Arizona Strip

The Strip is typical of the American West in its red-rock canyon country, and the aridity of the climate, which leads to the predominance of sagebrush vegetation.

However, the first European settlers were witness to great stretches of grassland in such areas as House Rock Valley, which are returning under better ranching practices.

In the extreme west on the Virgin River are the small settlements of Beaver Dam, Littlefield and Scenic, just off Interstate 15.

The Arizona Strip was long a cattleman's paradise with large stretches of grassy meadow in the valleys and the high Kaibab Plateau as summer forage.

Land and water use often led to friction between competing brands, and there are accounts of limited range wars between different outfits and between sheepmen and cattlemen.

The strip had been a battleground between Native American and white settlers during the 19th century, with Navajo parties crossing over the Colorado River and raiding Mormon settlements.

Motorists should check with the BLM locally before heading into the strip on these roads, and are advised to be prepared – even rangers may not know current conditions, such as snow/ice cover and washouts.