We spoke to Brian Martinez and Blaine Reniger of Navtec Expeditions. The two of them have years of experience leading tours and informing tourists about local history.
The Maze
Reniger, a historian and guide, said that one of the places outlaws gravitated to was The Maze. “The Maze is the most remote area in the lower 48 states. Because of its remoteness, it was also one of the last places to be put on a US map. There are maps from 1969 that still had large boxed off areas that said ‘Unexplored Area’ from parts of the Maze to Robber’s Roost, down to Glen Canyon Recreation Area,” Reniger says.
An unexplored area is a highly attractive feature if you’re being hunted by the law.
“As of the 1950s, the only ones who knew what was out there were some local cowboys and indigenous peoples,” Reniger continues. “It’s a vast, deep, narrow maze of canyons that offered the perfect spot for outlaws to hide out. The towns that encompass The Maze and the Robber’s Roost were not settled until the latter portion of the 19th century, and with Hanksville being the closest and most easily accessed town, it was still 50 miles from where outlaws would hide out. Even today, the area is only accessible by rough 4-wheel-drive trails, and one would need to plan to camp out and consider bringing extra fuel along.”
According to Martinez, a lot of tourists who visit Moab come for that classic “Wild West” feel and “really enjoy when our guides tell them old cowboy and outlaw stories.”
He says that tourists are always surprised and delighted to hear Butch Cassidy was in the Moab area for several years. Hollywood has tweaked his myth so that most people are unaware of his presence there.
Touring History
Navtec has a multi-day trip designed for those interested in Moab’s outlaw history. The tour focuses on Robber’s Roost and The Maze with a hike to Horseshoe Canyon that follows Butch Cassidy’s access trail to Robber’s Roost.
Martinez says of one of the points of the tour, “There is a great story of Doc Williams, the father of Arches National Park, who was visited by the Hole in the Wall Gang at his homestead where he sewed up a gun slinger after a shootout. When they left Doc’s, they stole his horse. Doc rode the next day into the Robber’s Roost and took his horse back. None of the gunmen bothered him.”
Local outlaws, like Bill Tibbetts, also left a trail of memories in the area. He was accused of rustling cattle. He asserted that he was framed and decided to escape. He led a colorful life which is chronicled in the book, Last of the Robber’s Roost Outlaws: Moab’s Bill Tibbetts, by Tom McCourt. He spent enough time in the area that he had an arch named for him.
Reniger explains that “Tibbetts’ Arch is the largest arch in the Maze. It is spectacular! It sits in Ernies Country right next to all these fins. I’ve never seen a rock glow at sunrise and sunset quite like the standing rocks.”
Outlaws and Scenery
For historians, this is the region where the civilized and the uncivilized clashed in shootouts. Where hot outlaw blood was spilled on the slick desert sandstone. It’s where the “Wild West” happened: outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, Bill Tibbetts, Elzy Lay and Matt Warner attempted to evade authorities for their escapades in bank robberies, train heists and cattle rustling. It’s also where the law eventually caught up with the outlaws and where many from the Wild Bunch were killed by authorities.
The scenery’s pristine, harsh beauty is highly unforgiving to warm-blooded lifeforms. Skulls of cattle, sheep and coyotes are scattered about; all that remains when an animal might have suffered the mildest of injuries but just couldn’t make it to water in time.
Only the most highly-trained guides equipped with the best gear offer tours in the area. They venture out with intrepid guests who want to get a sense of the place that evokes the greatest sense of awe and wonder in all of Utah. Navtec Expeditions offers four tours of the Maze District. Guides equipped with satellite phones and 50 extra gallons of water ensure the safety of their guests. According to Martinez, the beauty of the area “probably left even the toughest of outlaws in awe and wonder.”
Feature Image: Canyon overlook above White Rim and Green River at dusk in Canyonlands National Park. Photo by Olsen Photo on Unsplash.
