In 1968, a California landowner demanded $100 an acre for land inside Pinnacles that officials valued at $17; a year later the Park Service paid more than $46 an acre and bought the parcel for $7,400

The US government's lengthy legal struggle with Dean Brimhall culminated in a $400,000 buyout. The resolution saw the demolition of commercial facilities, including a lodge and petrol station, adjacent to Capitol Reef National Park. The agreement also put an …