Hole N” The Rock, Utah - Monticello UT
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 38° 23.443 W 109° 27.260
12S E 634986 N 4250298
This location has been a travelers’ resting place for two centuries. Beginning in 1829, horse teams on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and California stopped here for the abundant spring water and shade.
Waymark Code: WM16HK4
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2022
Views: 2
TEXT on the historical marker:
Hole N” The Rock, Utah
This location has been a travelers’ resting place for two centuries. Beginning in 1829, horse teams on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and California stopped here for the abundant spring water and shade. After the settlement of Mormon Pioneers, stage coaches traveling between Moab and Monticello stayed here overnight.
Early in the 20th century, the Christensen family of Monticello homesteaded 80 acres here. They blasted out a small cave in the rock where cowboys camped as they drove their stock toward the Colorado River. In 1945, brothers Leo and Albert Christensen expanded the cave and opened “American’s most unique dining room.” The Hole N” The Rock Diner was a watering hole for uranium miners and car tourists until 1955.
The Christensens continued to excavate the cave until it reached its current size of 5000 square feet. Take a ten-minute guided tour of this unique and spectacular 14-room home as millions have done since 1957.
From Wikipedia in part:
"HISTORY
The Christensen family created a homestead on 80 acres (32 ha) of land between Moab and Monticello in the early 20th century. Albert and his brother Leo Christensen hollowed out a cave in a sandstone cliff to provide shade and rough lodgings for cowboys pushing cattle through the area. In 1940 Albert began hand drilling and blasting to create a home for his family, working on the site for twelve years. The family moved into the home in 1952.
Albert and Leo opened the Hole N" the Rock Diner in 1945. The diner operated until 1955, when Albert had a heart attack. After Albert died in 1957, his wife Gladys had the large sign painted into the face of the rock above the home and opened a gift shop, selling her handmade rock jewelry. Gladys opened the site to tours before her death in 1974. Albert and Gladys are both buried on the site.
Gladys' son, Hub Davis, owned the site until 2000, when it was purchased by Wyndee and Erik Hansen. The Hansens left the house as it was when the Christensens lived there, but added additional gift shops and a petting zoo.
A small part of the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction was filmed at Hole N" The Rock"
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