Visit An Ancestral Puebloan Site
Three, relatively easy-to-access Ancestral Puebloan sites are in the same area of Bears Ears National Monument.
Visiting an Ancestral Puebloan site in Bears Ears National Monument offers a direct connection to the rich cultural heritage of this unique region. At the Ancestral Puebloan sites listed here, you can explore remains of centuries-old cliff dwellings, a village with a kiva, and granaries used for food storage. By visiting, you can gain insight into the resilience, spirituality, and innovation of the Indigenous people who thrived in this area.
The sites are located off Highway 95, about halfway between Natural Bridges National Monument and Blanding, Utah. Click here for map of Bears Ears National Monument.
- Mule Canyon Interpretive Site: around mile marker 95.
- House on Fire Site: around mile marker 102. This is not a roadside site, but is reached by about a 1-mile hike. See further directions below.
- Butler Wash Interpretive Site: around mile marker 111.
The video below provides an overview of these Ancestral Puebloan sites and their meaning in today’s world.
Mule Canyon Interpretive Site
Mule Canyon Interpretive Site is easily accessible and perfect for families to explore Ancestral Puebloan history. This was a village and home to many families. The village dates to 1000 – 1150 AD and features remains of a 12-room block, a two-story tower, and an underground kiva. Educational signs offer insights into daily life and culture, helping to make history come alive. A short walkway connects the structures, making it suitable for all ages.
House on Fire
This Ancestral Puebloan site features five granaries built into a large rock overhang. Around 10 – 11 a.m., sunlight reflects off the canyon walls, creating an illusion of flames on the rock overhang. By noon, sunlight washes out the illusion. The site is reached via a 2-mile, roundtrip hike on an unpaved trail which crosses slickrock and shallow streams.
Directions: Take Highway 95 to mile marker 102, located about halfway between Blanding and Natural Bridges National Monument. Turn north onto County Road 263/Texas Flat Road (marked as Arch Cyn on Google Maps). Stop at the BLM kiosk to pay your fee. Drive 0.5 miles north, park along the road, and look for the vertical brown posts marking the trailhead. Fees can also be prepaid on recreation.gov.
Butler Wash Overlook
See a fine example of an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling tucked in an alcove high above the canyon floor. A short, 0.5 mile hike leads to a fenced viewpoint with interpretive signage. Built in the 1200’s AD, the people who lived here likely farmed the wash below and lands above. Cliff dwellings like these were built for defensive purposes and were quite secure with easily defended approaches.
Please consider the area’s many Native American connections. You can honor past generations by Visiting With Respect.
These sites are of important cultural significance. To preserve this important landscape for future generations, visitors should refrain from touching rock art, moving artifacts, or leaning on dwelling walls.
Please remember that all artifacts, rock art, and the prehistoric structures themselves are protected by law. It is illegal to remove artifacts, mark or write on the rocks, or damage the ruins. Violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act can result in stiff penalties, including heavy fines and jail sentences.
Steer Clear Of Walls
Guide Children Through Sites
