Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument

Exposed in the remote, unspoiled canyons and mesas are layers representing nearly 1.7 billion years of the earth's formation. Human occupation can be traced through such archeological finds as petroglyphs, pit houses and villages, with evidence pointing to habitation by hunter-gatherers as early as the Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods, and later by Puebloan and Southern Paiute cultures. Abandoned homesteads, ranches and mining camps are among the 19th- and 20th-century ruins preserved.

Wildlife is as diverse as the scenery. Two extreme ecological regions, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Plateau, intersect within the boundaries of the monument, which is inhabited by bighorn sheep, coyotes, mule deer, turkeys and Kaibab squirrels as well as the endangered California condor.

Hiking, picnicking and primitive camping are permitted. There are no paved roads, services or developed recreation sites. Graded dirt roads are passable by two-wheel drive vehicles when dry but become impassable when wet. Use four-wheel drive vehicles with full-sized spare tires to travel alternative routes. Be prepared for adverse and isolated conditions; most of the monument has no cellphone coverage. For maps and further information contact the Arizona Strip District Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 345 E. Riverside Dr., St. George, UT 84790; phone (435) 688-3200.