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BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT Visitor Information - Frequently Asked Questions

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BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT Visitor Information - Frequently Asked Questions BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT Visitor Information - Frequently asked Questions BLM-UTAH Is there a fee for visiting the National Monument? Needles and Anticline Overlook - The Needles and Anticline Over- Bridges National Monument is a popular canyoneering destina- looks provide excellent views of Canyonlands National Park and tion. Additional information on day hikes from Highway 95 can be There are no entrance fees to the National Monument. the Indian Creek area. A marked gravel road off highway 191 about found at the following location: However, day use and overnight permits ($2 to 32 miles south of Moab leads to both viewpoints. https://on.doi.gov/2mQAEZS $5 per person) are required for many of the Cedar Mesa Canyons, including Grand Gulch. Permits are Indian Creek/Newspaper Rock - Indian Creek Special Recreation Kane Gulch - At the Kane Gulch Ranger Station visitors can view a also required to float the San Juan River which is Management Area, which can be accessed by Highway 211, is the rock art exhibit. From the Ranger Station (located on State Route gateway to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. partially within the National Monument. Additional 261), you can hike down the Kane Gulch trail and into Grand This scenic area includes world-renowned rock climbing. There information on permits can be found on the Bureau Gulch. It is 4 miles one way to the junction of Kane and Grand are also several side canyons and petroglyph panels. Newspaper of Land Management’s (BLM) Bears Ears National Gulches and the trail drops approximately 600 feet in elevation. rock is the most accessible panel, and includes an abundance of Monument website. At this intersection, you can view a cliff dwelling called Junction rock art representing a variety of cultures. Ruin. If you decide to continue, in the next mile you can see Turkey https://on.doi.gov/2o8XI60 Pen Ruin and Stimper Arch. Kane Gulch Ranger Station to Stimper Sand Island petroglyph panel/River House Ruins - The Sand Is- land petroglyph panel is located in the BLM’s Sand Island Recre- Arch is approximately 10 miles roundtrip. It is a full day hike for ational Area, just three miles west of Bluff, Utah. The River House most people. What is there to see and do in the National Monument? Ruin is a cliff dwelling along the San Juan River that is accessible by river or in a high clearance vehicle. Valley of the Gods - The Valley of the Gods contains beautiful Bears Ears National Monument offers a unique opportunity to vis- of the Gods, the San Juan River, and the Cedar Mesa canyons. Cedar Mesa sandstone monoliths, pinnacles and other geologi- it ancestral Puebloan cultural sites, including spectacular rock art cal features. The 17-mile loop through the Valley of the Gods is a sites and the remains of prehistoric family dwellings, granaries, Day use and overnight permits are required for many of the Ce- Highway 95 - There are several day hikes off of Highway 95 that kivas, towers, and large villages. These sites are fragile and irre- dar Mesa canyons, including Grand Gulch. This area is managed provide access to ruins including Arch Canyon, Butler Wash, and graded gravel and clay surface road. This road can be accessed placeable and need to be treated with care. Some sites are acces- for a more primitive type of recreation. Permits can be obtained Mule Canyon. Highway 95 also crosses Comb Ridge and parallels from either Utah Highway 261 or U.S. Highway 163. Driving time is sible by motorized vehicle, while other sites are only accessible by through the BLM Monticello Field Office. White Canyon. Comb Ridge is a 120-mile long monocline that was approximately one to two hours. foot. The National Monument contains many rugged areas and designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1976. During the road conditions are variable. Even sites that are accessible by ve- Some of the most frequently visited and accessible sites are iden- Hole-in-the-Rock expedition, Mormon pioneers were required hicle may require high clearance vehicles. tified on the existing 2016 Monticello Field Office Recreation Map, to cross this barrier. White Canyon, which runs through Natural available for sale at the Monticello Field Office. In addition to cultural sites, the National Monument includes Where is the National Monument? deep sandstone canyons, desert mesas, and mountain tops that The National Monument is located in southeast Utah’s canyon country, in San Juan County. Nearby towns include provide outstanding scenery. Some of the most notable geologic Monticello, Blanding, and Bluff, Utah. features include Indian Creek, Comb Ridge, White Canyon, Valley 2 3 Can I ride my ATV or motorcycle in the National Monument? Where can I see the Bears Ears? The National Monument provides outstanding The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manages the Bears Ears Buttes, two prominent land formations that hold important opportunities for motorized recreation. All roads cultural significance for American Indians. The Bears Ears are located in the middle of the national monument, and trails that were open prior to the monument and on the southern end of the USFS-managed land within the national monument. The best place to view the designation (approximately 1,800 miles) continue to Bears Ears Buttes is from the Elk Ridge Road which passes between the buttes; however, this road may require be open to motorized use. As part of the management high clearance or four-wheel drive vehicles. planning process the travel management plan for Who manages the National Monument? the area will be updated. This could result in some changes in motorized use. Any changes to the travel The boundaries of the monument encompass approximately 1.06 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land management plan will include public involvement. Management, and nearly 290,000 acres of the Manti-La Sal National Forest managed by the USFS. The total acreage under federal management is approximately 1.35 million acres. The western boundary of the National Maps showing routes that are open to motorized Monument is generally formed by Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Natural vehicle use can be found at the following websites: Bridges National Monument is wholly contained within the Bears Ears National Monument, but remains managed by the National Park Service. The National Park Service does not manage Bears Ears National Monument. BLM: https://on.doi.gov/2o8XI60 USFS: http://bit.ly/2l8CrIN Where can I get additional information about the National Monument? Information about the National Monument can Kane Gulch Ranger Station found on at the following websites: Open March 1st thru June 15th and September 1st Can I ride my mountain bike in the National Monument? BLM: https://on.doi.gov/2o8XI60 thru October 31st. Guaranteed hours are daily from USFS: http://bit.ly/2o9okDF 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain biking is allowed on all designated motorized vehicle routes in the National Monument. Located on State Route 261, four miles south of US Additional visitor information, including purchasable Highway 95 maps, can be obtained by visiting or contacting the Do I need camping permits or climbing permits? following offices: Canyon Country District Office 82 Dogwood Ave Under current management, no permits are required for car camping on BLM-administered lands. Backcountry Bureau of Land Management Moab, UT 84532 camping permits are required for many of the canyons on Cedar Mesa. No permits are required for rock climbing. Monticello Field Office (435) 259-2100 However, climbing gear is not allowed to gain access to archeological sites. There are limits on group sizes in many 365 North Main Street Utah State Office areas in the National Monument. Large groups interested in visiting the National Monument should contact the Monticello, UT 84535 Public Room, Suite 500 BLM Monticello Field Office at (435) 587-1500 for additional information. Commercial guiding must be approved 435-587-1500 by permit through the Monticello Field Office. 440 West 200 South Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (801) 539-4000 4 5 U.S. Forest Service Are there campgrounds in the National Monument? Manti-La Sal National Forest Supervisor’s Office Monticello Ranger District Manti-La Sal National Forest 599 West Price River Drive 496 East Central There are no campgrounds on USFS lands in the National Monument. Designated campgrounds managed by the Price, UT 84501 P.O. Box 820 USFS are located east of the monument boundary in the Abajo Mountains. (435) 637-2817 Monticello, UT 84535 http://bit.ly/2nwQ0Qe (435) 587-2041 Moab Ranger District BLM Monticello Field Office 62 East 100 North The only designated BLM campgrounds in Bears Ears National Monument are located in the Indian Creek area at P.O. Box 386 the northern end of the National Monument. However, dispersed car camping is allowed in many Moab, UT 84352 locations throughout the National Monument (see below). (435) 259-7155 https://on.doi.gov/2o8XI60 Canyonlands National Park- The Needles District Goosenecks State Park How do I get to the National Monument? http://bit.ly/2nksXXZ http://bit.ly/2cJXPed Highways 191, 211, 95, 261, and 163 all provide access to portions of National Monument. Bears Ears National Monument does not currently have a visitor center or main visitor area. The nearest communities are Monument Natural Bridges National Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, Bluff, Blanding, and Monticello. http://bit.ly/2nBlqXc Major commercial airlines serve Salt Lake City and St. George, Utah; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Las Vegas, Is there dispersed car camping in the National Monument? Nevada. Commercial airlines also serve Moab, Utah and Cortez, Colorado. Dispersed car camping is allowed in most places in the National Monument.
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