Lee's Ferry is named after John D. Lee a Mormon settler who established a ferry crossing on the Colorado River near Page, Arizona. Originally named the Paria Crossing where the Paria River meets the Colorado River, the site features a natural slope from the cliffs to the riverbank allowing safer crossing of the Colorado River in otherwise impassable terrain. The ferry was established in 1871 by Lee and financed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lee's Ferry was the only crossing of the Colorado River by ferry from Moab, Utah to Needles, California and was used by travelers between Utah and Arizona until 1928 when the Navajo Bridge (now highway US 89A) over Marble Canyon opened. John D. Lee (September 12, 1812 - March 23, 1877) was a prominent, early Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) and central figure in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. ... Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,333 km) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. ... Page is a city located in Coconino County, Arizona near Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. ... A backpacker at the confluence of Buckskin Gulch and the Paria River. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... Moab is a city located in Grand County, Utah. ... Needles is a city located on the banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. ... State nickname: Beehive State Other U.S. States Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Navajo Bridge crosses the Colorado Rivers Marble Canyon near Lees Ferry, Arizona. ... Marble Canyon is the section of the Colorado River canyon from Glen Canyon Dam to the confluence with the Little Colorado River, which marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon. ...

The ferry was of such importance to travelers that the amount of ferry traffic it attracted forced Lee to leave the site to evade law enforcement officers for his part in the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre. The ferry continued to operate under the LDS church until about 1910 when Coconino County, Arizona managed the ferry until its closure in 1928. 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred on Friday, September 11, 1857 in Mountain Meadows, Utah, several miles south of Enterprise in Washington County along the Spanish Trail to Santa Fe. ...

Lee's Ferry is considered the official beginning of Grand Canyon National Park on the Colorado River and is used as a fishing area and river rafting launch site. The site features several buildings built at the site since 1874 and a steamboat abandoned in 1913 by a mining company's operation in the canyon walls nearby. The area is managed by the National Park Service within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area as a historical site. Permits are required for use of the river downstream in the national park, especially for river rafting, but not upstream. The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the oldest United States National Parks. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ... Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Glen Canyon NRA) is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres (5,076 km²) of mostly desert. ...

Confluence of the muddy Paria River and Colorado River at Lees Ferry

Tourist at one of the balanced rocks at Lees Ferry