Lee’s Ferry and Lonely Dell: A Remote Spot with a Story 

To Raft through the Grand Canyon you begin at a place called Lee’s Ferry, the only spot for the next 200 miles of the Colorado River where river runners can launch their boats! But it wasn’t always just a starting point for river trips.

In 1870, during an expedition from southern Utah to Pipe Springs, a group including Jacob Hamblin as the guide, John Wesley Powell, Brigham Young, and John D. Lee conceived the idea for the ferry crossing. The LDS Church then sent John D. Lee to establish the ferry. However, Lee’s involvement in the creation of the ferry wasn’t entirely voluntary. He was implicated for his alleged role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a tragedy in which 120 western immigrants lost their lives. Lee was the only person held accountable for the massacre, and as punishment, he was excommunicated from the church and sent to establish the ferry crossing in this remote location.

Lee, a polygamist , brought two of his families with him. They built stone and wood homes, created an irrigation system for farming, and planted fruit trees, establishing a thriving orchard with apricots, peaches, and plums just up the road from the river. Remarkably, these trees still bear fruit today, and locals come each year to harvest the bounty.

This ranch was named Lonely Dell, reflecting its isolation. The LDS Church provided the manpower and resources to build the first ferryboat, which was launched in January 1873. Shortly after, settlers arrived in wagonloads, eager to cross the river and begin new lives in Arizona. 

Lee’s ferry became a success, but Lee’s time there was short-lived. In 1877, he was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. After his death, his fourth wife, Emma, took over the ferry and the ranch. However, a few years later, she sold her rights to the property back to the LDS Church for around $3,000 (equivalent to about $95,000 today).

While Emma still owned the ranch however, the church sent Warren Johnson and his family to assist her and they remained even after Emma sold the property. Though the ferry continued to thrive, the influx of travelers brought disease. With low sanitation and no modern medicine, the area became a breeding ground for illnesses. Diphtheria, a bacterial infection, hit Lonely Dell hard, and the Johnsons tragically lost four of their children within a year.

By the early 1900s, the ferry’s significance began to wane. It was sold to the Grand Canyon Cattle Company but was quickly repurchased by the LDS Church. In 1936, Leo Weaver bought Lonely Dell ranch with plans to turn it into a resort. However, his venture ultimately failed, and the property changed hands several times over the years. Finally, in 1974, the National Park Service acquired it, and it has been maintaining the ranch as a historic site and the Lee’s Ferry as the launch point for Grand Canyon boaters ever since.

Check out this gallery of Lonely Dell by the National Park Service to see the cabins and more of the orchard!