Paleo-Indian hunted the large mammals that inhabited the area at the end of the Ice Age. Later, Pueblo and Paiute Indians hunted the forestlands and harvested pine nuts from the trees. Ebenezer Bryce, Mormon pioneer, brought his family to nearby Clifton in 1875, ranched on the land and oversaw the building of a road to the canyon rim. This unique geological area was designated a national park in 1924. The Union Pacific Railroad and Civilian Conservation Corps enabled travel to the park area.