Located in Marble Canyon on Highway U.S. 89A at mile post 557, this spot commemorates a portion of the Dominguez y Escalante Expedition. While the marker itself is missing, you can see the stone holder of where it used to be.
Father Silvestre Velez Escalante and Father Francisco Atanasio Dominguez were co-leaders of an expedition, along with 10 companions, that left Santa Fe, NM, to try and a find a route to Monterey, CA. The Dominguez-Escalante Expedition began in July 1776, but was having trouble less than 10 weeks after leaving Santa Fe.
Near Thermo Hot Springs in Utah, they ran into a blizzard, and supplies were running short. The members of the crew drew lots to determine whether they should try to continue forward or turn back to Santa Fe. The outcome was that they turned around and were back in Santa Fe on January 2, 1777.
Dominguez-Escalante Expedition Historical Marker
Located near the Vermillion Cliffs, according to the Historical Marker Database, this marker memoralizes the following:
Within sight of this place the Franciscan priests Dominguez and Escalante and their ten companions experienced two of the most difficult challenges among many along the 1,800 miles of their epic journey from the Spanish presidio at Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Historical Markers of the World 