Bears Ears National Monument

Bears Ears is 1.36 million acres (5,500 km²) of mesas and canyons in southeastern Utah, named for the pair of buttes that rise above Cedar Mesa. It holds tens of thousands of ancestral Puebloan sites, from cliff dwellings reached on a short walk to granaries tucked into the walls of Grand Gulch, a classic multi-day backpacking canyon.

Fast facts

• Established: 2016; boundaries cut in 2017 and restored in 2021
• Size: about 1.36 million acres (5,500 km²)
• Co-managed by: the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service and the Bears Ears Commission of five tribes: the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Pueblo of Zuni
• Signature areas: Cedar Mesa and Grand Gulch, Indian Creek, Valley of the Gods and the Abajo Mountains
• Gateways: Blanding, Bluff and Monticello
• Ranger station: Kane Gulch, on Highway 261 at the Grand Gulch trailhead

The landscape

Cedar Mesa is a high plateau of pinyon and juniper at about 6,400 feet (1,950 m), split by canyons that drop into the San Juan River. Their alcoves shelter cliff dwellings, granaries, rock art and middens left by people who farmed here more than 700 years ago, and many sites have never been excavated. To the north, the red walls of Indian Creek are lined with cracks that draw climbers from around the world; to the south, the sandstone buttes of Valley of the Gods stand over open desert.

Best time to go

Spring and fall are best, with mild days on the mesa and cold nights. Summer is hot in the canyons, and July to September brings monsoon storms and flash floods. Winter is cold, with snow on Cedar Mesa, but canyon hiking is possible on clear days.

Getting there and around

Highway 191 runs along the east side through Monticello, Blanding and Bluff, Highway 95 crosses the north toward Natural Bridges and Lake Powell, and Highway 261 climbs across Cedar Mesa, including the steep, unpaved switchbacks of the Moki Dugway. Valley of the Gods is a 17-mile (27 km) dirt loop. Most trailheads are on dirt roads that are fine for cars when dry and impassable when wet.

Things to do

House on Fire, in the South Fork of Mule Canyon off Highway 95, is an easy walk of about 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip to a ruin whose rock ceiling glows like flames in the morning light. Valley of the Gods makes an easy drive among sandstone towers, and Natural Bridges National Monument, inside the Bears Ears boundary, has its own trails and overlooks.

Grand Gulch is the classic multi-day trip: several days of canyon walking from Kane Gulch past dozens of cliff dwellings and rock art panels, finishing through Bullet Canyon or another side canyon, with a car shuttle. Other Cedar Mesa canyons, Dark Canyon to the north and the rafting trips on the San Juan River give serious backpackers and paddlers weeks of options. Indian Creek is one of the world’s best areas for crack climbing, which means climbing by jamming hands and feet into parallel-sided cracks in the rock.

Staying safe

Flash floods are the main danger in the canyons, especially in summer, so check the forecast and camp above the high-water line. Carry all the water you need, since springs are unreliable. Canyon routes are rough, with boulder scrambles and pour-offs, and there is no phone signal once you leave the highways. Ancient walls are fragile and can collapse, so never climb on or lean against them.

Know before you go

Cedar Mesa needs a permit for day hikes and overnight trips, with a daily limit on overnight backpackers and on the Moon House site; day permits are sold at trailheads and overnight permits through Recreation.gov or the Kane Gulch Ranger Station. Visit sites with care: do not touch rock art, enter rooms or move artifacts, and keep dogs out of the canyons where they are banned. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm permits and conditions with the Bureau of Land Management before you go.

Coordinates

37.8114, -109.9889

Magnetic declination

9.5° E (2026)

Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.

How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass

Best seasons

Spring, Fall

Difficulty

Easy to strenuous

Access / trailheads

Highways 191, 95, 261 and 163. Trailheads are mostly on dirt roads off Highway 261 and 95; the Moki Dugway on 261 is steep and unpaved.

Water

Unreliable. Carry what you need; treat any water found in canyon potholes or springs.

Cell / satellite coverage

Signal near Blanding, Bluff and Monticello; none on Cedar Mesa or in the canyons. Carry a satellite messenger.

Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency

Emergencies: 911. BLM Monticello Field Office: 435-587-1500.

Permits & regulations

Cedar Mesa permits for day use and overnight trips; overnight permits and Moon House are limited each day (Recreation.gov or Kane Gulch Ranger Station). San Juan River trips need a river permit.

Leave No Trace

Treat every ruin and rock art panel as irreplaceable: look but do not touch, enter or lean on walls. Camp away from sites, pack out all waste, and leave artifacts where you find them.