Closer Than You Think: Pipe Spring Monument Will Help You Turn Back Time

(All photos courtesy Pipe Spring National Monument website)

"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."

Not far off (according to Google Maps, 1 hr 9 min (61.7 mi) via State Hwy 59 S and AZ-389 E) lies a little piece of history that needs to not be ignored.

It's called Pipe Spring National monument and it sits about halfway between Colorado City and Fredonia.

From their website:

A Story Built in Stone

"Beneath colorful sandstone cliffs in northern Arizona, Pipe Spring National Monument preserves the story of human life, settlement, and struggle in the heart of the southwestern desert.

For thousands of years, native people, plants, and animals relied on the spring for its life-giving water. Beginning in the 1850s, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints began settling the area that the Kaibab Paiute called home. The new settlers drastically altered the landscape and set the stage for conflict and compromise on the western frontier."

The monument, a living farm, is open to visitors (open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and is very affordable -- $10.00 per person for 7 days. (Includes a $3 per-person tribal use fee.) Children 15 years old and under are admitted free.

The Pipe Spring Monument includes a fort, farm, museum and corrals. They recently added a couple of new residents. From the press release:

New residents

Two Texas Longhorns have been added to the Pipe Springs National Monument family.

The longhorns, named Wai (pronounced like why) and Pai (pronounced like pie) were recently added to a public facing corral at the monument and are available to view at a safe distance when the monument is open. Wai is the Southern Utah Paiute word for two, while Wai is the word for three.

Texas Longhorns were first introduced to the Arizona Strip area in the mid-1860's. According to a press release, Texas Longhorns were introduced on the strip by Dr. James M. Whitmore, a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Whitmore was looking for a place to establish a ranch found the area near the present day monument location. The grasslands in the area provided feed for his cattle.

Pipe Springs National Monument was established on May 31^st, 1923, by President Warren G. Harding as a “memorial to western pioneer life.” The animal acquisition was made possible by a grant from the Zion National Park Forever Project.

Sweeping vistas

Some of the views at the monument are breathtaking and there are hiking trails along with interaction with the longhorns, horses and other farm animals.

Visitors can make their ay throughout the property and learn and experience the ways of the Old West.

The museum

From the website: Travel back in time surrounded by red rock cliffs and wide open desert. Explore twelve new exhibits and learn about the history of the Kaibab Paiutes, their interactions with other tribes and cultures, the movement of Mormon settlers into the area, as well as modern day Paiute culture. The museum is open daily and includes a 25-minute introductory video. You may also visit the museum via virtual tour.

Guided tours and expert presentations are also available at Pipe Spring National Monument.