The first time I saw a picture of the swimming pool in front of the Zion Lodge, I couldn't believe it. I have been to Zion National Park at least annually for nearly forty years, and despite the crowds, the park is still a symbol to me (and millions more) of natural wonder and wilderness solitude. The image of that swimming pool, which was decommissioned and buried in the 1970s, hinted at a secret past—a hidden side to the national park experience that has largely disappeared, one that emphasized convenience, culture, and collective entertainment.
Singaway opens the door to that hidden history. In its large-format, richly illustrated pages, the book traces the human experience at Zion, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and the North Rim of Grand Canyon as seen through the eyes of Utah Parks Company employees. For five decades, the UPC (a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad) provided...
