Zion National Park ~ Mukuntuweap

The Southern Paiute who used to live in and round this canyon called it Mukuntuweap: Moo-KOON-too-weap.  In the pronunciation the u's are long and the emphasis is on the 'kun'.

In 1860 when Isaac Behunin, an early Euro-American settler, lived in this area he was recalled as calling this place Zion.

In 1909 the area was dedicated Mukuntuweap National Monument, by October 1919 Congress passed Senator Smoot's bill making the area Little Zion National Park.

Today it receives 4.5 million visitors a year.

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