Bears Ears National Monument - Utah

The Bears Ears National Monument is located in southeastern Utah and is renowned for its extraordinary archaeological resources and beautiful geological formations. It has the largest concentration of pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America. A professional southwest archaeologist will be joining us. This seven-day outing will explore the canyon country near the community of Bluff. From here we will hike to some of the most spectacular cliff dwellings and petroglyph panels in the southwest. On October 30 we will travel to Cortez and visit Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The next day we will take a special day tour of the cliff dwellings in the Ute Mountain Tribal Park. Hiking will be to seven or eight sites with distances less than seven miles and less than 700 feet of elevation change. Hiking will be on slick rock and up arroyos. Climbing ladders is required for the Ute tour. Everyone will be placed on a waitlist and those with 4wd high clearance vehicles will be given priority along with those that I have hiked with previously. Attendance will be limited to 12. Attendees may find lodging in Bluff or camp in the Sand Island Campground or surrounding BLM land. Pets are not allowed on archaeological sites. Rider fees: $90 to carpool to Bluff. $30 to carpool to trailheads $100 feet for Ute Park.