The Unfinished Fight of Seldom Seen Sleight
Ken Sleight - River guide turned legend, immortalized in The Monkey Wrench Gang
(Today’s piece is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Trailblazers. Ken Sleight is one of my favorite “characters” in the activism world. The title of this piece is taken from a documentary by Sageland Media of the same name - well worth a watch)
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Ken Sleight was just a guy who loved the wild corners of Utah: the red rock canyons, the winding rivers, the places where silence stretched wide and stars spilled across the night sky.
In the 1950s and '60s, Sleight built a life as a river guide and outfitter, leading others into the hidden beauty of Glen Canyon and the surrounding desert. He made his living helping people experience the wilderness, one dusty trail and winding river bend at a time.
But the wild places he loved were changing. Fast.
When the Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1966, it flooded hundreds of miles of canyons. Places Sleight had once explored were now well underwater. He had witnessed something most Americans hadn’t: the permanent loss of an irreplaceable landscape. To him, it was akin to flooding a holy place, a temple. It was inexcusable, and he couldn’t forget it.
So Ken Sleight did something many people dream of but few actually do: he spoke up. Loudly. Persistently. Sometimes even stubbornly.
He became a fierce advocate for the land, fighting against dam projects, unchecked development, and short-sighted policies that threatened Utah’s fragile ecosystems. His activism wasn’t polished or corporate. It was homespun, heartfelt, and full of grit.
The dam was the beginning, the spark that ignited his work in eco activism, and it marked the start of a lifelong commitment to the land.
Photo: Glen Canyon
In the 1980s, he was a part of the successful campaign to block a nuclear waste dump from being created near Canyonlands National Park. He protested the construction of the White Mesa uranium mill in southeast Utah. And in the early 1990s, he rode his horse in front of a bulldozer that was clearing old-growth pinyon-juniper forest on Bureau of Land Management land near his home.
But he may best be known as the inspiration for Edward Abbey's character, "Seldom Seen Smith" in The Monkey Wrench Gang. Smith, a river guide turned eco-saboteur, was largely based on Sleight. It was a fitting tribute to a man who loved the land too much to stay silent while it was destroyed, and his association with Smith endures to this day.
➤ Why He Matters
Ken Sleight showed that you don’t need a title, a budget, or a national platform to make a difference. You just need to care deeply and act with courage. By standing up for the places he loved, often as a lone voice in the desert, Sleight inspired a generation of conservationists, writers, river runners, and activists. His story is a reminder that love for the land doesn’t always look like legislation or petitions. Sometimes it is more akin to stubbornness and storytelling and a refusal to give up.
➤ What You Can Do
- Spend time in the wild places near you. The more connected you are, the more willing you’ll be to protect them.
- Speak up when development threatens rivers, trails, canyons, or wildlands. Even small protests and public comments make a difference.
- \Support organizations that fight for rivers and desert ecosystems, like the Glen Canyon Institute or American Rivers.
- Tell the stories of the landscapes you love before they’re just memories.
Side Trail: Experience More
Read:
- The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey. This classic novel of desert conservation and rebellious spirit, with a character inspired by Ken Sleight.
- Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. This powerful account of water politics and the American West explains why rivers like the Colorado are so endangered.
Watch:
- The Unfinished Fight of Seldom Seen Sleight (documentary). A great documentary featuring interviews with Ken Sleight.
Do:
- Visit Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and learn about efforts to restore parts of the original canyon that still lie beneath the reservoir.
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Like what you are reading? Thank you! Here’s a few things you can do:
1 - Check out some of the other Trailblazers in my Substack. If you enjoyed reading about Ken Sleight, then this piece about Edward Abbey might be your cup of tea.
2 - Please subscribe to my Substack. You’ll get more pieces like this and can follow along on my journey to publish Trailblazers.
