Want to get away?
Do you want to escape, if only in your mind? Here’s a suggestion: Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. It is adjacent to the Grand Canyon National Park’s Tuweep Ranger Station on the North Rim. It’s wide open and remote. What’s more, it offers one million acres of public property to share with the rare Kaibab Squirrel. However, according to BLM statistics, only about 18,200 people visit this area per year. That means you won’t see many humanoids, especially if you’re only traveling there in your mind!
You and those crazy squirrels!
You’re alone with the wild and crazy Kaibab squirrels, northern goshawks and Pińon jays, Great Basin rattlesnakes and mule deer. There are more than 1,200 miles of dirt roads out here. There are 0 miles of paved roads.
This is only one of two places in the world where you can find the white-tailed Kaibab Squirrel – here and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, just next door. This tassel-eared squirrel’s habitat is confined to ponderosa forests where it builds its nest from pine needles and twigs of the mighty Ponderosa. It lives on the seeds of ponderosa pine cones, as well as the fungi (an underground truffle) found at the base of the tree. It’s considered a subspecies of Abert’s squirrel (Sciurus aberti).
On the edge of the Plateau:
Of course, there’s so much more than just squirrels and dirt roads out here. Grand Canyon Parashant is located on the very southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, about 90 miles south of St. George, Utah. You drive through it in order to reach the Grand Canyon National Park’s Tuweep Ranger Station. The ranger station is on the way to Toroweap Overlook on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. This is one of the few spots where the Colorado River can actually be seen from the North Rim. In fact, the famous Lava Falls can be viewed from here!
Designated by President Bill Clinton
This area was designated a national monument in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. An Interior Department Review ordered by Congress found the area was, indeed, deserving of this special designation. Yet, some questioned whether the Antiquities Act of 1906 was being pushed to its limits. After all, one million acres to protect “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures and other objects of historic or scientific interest”???
Take three minutes and travel there now. Check out this short video and see what you think. Relax and Enjoy!