Bears Ears National Monument

Bears Ears is cherished by many Native peoples, and its designation grew from the work of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, which brought together the Hopi, Navajo, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian Tribe, and Zuni to seek its protection. For these nations the land is not a ruin but a living place, where ancestors dwelled and where people still gather medicine, wood, and plants, and hold ceremonies today.

The Ancestral Puebloans farmed these canyons and mesas for centuries, building the cliff dwellings and granaries that dot the alcoves and leaving rock art across the sandstone. Their descendants are the modern Pueblo peoples, and the region is bound up with Navajo, or Diné, history as well, San Juan County being home to a large Navajo population. The monument's management is shaped by this deep and continuing tribal connection.

The archaeology of Bears Ears is extraordinary in both quantity and preservation. Canyons hide masonry dwellings tucked high in alcoves, storage granaries sealed against rodents and weather, and ceremonial kivas, many still standing after roughly a thousand years in the dry desert air. Some are famous and reachable by trail, while countless others lie unmarked in the backcountry.

The rock art is among the finest anywhere, ranging from ancient carved and painted figures to later imagery, a visual record spanning many cultures and thousands of years. These sites are fragile and irreplaceable, and the oils on human hands, footsteps on soft walls, and any disturbance cause lasting damage, so visitors are asked to look, photograph from a respectful distance, and take nothing.

The monument's terrain runs from the forested heights of Elk Ridge and Cedar Mesa down through a labyrinth of slot and river canyons toward the San Juan and Colorado rivers. It is classic Colorado Plateau country, all slickrock, piñon, juniper, and sage, cut by drainages that hold cottonwoods and hidden springs.

Rising above it all are the Bears Ears themselves, twin buttes visible for miles that give the monument its name in several tribal languages. Much of the land is wild and undeveloped, with rough dirt roads, few facilities, and long distances between water, which is part of its power and also its challenge, rewarding those who come prepared with solitude and immense space.

Bears Ears is not a drive-up park, and a good visit begins with preparation. The backcountry has little water and no services, roads can turn to impassable mud after rain, and cell coverage is unreliable, so travelers carry maps, extra water, and supplies and let someone know their plans. Some canyons and sites require permits or have seasonal limits, and the managing agencies' current guidance is the place to start.

Above all, visitors are asked to tread lightly on a place that is both ecologically fragile and spiritually significant. That means staying on established routes, never touching or entering fragile structures, leaving artifacts exactly where they lie, and protecting the dark skies, quiet, and living soil crust. Nearby Blanding and Bluff, with their museums and outfitters, make good bases for learning about the region before heading in.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.