Last Unspoiled Place: Exploring Utah's Logan Canyon

Americans have always been passionately bound to the land: It has shaped our history, our ideas, and our art. In Last Unspoiled Place, the magnificent confines of Logan Canyon, Utah, prove the perfect landscape for exploring these beliefs. In brilliant photographs and vivid anecdotes that range from poignant to exhilarating to hilarious, author Michael Sweeney takes us on an unforgettable tour through the canyon’s unsullied terrain. As he marks the 41 miles of the national scenic byway that courses through, he reveals Logan’s vivid past and astonishing natural history—as well as its closely kept secrets. Anecdotes range from bull snakes to bank robbers, from a legendary witch to the curse of "green invaders," and from the first known human inhabitants—the northwestern Shoshone—to current-day characters such as snowboarders, beekeepers, botanists, and whitewater hounds. In the National Geographic tradition, Last Unspoiled Place is richly illustrated with scores of photographs—both current and historic—that capture the beauty of Logan Canyon and the surrounding Cache Valley.

Filled with excitement and brimming with eloquent stories, more than a trip through a canyon, this book is a natural choice for Father’s Day and other gift-giving occasions. Eye-catching and affordable, it will grab the attention of audiences interested in adventure, travel, wilderness, history, and the American West.`

Michael S. Sweeney is a professor of journalism at Utah State University. He is the award-winning author of the acclaimed book Secrets of Victory, which was named 2001 Book of the Year by the American Journalism Historians Association and National Geographic book, God Grew Tired of Us, with Jon Bul Dau.