This sprawling preserve was the last place to be mapped in the continental United States, a suggestion of its remoteness that along with the accompanying solitude and tranquility remain its main characteristics today.
Designated a monument in 1996, it embraces a sequence of cliffs and plateaus that march 5,500 vertical feet from the Colorado River in Arizona to Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah.
Only after its creation was it realized what a scientific gold mine the monument is. It occupies 
the very center of dinosaur finds in the world. In 2007 alone, 2 new horned dinosaur species, a giant crocodile, and crested hadrosaur were discovered. What is remarkable is that it is not just fossilized bones that have been found but skin, soft tissue, muscle, and tendon impressions.
The 1.9 million acre monument hosts recreational activities of many stripes. Horseback riding, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, hunting, fishing, and even trapping are all embraced. Nearly 1,000 miles of roads and trails are open to all-terrain vehicles.
Four visitor centers ringing the monument -- at Kanab, Big Water, Escalante, and Cannonville -- each feature a different monument theme.
Scenic roads abound in the monument, both skirting and crisscrossing it.
