Near Fredonia

On the Arizona Strip, water can be nearly impossible to find. That’s what drew Mormon missionaries to Pipe Spring, which was the only source of water on the 62-mile route between Fredonia, Arizona, and Hurricane, Utah. Humans have used the spring for thousands of years, but famed pioneer Jacob Hamblin first arrived there in 1858. Within two years, Pipe Spring was being used as a watering hole and campsite for ranchers. The site endured periodic raids by Navajos until 1870, when Brigham Young visited and ordered his followers to build a fort to protect the “fine spring of good water.” That fort became Winsor Castle, named after one of its builders and the ranch’s first manager. Pipe Spring became a “tithing ranch,” raising cattle donated by members of the church. Now, Winsor Castle is the centerpiece of Pipe Spring National Monument, which receives more than 50,000 visitors annually. And the spring still flows, just as it has for centuries.

LOCATION: 406 N. Pipe Spring Road, near Fredonia
CONSTRUCTED: 1870-72
BUILDER: Anson P. Winsor and other Mormon settlers
INFORMATION: Pipe Spring National Monument, 928-643-7105 or www.nps.gov/pisp