The Wild Edge of Grand Staircase-Escalante
May 2021
The Last Frontier, Grand Staircase-Escalante
We reached Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument at the end of Johnson Canyon Road, just a short drive from Kanab. This immense place covers nearly 1.87 million acres of harsh terrain. Among the most remote spots in the lower 48, it was the last place in the continental U.S. to be mapped!
Because the terrain was so rough, our “highways” were washboard dirt tracks, unsuitable for our tiny 2WD car. Not wanting to get stranded in the middle of nowhere, we explored only a small fraction of the monument, sticking to walks near the entrance.
Ghostly Remnants of the West
On our way back, we detoured to the site where Marshal Matt Dillon once walked. The Gunsmoke series, running from 1955 to 1975 with 635 episodes, filmed many outdoor scenes in Johnson. However, the experience diverged from the “Wild West” I expected. The Johnson Canyon movie set, once the backdrop for Gunsmoke, is now a breakable cluster of ruins. Most of the structures have surrendered to the elements, looking more like a true ghost town than a Hollywood set. Seeing “Dodge City” slowly reclaimed by the desert was a sobering sight and brought to mind Matt Dillon’s words: “Things have a way of changing… and a man can’t always change with ’em.” Everything ends, even a popular series that once ruled the West.
Date
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Distance
< 1 mi
Moving Time
< 30 min
WEATHER
73 °F, light breeze