Through Bears Ears Country
TRAIL OF THE ANCIENTS SCENIC BYWAY THROUGH BEARS EARS COUNTRY
ABOUT THE DRIVE
This 120-mile drive begins in Bluff and connects a dozen of the most amazing sites in southeastern Utah. The drive has one wow after another!
Explore from your car the timeless landscapes on the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway through Bears Ears country. These lands are wild and ancient showcasing some of Mother Nature’s best. This is also a living, cultural landscape. Indigenous people once inhabited these lands and today Tribes and Pueblos consider this landscape sacred.
View the video below for a glimpse of the wonders that await you on this scenic drive. Find important travel tips and information on each site in the e-book and map. Be sure to download the e-book and map before you go, as you may not have cell service on the drive.
Sights on the Scenic Drive
This petroglyph panel displays rock imagery (pecked and carved) dating from 800 to over 2500 years ago.
Comb Ridge is a sandstone spine running north and south for over 80 miles. The name comes from the ridge’s jagged appearance, which is similar to a rooster’s comb.
The spectacular buttes, pinnacles, and spires of Valley of the Gods rival that of nearby Monument Valley.
Visible for miles in every direction, the Bears Ears National Monument takes its name from these two, tall buttes standing at over 8,700 feet in elevation.
A compound of Ancestral Puebloan structures primarily occupied from 1000 – 1150 AD. The site features the remains of a 12-room block, a 2-story tower, and an underground kiva.
See an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling from the 1200's built high above the canyon floor. A viewpoint overlooks the dwellings.
Driving
This is backcountry. Check the weather. If a recent, heavy rain has occurred, or if rain is expected, consider another day.
Some sections are unpaved but are drivable by passenger cars. High clearance cars are recommended.
The Moki Dugway is an unpaved road with a series of steep inclines and tight turns.
Some sites on the drive do not have parking areas. If you stop, pull all the way off the road for your safety and to let others pass.
Checklist
Fill your tank. There are no gas stations on the drive.
Bring lunch and/or snacks. And, in the desert, it’s always a good idea to bring water with you.
Not all sites have restrooms/toilets. Note those that do.
You may not have cell phone service.
Charge your phone and camera. Check storage space for photos as you’ll want to take lots of pictures.
Familiarize yourself with the Visit with Respect tips below to keep these lands Forever Mighty®.
Stay on Designated Roads
Don’t Bust the Crust
Don’t Touch Rock Imagery or Make Your Own
Guide Children Through Site
Know Where Pets Are Allowed
Pack Out Trash and Waste
Avoid Cairns (stacking rocks)
