The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL, April twelfth, appreciating the glory of nothing.

On January 11, 2000, with a stroke of his pen Bill Clinton set aside more than a million acres of sub blasted desert as Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. It might better have been called Northwest Arizona National Monument, because with adjacent state preserves, it encompasses all the real estate from the Grand Canyon north to Utah's border.

Isolated by steep, dry mountains and deep gorges, with temperatures that range from plus 120 in summer to minus 20 in winter, with little in the way of water, topsoil, vegetation, game or mineral resources, it's no surprise civilization has made few inroads in this area. Unlike, other national monuments, Parashant has no visitor's center, no developed campsites, no paved roads, and no real plans to introduce any of those amenities.

What's there are millions of acres of desert punctuated by numerous and notable natural features, from deep, slot canyons to red rock cliffs that soar 2500 feet in the air. There's 600 million years of visible geological history, and several hundred thousand years of biological history. Humans, relative newcomers, date back only about 11,000 years, but archeological evidence of their presence is everywhere, from Clovis spearpoints to Anazazi etchings. Close examination reveals a range of unique life forms, from dormant desert moss to bighorn sheep. It's the kind of vastness where a good guide is essential and pack animals a plus. All in all, there are traces of eternity everywhere in this nothingness.

This issue of National Geographic Traveler, a supporter of our program, gets inside Parashant. You can register for a free sample copy on our home page.

FMI For information on Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, contact Interagency Information Center 435-688-3246 or http://azstrip.az.blm.gov

Back to April 2003 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.