Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona

Pipe Spring National Monument is a historic site in Arizona that serves as a memorial to western pioneer life. It covers a 40-acre (0.16 sq km) plot in Mohave County, Arizona.

Availability of spring water in the area allowed plants, animals and people to make a living in the area, which is otherwise a barren desert land. Native American tribes have hunted and gathered in the area for at least a thousand years.

The first European to set foot in Pipe Springs were Mormon missionaries led by Jacob Hamblin, in 1858. In their wake came Mormon pioneers led by James M. Whitmore. They began cattle ranching in the area. However there were soon clashes with the local Native Americans culminating in violence in 1866. This led to the ranchers building a fort to protect themselves.

Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pipe_Spring_Fort_NPS.jpg
Author: National Park Service


In 1872 the fort and ranch were bought over by Brigham Young for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and thereafter called Winsor Castle. In this remote location members of the Church of the Latter-day Saints practised polygamy. This brought them in conflict with the United States Government, which passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, dissolving the LDS Church and seizing the property.

Meanwhile the Native American Paiute tribe living in the area established the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation in 1907. It surrounds the Pipe Spring ranch. The rance was purchased by the government in 1923 and turned into a national monument on 31 May, 1923, as a showcase of western pioneer life. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 15 October, 1966. The boundaries of the national monument was expanded in October, 2000.

Today visitors to Pipe Spring National Monument can learn about the Mormon pioneers, American Indians and the flora and fauna of the area, all sustained by the life-giving water of Pipe Spring.

Visiting Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona

Although in Arizona, the site is accessed from Utah. Take Interstate 15 and exit to Utah State Route 9 heading towards Hurricane, Utah. From Hurricane continue on Utah State Route 59 heading east. The highway crosses the state border into Arizona at Colorado City, where it continues south as Arizona State Route 389. Continue on 389 until junction to Pipe Spring Rd to your left.

The monument ground and visitor center, including the museum, are open daily 7:00 am to 5:00 pm June through August and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm September through May. The center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year days. Entrance fee is $5.00 per person, free for children aged 15 and below.

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