Bluff in San Juan County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Welcome to the Bluff Fort Historic Site

Photographed by James Hulse, March 28, 2025

1. Welcome to the Bluff Fort Historic Site Marker

Inscription.

Welcome to the Bluff Fort Historic Site. . In April 1880, 260 pioneers arrived here, concluding a six-month journey of unparalleled difficulty. We invite you to enjoy a self-guided tour. Push the buttons on the cabin entrances to learn more of their remarkable challenges., In the late 1870s, 70 families and a number of single men received calls (assignments) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to establish a settlement in the Four Corners region. Those who were able to accept these calls, along with others who volunteered, embarked from their various hometowns in southwestern Utah in October 1879. From Escalante, Utah, the last established town along their route, the colonizers blasted a wagon road through the Colorado River gorge, cut paths up and down solid sand-stone cliffs, crossed deep ravines, and chopped a path through a juniper forest - terrain so inhospitable that many of their own scouts deemed it impassable. The wagon road blazed by these pioneers, referred to as The Hole-in-the-Rock Trail, was named after a crevice they used to access the Colorado River gorge., "Six months in the midst of one of the severest winters, it looked to me that there was something more than human power or wisdom associated with it. Surely the hand of Providence had been over the traveling pilgrims. No serious accidents had befallen any of us." Kumen Jones, Terrain unfit for a bird to fly over - The conclusion of the pioneer scouts, Captions , (Photo #1) The Hole-in-the-Rock Crevice , To cross the Colorado River gorge, the pioneers labored for six weeks to construct a wagon road down this crevice. Named the Hole-in-the-Rock, the crevice has a vertical drop of 1300 feet. To provide perspective, there are 25 pioneer actors throughout the crevice. Can you find them? , (Photo #2) Cedar Mesa / Grand Gulch , (Photo #3) The upper part on of Cottonwood Hill, a portion of their blasted path out of the river gorge , (Photo #4) Blasted switchbacks down from Gray Mesa called Slick Rocks , (Photo #5) Comb Ridge , (Photo #6) The Chute , (Photo #7) Clay Hills Cliff , (Photo #8) San Juan Hill

In April 1880, 260 pioneers arrived here, concluding a six-month journey of unparalleled difficulty. We invite you to enjoy a self-guided tour. Push the buttons on the cabin entrances to learn more of their remarkable challenges.

In the late 1870s, 70 families and a number of single men received calls (assignments) from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to establish a settlement in the Four Corners region. Those who were able to accept these calls, along with others who volunteered, embarked from their various hometowns in southwestern Utah in October 1879. From Escalante, Utah, the last established town along their route, the colonizers blasted a wagon road through the Colorado River gorge, cut paths up and down solid sand-stone cliffs, crossed deep ravines, and chopped a path through a juniper forest - terrain so inhospitable that many of their own scouts deemed it impassable. The wagon road blazed by these pioneers, referred to as The Hole-in-the-Rock Trail, was named after a crevice they used to access the Colorado River gorge.

"Six months in the midst of one of the severest winters, it looked to me that there was something more than human power or wisdom associated with it. Surely the hand of Providence had been over the traveling pilgrims. No serious accidents had befallen any of us." Kumen Jones

Terrain

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unfit for a bird to fly over - The conclusion of the pioneer scouts

Captions
(Photo #1) The Hole-in-the-Rock Crevice
To cross the Colorado River gorge, the pioneers labored for six weeks to construct a wagon road down this crevice. Named the Hole-in-the-Rock, the crevice has a vertical drop of 1300 feet. To provide perspective, there are 25 pioneer actors throughout the crevice. Can you find them?
(Photo #2) Cedar Mesa / Grand Gulch
(Photo #3) The upper part on of Cottonwood Hill, a portion of their blasted path out of the river gorge
(Photo #4) Blasted switchbacks down from Gray Mesa called Slick Rocks
(Photo #5) Comb Ridge
(Photo #6) The Chute
(Photo #7) Clay Hills Cliff
(Photo #8) San Juan Hill

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1880.

Location. 37° 17.049′ N, 109° 33.15′ W. Marker is in Bluff, Utah, in San Juan County. It is at the intersection of Black Locust Avenue and 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue. The marker is located at the Bluff Fort Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 550 Black Locust Ave, Bluff UT 84512, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Navajo Nation

and in Canyon Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West,

in Colorado Plateau,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

Photographed by James Hulse, March 28, 2025

2. Welcome to the Bluff Fort Historic Site Marker

The Co-op Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Replica of the Log Meetinghouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Irrigation - The San Juan Pioneers Greatest Challenge (within shouting distance of this marker); Josephine Catherine Chatterley Wood (within shouting distance of this marker); The San Juan Gold Rush (within shouting distance of this marker); Replica of the Bluff Meetinghouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Montezuma (within shouting distance of this marker); The Butt Families (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bluff.

Also see . . . Bluff Fort Visitor Center. Hole in the Rock Foundation website entry (Submitted on April 21, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.