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LEES FERRY, Ariz. - Sure, this remote region near the Utah border remains one of the least-visited and wildest places on the Colorado Plateau.

But that's not for a lack of things to do or a shortage of historic stories to discover.

Lees Ferry, site of a crossing of the Colorado River starting in 1872, now marks the end of Glen Canyon and the start of the Grand Canyon.

Visitors come to hike in Paria Canyon or in the nearby Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monuments. River-runners begin their trips at the Lees Ferry Ramp. Birders come here to see rare California condors and other raptors.

Anglers cast flies for trout in the dark green and cold waters coming out of the Glen Canyon Dam. History buffs visit to learn about famous explorers, wander among the remains of Lees Ferry or take guided walking tours of the Lonely Dell Ranch.

Others end up here because they're plain lost, says Maggie Sacher, owner of Lees Ferry Lodge, one of four tiny private inns along this stretch of U.S. 89A.

"We literally get people who are lost and have no plan about where they are going or where they have been," she says. "They are just wandering or, in the summer, couldn't find a room inside Grand Canyon National Park."

The remoteness here scares a few visitors, says Sacher, whose lodge lacks telephone service or television. (There's a spot near a sign and Dumpster across the street from the lodge where there's cell phone reception.)

She has watched with more than a little amusement as people have slept in their vehicles in her parking lot, although much of the surrounding desert and forest is open to dispersed camping.

"I ask people why they slept in the parking lot and they tell me they wanted to be near people because they thought they would be safer," said Sacher. "What gets people here is the quiet. They are not used to this much quiet."

Of course, the quiet is a major draw for many others.

Sacher says she has one customer from New York City who comes for a week every year and does virtually nothing but sit near her lodge near the base of the Vermilion Cliffs, a place where on moonless nights the Milky Way spreads its way across amazingly clear and dark skies.

The National Park Service administers Lees Ferry. Historians, including the agency's Allen Malmquist, can sometimes be found working around Lees Ferry or the Lonely Dell Ranch, sharing stories about what was once the only place to cross the Colorado River for 600 miles.

He might talk about how Spanish priests Dominguez and Escalante tried to find a route across the Colorado River in 1776 near this spot while returning to Santa Fe. He can tell how Mormon pioneer Jacob Hamblin made the first recorded crossing in this spot in 1864 or how John Wesley Powell stopped his second exploration of the Colorado River at this point.

Malmquist, who also works to maintain the small buildings and orchard at Lonely Dell, says the most fascinating stories revolve around the area's namesake, John D. Lee, who spent much of his late years at the spot operating the ferry before being executed by firing squad in 1877 for his role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

There were other farmers who lived and worked at the crossing, whose owners included the Babbitt family of Flagstaff, Ariz., and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Visitors can see the ruins of a failed gold-mining operation and a submerged steamboat.

Visitors can pick up a guidebook at a kiosk near the Lonely Dell Ranch or at the Park Service visitor center (open periodically during the busy tourist season) near the new and the old Navajo bridges that eliminated the need for the ferry service starting in 1929.

The Park Service also provides a developed campground slightly above the Colorado River as well as a drive near the banks of the Colorado as it begins its journey down through the Grand Canyon.

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* TOM WHARTON can be contacted at wharton@sltrib.com. His phone number is 801-257-8909. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

If you go: Lees Ferry

* Why go? The scenery is gorgeous, the lodges have good food and unique personalities, the history is fascinating and the place is quiet and off the beaten track. Also in close proximity to Lake Powell, the Vermilion Cliffs, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce national parks, and the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

* How to get there: From Kanab, take U.S. Highway Alternate 89 (89A) south and then east from Jacob Lake.

* What will it cost: There is a small fee to go into the Lees Ferry and Lonely Dell areas. Lodging rates are reasonable, as is food. Free dispersed camping is allowed on much of the public land surrounding Lees Ferry.

* Not to miss: Short walks through the Lees Ferry historic area and the Lonely Dell Ranch. Ask if condors are flying in the area. Seeing one up close won't soon be forgotten.

* Where to eat: Lees Ferry Lodge, Marble Canyon Lodge, Cliff Dwellers Lodge and Jacob Lake Lodge all offer good food in clean settings.

* Weather: Weather is dry here with little precipitation. There are seasons, however, with lower temperatures in winter and hot summers.

* For more information: Call Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at 928-608-6200 or visit nps.gov/glca/. For Lees Ferry Lodge, call 800-451-2231 or go to http://www.leesferrylodge.com. For Marble Canyon Lodge, call 928-355-2225. For Cliff Dwellers Lodge, call 928-355-2261 or visit http://www.cliffdwellerslodge.com. For Jacob Lake, call 928-643-7232 or go to http://www.jacoblake.com.