The red-rock artistry of Utah's Canyonlands

The Red-Rock State. Its southern horizons covered in a maze of towering, intricately carved, red-rock formations. Flaming red arches, pinnacles, and spires rising from the desert floor. Stone sculptures carved by wind and water into amazingly beautiful configurations. The finest examples being preserved at the National Parks of Bryce and Arches. Two natural wonders of the world.

Most of Utah beckons the adventuresome to hike and explore. Sixty-four percent of the state is owned by the federal government (the highest percentage outside of Alaska and Nevada). Utah has five National Parks, six National Monuments, two National Recreation Areas, seven National Forests and 45 State Parks.

Hiking is probably the best way to appreciate the magnitude of this terrain and its arches. Being the third driest state in the country (behind Nevada and Arizona) be sure to carry a canteen of water, map, and compass while hiking. Welcome companions on any journey through unfamiliar terrain.

Utah was not always a desert. During the last Ice Age the entire state was forested and there was an abundance of wildlife. Remnants of prehistoric inhabitants date back to 9,000 B.C. From their artifacts archeologists have revealed that these early nomads evolved a lifestyle around hunting the now extinct long horned bison. An animal weighing several thousand pounds and whose horns spanned over ten feet. A way of life very similar to that adopted by the Plains Indians who followed and hunted the buffalo.

The coming of the railroads was a major advance in civilizing the West. The main east-west railways being the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines. After years of separate track laying, the east and west rails were finally joined at Promontory Point Utah in 1869. For the first time in history, America had a fast mode of transcontinental travel. Settlers no longer had to spend months in covered wagons crossing America's mountains and plains. East to West coast travel was reduced from months to 10 days. The Pony Express mail routes soon became obsolete as did the Oregon and Mormon Trails.