Native American Relics: The Mormon pioneers who arrived in Escalante in 1876 to establish a settlement along the Escalante River were not the first group of people to inhabit the area. Although little is known about the early history of the Escalante area, most researchers believe that the area was inhabited prior to AD 1 by groups including Desert Archaic and Basketmaker cultures. For several hundred years, around 1100 AD, both Kayenta and Fremont agricultural peoples occupied the area. Archeologists have also discovered a large, abandoned Kayenta Anasazi village near the town of Boulder; researchers estimate that the village was abandoned in approximately 1275. Hopi peoples then visited and hunted in the region for the next 200 to 300 years and in the 1500’s, Southern Paiutes began call the area home.
Archaeological sites around the Slot Canyons Inn include habitation areas, campsites, storage cysts, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Of course, you are welcome to visit the sites to take pictures but remember that all archaeological sites on public lands are protected by Federal law and visitors are asked to be careful not to harm or destroy a site by sitting on walls, using ruins for shelter, etc. While staying at the Slot Canyons Inn, you can drive to the nearby town of Boulder to visit the Anasazi Indian Village State Historical Site. This museum is operated by the State of Utah and provides visitors a unique opportunity to view remnants and un-excavated village.