Pipe Spring rarely crowded and offers glimpse into the past

Located on the Arizona Strip somewhat off the beaten tourist path, Pipe Spring National Monument remains one of the Southwest's least-known historical gems. Most traffic heads for better-known national parks in this scenic region, such as Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon and Lake Powell. Seldom crowded, the frontier-era fortified ranch welcomes about 55,000 visitors annually. Those who take the time to stop enjoy glimpses of bygone times in a picturesque setting.

Pipe Springs sits near Highway 389 between Hurricane, Utah, and Fredonia, Ariz., about 180 miles from Las Vegas. Follow Interstate 15 north into Utah, passing through St. George. Exit on Highway 9 to reach Hurricane. In Hurricane, turn on Highway 59, which becomes Highway 389 at the Arizona border.

Because of its reliable water, Pipe Spring drew a parade of people and cultures over hundreds of years. Nomadic people of prehistory hunted wildlife and gathered native plants there. Later, people tied to the land by the crops they propagated built pueblo-style villages nearby. When they left, small groups of Paiutes inhabited the area. Exploration and settling by Europeans brought Spanish padres, mountain men, explorers, soldiers, pioneers and ranchers.

Led by frontiersman Jacob Hamblin, a Mormon missionary party headed for Hopi villages camped at the spring in 1858. A favorable report from the group first brought attention to the area's abundant grass and water. The spring reportedly was named that trip when Hamblin's brother, William, a noted marksman, shot the bowl out of a pipe placed on a boulder near the water.

A Mormon rancher brought the first cattle to the site in 1863. He and a helper built a dugout for shelter, planted an orchard, captured spring water in ponds and erected corrals. In January 1866, marauding Navajos raiding stock killed both men a few miles from the spring. Mormon church authorities soon acquired the property from the rancher's widow as a place to pasture tithing herds and as a resting place for wayfarers.

The two-story stone and timber ranch house constructed as headquarters by the Mormons was built with defense in mind, with rifle ports in the walls and a constant source of spring water flowing from beneath the parlor floor and through a basement dairy. By the time the ranch house was completed in 1872, the turbulence along the border had settled. The defenses proved unnecessary.

The house soon became known as "Winsor Castle," after Anson Winsor, the first ranch superintendent sent by the church. The Mormon occupants turned their energies toward food production. The ranch had livestock herds, gardens, orchards and a dairy that produced milk, cream, butter and cheese. Occupants and visitors ate well at Pipe Spring. Excess ranch products were hauled 50 miles by wagon to St. George. They fed the men constructing roads and early buildings, such as the St. George Temple and the meeting house called the Tabernacle. Explorer John Wesley Powell visited Pipe Spring and likely obtained some provisions for his historic Grand Canyon boat expedition at the ranch.

Protected by the National Park Service since 1923, Pipe Spring National Monument preserves a portion of frontier history. Open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, the monument currently remains open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Summer hours are longer. Rangers collect a $5 entry fee, waived for holders of federal recreation passes.

Start your visit at the museum, developed with the cooperation of the Kaibab Band of Paiutes whose reservation lands surround Pipe Spring. Take time for the short introductory video, then peruse the exhibits for an overview of the history of the site and the cultures connected with it. The museum also contains a bookstore stocked with books and other materials related to the site.

Stroll over toward the main stone and timber structure to join a free guided tour starting every half-hour daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at this time of year. The structure appears much as it did in the late 1800s, with furnishings true to the period. Morning visitors often observe demonstrations of pioneer skills such as weaving and quilting by a costumed staff or volunteers.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.