NPS Photo by Stella Carroll You will be making use of one more CCC project as you leave the park: the road into the canyon. The road is particularly significant because it was the CCC’s first project here, and it was a real engineering and construction challenge. Until that time the only way to enter the canyon was a steep, switchback walking trail, now known as the Frey Trail, about a half mile up the canyon. To provide the opportunity for more visitors to use the park, a road was a real necessity. Within about a month after the CCC camp was established, the enrollees had built a 12-foot-wide truck trail, which they widened and completed later. It was carefully planned to provide the maximum view of the canyon upon entry, while providing the least possible visual intrusion from the canyon bottom, and the original route and roadbed are still in use. As you drive out of the park, you may notice the original stone gutters, which are carefully maintained. You may also notice several stone houses back from the left side of the road; the CCC built these as residences for park staff and the Superintendent. About a quarter of a mile up the road is a service road (open to employees only). It leads to the stables, which were originally built to house horses for the guests to rent, but now are home for park horses and mules used for rescues and work on the backcountry trails. |
Last updated: January 18, 2022