Utah marks Dominguez–Escalante expedition; America250 Utah urges residents to "walk or roll 250 miles"

On a Utah Libraries and History program this month, Ian Wright, Utah public archaeologist at the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, described the 1776 Dominguez–Escalante expedition and its traces in Utah. Nicole Hemby, executive director of America250 Utah, said the state commission is encouraging public participation through a "walk or roll 250 miles" challenge to mark the route.

Wright said the 1776 expedition of Father Escalante and Father Dominguez was tasked to find a route from Santa Fe to Monterey and that Father Escalante kept a journal documenting landscapes and encounters. "This is this is a really neat, event because so in 1776, Father Escalante and Father Dominguez, they were tasked to find a route from Santa Fe all the way to Monterey. And so they came through Utah, and Father Escalante kept a journal," Wright said.

Nicole Hemby described the Utah commission’s participation in America250 and invited broad public involvement. "Utah is celebrating we have our own commission. We're celebrating America 2 50. And so ... we are challenging all Utahns to walk or roll 250 miles to celebrate these trails, to celebrate the history of Utah and enjoy the our place here," Hemby said.

Wright and Hemby said the expedition’s route influenced later exploration and trade in the region. Wright noted the journal provides some of the first non‑native depictions of the landscapes and interactions with people encountered along the way, and that later mountain men, fur traders and pioneers used the same corridors. "Those trails were definitely used by later explorers," he said.

The program guests also pointed listeners to resources for following the route. Wright said the original journal is available and that staff created a "story map," a digital website, which allows people to follow the Fathers' route and visit landscape segments that still resemble the 1776 terrain. He also said one archaeological site associated with the expedition now lies under Lake Powell: "One of the oldest archaeological sites that's non native in the state of Utah is from the Father Escalante Dominguez expedition, and it's under Lake Powell."

On access, Wright described varied terrain along the route and a range of ways people can visit it: "All of the above. A lot of it, you can go out and walk. You can ride. You can even there's parts that cross rivers... So scuba gear as well." Hemby and Wright encouraged people interested in the history and trail to consult the journal and the story map for route specifics and recommendations.

The segment centered on commemoration and public engagement rather than any formal action by a government body. Wright and Hemby emphasized historical documentation and public programming as ways to connect Utah residents with the expedition's legacy.