legend People” that were turned to stone by Coyote.  The geological term for “hoodoo” is a pillar of rock, usually fantastic shape, left by erosion.  It is also known that “hoodoo” means to cast a spell.

Fairyland Point Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com
Fairyland Point Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com

Within the Bryce Canyon National Park, erosion has been created with the fun, whimsical  “hoodoos.”  Geologists have an answer, they state that millions of years ago whatever forces were present on Mother Earth, moved these cute enormous objects that were named Aquarius and Paunsaugunt Plateaus.  Today, the rock layers of the Aquarius now reach 2,000 feet above the Paunsaugunt’s same layers.

Aquarius Plateau in Bryce Canyon National Park Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service
Aquarius Plateau in Bryce Canyon National Park Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service

The ancient rivers’ flow took to carving out the tops and formed the edges of the large rocks.  Layers were removed and this brought about the chiseling and sculpted forms.  This brought about the creation of the Paria Valley and then later caused the widening of the plateaus.

Thor's Hammer Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com
Thor’s Hammer Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com

No matter what the cause, these wondrous shapes have certainly cast their spell for all that have ever visited, and those that wish to visit.

Hiking trail to Mossy Cave Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com
Hiking trail to Mossy Cave Photo Courtesy of Pam Burt and Utah.com

Come experience the beauty and wonder of this magnificent landscape that only exists in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Share your favorite story and photos, upload your photos on your social media #findyourpark #findyourstory.

First Annual Amazing Earthfest

DATE 05/09/2007 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

First Annual Amazing Earthfest

The First Annual Amazing Earthfest in “Dramatic” Southern UtahSouthern Utah’s Kane County

CONTACT: Cowboy Ted Hallisey 435-899-1102 Cowboyted8@aol.com

WEBSITE: www.amazingearthfest.com  or www.kaneutah.com
Alternate Contact/Coordinator: Rich Csenge 207-729-5825, jiw@gwi.net 

KANAB, Utah—Families and individuals from all fifty states and internationally are invited to celebrate the First Annual Amazing Earthfest Celebration, happening May 21-26, 2007 in Kanab, Utah. Here travelers will discover, learn from and celebrate national and state parks, national forests and public lands of the Colorado plateau located in Utah and Arizona.

Kanab plans to establish, host and support this broadly inclusive event each year in May, fostering education, scientific discovery and understanding, plus recreation and entertainment. The ultimate goal is to attract visitors from across the nation and abroad to Kane County, for the purpose of experiencing the National Parks and Public Lands that were recently described by Sunset Magazine as “dramatic.”

Visitors can choose from a wide variety of scheduled activities including: lectures and demonstrations, scientific and educational symposia, Native American and Pioneer cultural programs, guided backcountry trips, expeditions and musical performances. Additional activities include: exhibitions of visual arts, painting, sculpture, hand-made crafts, culinary delights and Pioneer history.

Scientific Presentations – Visiting scholars, scientists and staff from major regional educational institutions and the public land managing agencies will be invited to present on geology, ecology, biology, paleontology and archaeology, as well as land and resource management techniques. Programs are planned for a host of visitor centers in the area, as well as guided site visits and expeditions to remote locations in the region. Activities, exhibits, lectures and demonstrations will be designed to educate and inform local residents and visitors about the scientific discovery, study, history and natural wonders of Southern Utah and the Arizona Strip.

Creative Arts & Entertainment – Artists, musicians and storytellers will be on-hand to express their experience of the history, life and culture of the Intermountain West, through exhibitions, concerts and presentations, including competitions for prizes. Pioneer history and culinary arts will round out visitors’ enjoyment and the Tribe of the Colorado Plateau has been invited to participate.

Outdoor Recreation – Campers, hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, mountain bikers, climbers, road tourists and off-road vehicle enthusiasts are invited to make Southern Utah & Northern Arizona their destination for this springtime event; to engage in a favorite sport, while enjoying the welcoming hospitality of area service providers. OHVs are welcome on designated routes and trails.

Want a special treat? Hit the Arizona Strip and learn about the Condor Release Program.

Tentative Amazing Earthfest Participants ~ 2007

  • Best Friends Animal Society – bird display on site in Angel Canyon
  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – nature walks
  • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – Lake Powell events
  • Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim
  • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – Dinosaur talks and exhibits
  • Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts – Maynard Dixon Home
  • Pipe Spring National Monument – Native American and Pioneer food and lifestyle recreations & sampling

Also: Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dixie National Forest, East Zion Tourism Council, Kaibab National Forest, Kanab City, Kane County Office of Tourism, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Mormon Pioneer Heritage Highway, Page-Lake Powell, Utah Office of Tourism, and Zion National Park.

For more information on First Annual Amazing Earthfest Celebration please call Cowboy Ted Hallisey-435-899-1102 or Rich Csenge 207-729-5825.

# # #

For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

New Loan Program Opens Doors for New B&B, Other Projects in Rural Utah

DATE 10/28/2005 11:38 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

New Loan Program Opens Doors for New B&B, Other Projects in Rural Utah

The opening of the Slot Canyons Inn, a new bed and breakfast in Escalante, was a significant event on many fronts. Not only did it fulfill a life-long dream for owners Jeff and Joette Marie Rex, it’s also another indicator that Utah’s small towns are increasingly becoming tourist destinations. In addition, the new inn is an example of how a new, unique loan program is helping rural areas.

The Slot Canyons Inn was supported by the new “One-Doc” program, a simplified loan guarantee program designed to assist lenders making business and commercial loans in rural areas. It’s is financed through a combination of U.S. Department of Agriculture Funding, Utah Business Lending and the Five County Association of Government’s Revolving Loan Fund.

“This is an unusual pairing of three lenders on the front end of a project,” says Gordon Holt, president of the Utah Business Lending Corporation. The One-Doc program reduces some of the risk to make a rural loan because the USDA can guarantee loans up to 90 percent.

“It allow lenders to make more rural loans because the guarantees do not count against the lender’s lending limit,” Holt says. The loans are for construction of business buildings, business acquisitions, purchase of machinery and equipment, remodeling projects and working capital.

The Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Utah State Extension Service are working closely with Holt’s organization to identify businesses in Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane Counties that might benefit from the program.

“In particular, this program will help Sen. Robert Bennett in his efforts to assist businesses along U.S. Highway 89 through the creation of a national Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area,” says Monte Bona, a member of the highway alliance. The designation would mean that the six counties involved would receive funds for projects designed to retain and enhance the area’s natural beauty and promote heritage tourism. Heritage tourism is known as one of the fastest-growing segment in the tourism industry in America.

The Slots Inn is a perfect example. The new bed and breakfast incorporates the area’s history, heritage and natural beauty. The Inn is surrounded by Monument, Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. It’s 40 miles from Bryce Canyon, the Dixie National Forest is adjacent to the property, and the Aquarius Plateau, the highest plateau in North America, is located 17 miles above. Three major canyons, the Escalante River and North Creek also come together at the site. “We have wanted to develop this 160-acre parcel of land since we purchased it several years ago,” says owner Jeff Rex.

“We believe this spot is unique to Southern Utah and have chosen to build an eight-room Pueblo-style inn to fit with the significance of the site,” he says. A 110-year-old pioneer cabin built by Isaac Riddle and rebuilt in 1999 will also become part of the guest accommodations.

For more information about the loan program, contact Gordon Holt at Utah Business Lending, (801) 654-2213.

# # #

For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Skip to content

On this website we use first or third-party tools that store small files (cookie) on your device. Cookies are normally used to allow the site to run properly (technical cookies), to generate navigation usage reports (statistics cookies) and to suitable advertise our services/products (profiling cookies). We can directly use technical cookies, but you have the right to choose whether or not to enable statistical and profiling cookies. Enabling these cookies, you help us to offer you a better experience.