What is the setting of Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey?

The setting of Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey interacts closely with the storyline and is an integral facet of the plot. Life on the frontier in the nineteenth century American West is difficult, at best. The hardy individuals who choose to live on the border of civilization must carve their e11stence from the dusty sage and barren rock of Utah's badlands. Gold is a primary lure which brings adventurous young men into Utah, and gold-prospecting is featured as the central motive of one of the story's bad guys, Oldring the cattle rustler.