The hole in the rock foundation was organized to facilitate the ongoing development of the bluff fort historic site and interpretive projects throughout the hole in the rock trail. Hole in the rock road is a 55 mile dirt road washboard that travels south from highway 12 and has some spectacular sites along the various branches along the way. Not content to be just another guy with a drill and a dream, he handcarved his luxurious suite of rooms out of a natural cliff face in the 1940s. Oct 15, 2011 the story of the december 1879 hole in the rock expedition, when 250 men, women, children, with 80 wagons and many cattle and horses, passed through 200 miles of impossible country to lay foundations for a mormon settlement in the four corners area. Did it just to say i did it but i could have spent my time with other, more interesting hikesplaces. Holeintherock is the evocative name given by mormon settlers in 1879 the san juan mission to a short, steep valley leading towards the colorado river, the only breach for many miles in the otherwise vertical cliffs of glen canyon that constituted an almost impassable barrier between the then unsettled lands in southeast utah. During your bay of islands hole in the rock dolphin cruise, you will see this amazing icon yourself, see dolphins, whales and other marine life as well as have the chance to catch your own lucky drop of water from within the hole. Mar 18, 2014 hole in the rock trek reenactment classic. Benjamin was joined two years later by his sweetheart, mary ann williams. Mormon pioneers took six months to get through this journey. Join us on board dolphin seeker for the best half day in the bay. Much of hole in the rock road is passable to highclearance, twowheel drive vehicles in dry weather. The holeintherock foundation preserving the history and sharing the legacy holeintherock trail markers help to identify the original route of the pioneers. The story of the december 1879 holeintherock expedition, when 250 men, women, children, with 80 wagons and many cattle and horses, passed through 200 miles of impossible country to lay foundations for a mormon settlement in the four corners area.
At the call of their prophet, they left wellestablished farms and businesses to strike out yet again into the untamed wilderness. Moab, utah albert christensens home is in a neighborhood of its own the knobby, treeless void of southeastern utah. Holeintherock road is located 5 miles east of escalante, utah. Hole in the rock trail travels historic slickrock or weathered sandstone.
Words often seem inadequate to fully describe one of the most harrowing episodes of the pioneer colonization of utah the hole in the rock expedition of 1880. In december of 1879 approximately 80 wagons, consisting of 250 men, women and children, gathered about 40 miles southeast of escalante. Mormon pioneers descend the hole they had blasted into the rock. The holeintherock foundation was organized to facilitate the ongoing development of the bluff fort historic site and interpretive projects throughout the holeintherock trail. The hole in the rock expedition bryce canyon country. Holeintherock road, grand staircaseescalante national. Check this national park service site here for more information on that expedition. He came to utah in 1867 with the dream of meeting up with the latter day saints in utah and creating a new life for himself. I arrived at hole in the wall thinking that everyone else would stay back at eagle creek, which is a popular camping area with great hiking and historical significance. Hole in the rock expedition is subject of new documentary. Hole in the rock located at the end of the road, is a crevice that was widened by the mormon san juan expedition to allow 83 full size wagons and head of livestock to be. Current newsletter the holeintherock foundation publishes a newsletter at least annually. Hole in the rock crevasse looking down at lake powell.
This is the first really long slickrock trail i have done and has fueled a continuing search for ever more remote red rock country roads. Set off on a threehour bay of islands cruise in search of dolphins and other marine life. The mormon trailblazers who established this trail crossed the colorado river and ended their journey in the town of bluff. When it comes to creating spellbinding historical fiction, nobody does it quite like gerald n. Lund, this powerful documentary relates stories of faith, ingenuity and courage as told by descendants of the hole in the rock expedition.
The san juan expedition also known as the san juan mission or the holeintherock expedition was a group of mormon settlers intent on establishing a colony in what is now southeastern utah, in the western united states. The hole in the rock expedition is rightfully recognized as one of the greatest feats accomplished in western american history. Pioneer trek across the barren wast land of southern utah via the hole in the rock in. On january 26, 1880, after six months of blasting and chiseling, an expedition of 250 mormon pioneers. Hole in the rock phoenix 2020 all you need to know before. Hole in the rock is the evocative name given by mormon settlers in 1879 the san juan mission to a short, steep valley leading towards the colorado river, the only breach for many miles in the otherwise vertical cliffs of glen canyon that constituted an almost impassable barrier between the then unsettled lands in southeast utah. Kbyu tv documentary about the 1880 hole in the rock expedition.
Will giving the state control of historic hole in the rock. The primitive hole in the rock trail, which closely follows the path of the 1879 expedition, runs southeast from near the town of escalante to a parking area just above the crevice. The holeintherock expedition established the trail in 1879. Hole in the rock road escalante 2020 all you need to know. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
The next two pictures are for those that have read the excellent historical novel of the hole in the rock expedition by gerald n. Enjoy the views from our catamaran dolphin seeker as we journey right to the end of the cape brett peninsula, to the famous hole in the rock on motukokako island. The holeintherock road parallels a foot high bench along its entire length, and 7 12 miles south of the dance hall rock turnoff is an opportunity to drive along this bench. During your halfday cruise, you will see spectacular views aboard the amazing dolphin seeker catamaran. For best results, use the customized trip planning widget for hole in the rock on your website. It is 34 miles each way, through some of the most uninhabited, unspoiled land in utah. We ran down to willow gulch to see broken bow arch and then drove the rest of the way to hole in the rock as some in our group hadnt seen it before. The mormon church pioneers blazed a trail through this inhospitable landscape and you can relive those steps all the way to lake powell in glen canyon national recreation area. I am planning on hiking a peekaboo gulch and a few others this weekend, and i wanted to know if you really needed 4wd for holeintherock road. Current newsletter the hole in the rock foundation publishes a newsletter at least annually. Id rather have good mpg while driving down, but i dont want to bang up my commuter too bad.
This 62 mile 100 km drive one way runs from escalante, utah to the holeintherock on the western shore of lake powell following. Hole in the rock expedition 2016 plot summary imdb. Hole in the rock rd is a bit washboard, but you are only on it for like 14 mile. The markers placement and design are stipulated in an agreement between the hole in the rock foundation and the blm and national park service. Feb 07, 2007 check this national park service site here for more information on that expedition. The 1,500acre 600hectare park is approximately 7 miles 11 kilometers east of downtown phoenix. Holeinthe rock glen canyon national recreation area u. We did stop at the boy scout memorial, dance hall rock last bathroom, batty pass caves and devils garden. Hole in the rock crevasse looking down at lake powell on january 26, 1880, after six months of blasting and chiseling, an expedition of 250 mormon pioneers with their wagons and livestock descended through a rocky crevice known as the hole in the rock to the colorado river below now lake powell. The hole in the rock is located on the east side of papago park, close to the main entrance. A portion of the group camped at the top of the holeintherock, a narrow crack in the canyon rim 2. Their six month journey would required conquering rugged impassable territory, sheer sandstone walls, steep mountainsides and solid rock ridges.
Mcpherson, a longtime student of southeastern utahs landscape and culture, appears this week in the documentary hole in the rock expedition, filmed and produced by kbyu tv. The holeintherock expedition was a twomilelong caravan of horsedrawn mormon wagons and livestock that travelled across the west in the 1870s, on the way to establish a new settlement in the untamed, southeast corner of utah. It has all the advantages mentioned above, plus users to your site can conveniently access it directly on your site. Mormon pioneers faced a daunting task in an inhospitable landscape. Usu history prof offers context in documentary about dramatic. Hole in the rock dolphin cruise fullers greatsights.
Angles landing zions np not far from where the pioneers camped while building the road up san juan hill at the end of comb ridge was an anasazi ruin on a ledge near the san juan river. This scenic drive one way follows the general route of of the original hole in the rock expedition. The hole in the rock trail is a historic trail running eastsoutheast from the town of escalante in southern utah in the western united states. Lund, this powerful documentary relates stories of faith, ingenuity and courage as told by descendants of the hole in.
Holeintherock the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. For the 1780 military campaign, see san juan expedition 1780. The hole in the rock expedition established the trail in 1879, and has since become part of grand staircaseescalante national monument, glen canyon national recreation area, and within blm land. Kbyu tv has produced a powerful documentary that will premiere on monday, december 5 at 7 p. Driving down hole in the rock road isnt an easy task this long dirt road is often rutted out, washed out, washboardlike, and very rough. Hole in the rock an epic in the colonization of the great. Just a hole in the rock this was an incredibly easy climb to a hole with not much to look at. The markers placement and design are stipulated in an agreement between the holeintherock foundation and. The shortcut proved to be deceptive, and the pioneers spent the winter at fortymile spring. In 1879 a faithful group of utahans sought to establish a settlement in southeastern utah.
A small band of men, women, and children formed the 1879 pioneer company. The documentary premiered earlier this month in bluff, the tiny burg settled by the pioneers. This map shows the pioneer trek from escalante through holeintherock and. A portion of the group camped at the top of the hole in the rock, a narrow crack in the canyon rim 2. Most of the road on blm land is passable to highclearance, twowheel drive vehicles in dry weather. Hole in the rock, mormon expedition trail, utah, on may 1. It is a dirt road through the grand staircase escalante national monument. The last few miles within glen canyon are best travelled by foot, bicycle, or 4x4. But mormon heritage activities on hole in the rock road appear to hold high interest. Visit hole in the rock on your trip to phoenix or united states. After an even more difficult journey on the east side of the river, the expedition.
Theres a number of options for getting to the hole in the rock by boat. Posts in drilled holes supported horizontal beams to allow passage of the wagons. Alternatively, the bottom of the route can be accessed by boat, at buoy 66 on lake powell in the glen canyon national recreation area. They came down from escalante to the west side of the colorado river just below halls crossing, blasted a slot through the canyon wall down to the colorado river, crossed the river, and then blazed a trail from there to bluff, utah. The hole in the rock foundation preserving the history and sharing the legacy hole in the rock trail markers help to identify the original route of the pioneers. In the past, church youth groups visited the road for trekstyle reenactments of the 1880 expedition, pollock. Visit hole n the rock, a most unique home, carved out of a huge rock in utahs canyonlands country. The roads inside the camping area have big ruts and dry washouts could be creeks in heavy rains, but im not sure so i wouldnt recommend arriving in the dark unless you know where you are going.
Pioneer trek across the barren wast land of southern utah via the holeintherock in. This historic 5,000 square foot home and unusual gift shop and trading post are open all year. History prof offers context in documentary about dramatic. The environment around hole in the wall is grandiose and quite spectacular. Through that hole in the rock, 250 men women and children, 83 wagons and over a thousand head of livestock descended to the perilous colorado river. Hole in the rock phoenix all you need to know before you. Hole in the rock expedition mormon historic sites foundation. Much of holeintherock road is passable to highclearance, twowheel drive vehicles in dry weather.
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