Utah harbors an amazing collection of National Park System units, from five national parks including Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion to such national monuments as Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge and Cedar Breaks. More recently, the state became home to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which the Bureau of Land Management oversees, and Bears Ears National Monument, which is shared by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service. 

How did these places come to be? What challenges did they face along the way to inclusion in the National Park System or the overall public lands network, and what challenges continue to confront them? Frederick Swanson is a Salt Lake City writer who long has studied public lands issues in Utah, and his latest book, Wonders of Sand and Stone, A History of Utah’s National Parks and Monuments, delves into the history of these parks and monuments. It’s a worthy title to include in your own national park library.

Traveler footnote: You can find a review of Swanson's book on this page.