Viewed from the upper levels of Winsor Castle or the hillside above, the features of the land change color with the rising and setting of the sun and all the hours in between. In the distance, summer storms pass by, filling the skies with dark clouds, changing the distant plateaus to deep purples and blues. On dry summer days the dust devils swirl in shades of brown on the dry plains to the south, no mountains or hills to break their path. Whether dressed in winter whites or surrounded by spring fed greens, the many colors of the rocks and the bordering landscape provide a fitting contrast and an ever changing beauty.
These features are intertwined with the history of the area. The homes and travel paths were defined by the terrain and the springs. A trade route for prehistoric people evolved through time and people into an expansion route for Mormon pioneers that, today, is a travel corridor for residents and visitors alike. All follow the path of least resistance at the base of the Vermillion Cliffs and above the deep washes and canyons that drain into the "grandest" canyon of them all.
The water itself travels for hundreds of years, maybe even thousands, through faults and fractures in the layered rock, finally arising to the surface. Beyond its long support for native plants and animals, the springs supported many people and domestic animals over the years. The water fed fields and gardens for all who took up residence. Travelers through the ages relied on the water to sustain them to their destination. Once a water source open to all, the spring was later closed to all but the residents of Winsor Castle, providing a safe water source in case of Indian attack. How would history have changed if somewhere down through time, the location of the spring had been kept secret?
