A great place to start your adventure is the serpentine Grand Gulch. 261.Most ruins are 800 to 1,200 years old. The trailhead is right off the side of the road. railway station is this amazing, historic cathedral filled with beautiful stained glass and wonderful craftsmanship. When I reached the Red Bear Panel, I was surprised at just how large it really was. The ruins DID look like the house was on fire. Overview Rated 3.0 / 4 Ratings 32 Todo Lists / 6 Ticks RATING: Short Hike LENGTH: 1 hour SEASON: Any, no snow WATER: None. We picked a long, nasty 4wd route and a short hike as the best choice for the day, considering it was going to get stinkin hot. Boulder Petroglyphs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr. I had the chance to TA for a Wilderness Skills class that is part of the Utah Valley University Outdoor Recreation Management Major this past weekend. Thru-hikes and high routes, plus related guides, gear lists, and how-to information. This is Seven Kivas, which I highly recommend hiking to before or after hiking to the Citadel. Its: It cannot be reached with public transit. Target House Ruins arent difficult to find, but even though I had a GPS coordinate for the ruins, we skipped the turn until we realized and had to backtrack a little bit. There are no commercial services on Cedar Mesa. Permits are available at most trailheads and overnight permits are available at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station be sure to pick up a map while youre there. This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader. This was my first time visiting Cedar Mesa and I was beyond excited to see the Ruins in the canyon. AmericanSouthwest.net has good information about many of the canyons. Judy Fabina. I managed to get there just as the sun was setting and striking one of the towers. The way the sunlight was hitting the ground and then reflecting up on the ruins made it seem like it was indeed on fire. As a whole, the Grand Gulch Primitive Area sprawls over 37,580 acres of canyons and mesas. This puts it fourth in size for Jemez ruins in the Santa Fe National Forest. On your approach to or departure from the area, find limited services in the historically Mormon communities ofBlanding and Bluff, as well as Mexican Hat. You may wonder how they got up there. February 25, 2022. Keep in mind that SUWA and crew had an opportunity to protect 2.3 Million acres with the PLI and they rejected it whole heartedly. Paved roads through the Cedar Mesa/Grand Gulch area are UT 95 and UT 276 to the north, and UT 261 across the center, linking UT 95 with Mexican Hat. More information. The first big step down. There will be a faint trail leading right, but Im not sure where it goes. 10. The ruins are named the Bigfoot Ruins because there is a footprint in the mud next to the doorway of one of the structures. It also looks like it had a painted white target. This was a small community that lived and thrived here. Affiliate disclosure. As usual, Im only good for scale. The canyon is thought to have been one of the most densely populated areas before colonization in North America. has good information about many of the canyons. Feel free to explore around the boulders and cliffs. Don't like ads? Now only Archaelologists will have keys. I still havent seen an oil rig down there. Well, if you look on the ground just below the ruins on the far right side, you will see two large holes in the ground. Citadel Ruin. From here, head down to the trailhead. This is an active archeological area, so please do not cross over the chain fence. In general, businesses and citizens in Blanding and Monticello trend towards anti-monument stances, while businesses in Bluff and Mexican Hat have a more friendly relationship with outdoorspeople, thanks to the long history of rafting on the San Juan. Philippe taking photos of the Bigfoot Ruins. But Cedar Mesa and Grand Gulch, in particular has one additional appeal: thousands ofAncestral Puebloan cliff ruins and rock art. It's fun to imagine this place being busy with activity. Jeff@thetrekplanner.com, Ding and Dang Canyon San Rafael Swell Utah, Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, Utah. There are tons of tall cottonwood trees here and you may even see some water in the creek. Philippe and the Bigfoot Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr. Along the way we stopped at a rather modest ruin that goes by the name of FS 7 (or the equally descriptive LA 483.archaeologists are clearly poets). Most of the time Charlie can jump up himself, but his legs were a little too short here. This weekend I met my friend Philippe and his wife on their annual trip to the Southwest from France. As a whole, the Grand Gulch Primitive Area sprawls over 37,580 acres of canyons and mesas. It flows into the San Juan River, and ismanaged by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Grand Gulch Wilderness Study Area. Please do not enter the ruins. Then theres some who claim the sites name really translates to Place where the giant man stepped and try to invoke some sort of Bigfoot connection. Its not a huge deal. The stuff was everywhere. The Citadel Ruin is located in the Cedar Mesa area west of Blanding, Utah. Ive thought about asking you, on and off, for the last year. The date was November 9, 1993. Cedar Mesa and Grand Gulch Plateau include some of the best backcountry spots to find and learn about rock art and ancient ruins left by the Ancestral Puebloans (also known as the Anasazi culture), which thrived in the Four Corners area about a thousand years ago. We saw maybe 5-8 people in 2 or 3 groups when we were hiking. Dave Drost, My friend and I are going to Cedar Mesa this weekend. We spent Saturday hiking together and searching for a few ruins and rock art sites. Im also careful not to tag my locations or post pictures on social media. We would just love to photograph them. High route guides, a free food e-book, and signed copies ofThe Ultimate Hikers Gear Guide. It's pretty easy, but worth a mention, Sights: Several ruins including Target House Ruins. And there it it! For three days and two nights, my companion and I had seen no one else on Cedar Mesa. Great shots and cool you got to connect with so many people. It was nice to meet him since I used his Photographing the Southwest books when I first started getting into photography a few years ago. We had a very good experience with Canyonlands Lodgingat their facility south of Monticello. Other popular side canyons include Bullet, Coyote, and Sheik. Loops can be formed by combining Grand Gulch proper with the side-canyons of Kane, Toadie, Coyote, Shieks, or Bullet. The ecosystem is very sensitive, and the ruins and rock art even more so. Drive 1 more mile to the very end of the road that ends in a big loop with plenty of parking. Philippe and the Bigfoot Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr. We strive to bring you new and interested things often. If you are spending several days in Cedar Mesa, I highly recommend using the Option 2, which is $10 per person for a 7 day pass. #1. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Jeff@thetrekplanner.com, Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Southern UT in April: Cedar Mesa, Capitol Reef, GSENM, Legislative resolution: Drilling is best use for Cedar Mesa and San Rafael Swell. For weather at Kane Gulch, use thispoint forecastfrom the National Weather Service. You will not find tourists, paved walking trails, restrictive backcountry regulations, and a glossy visitor center here. Other archaeologists, such as William Whatley, who worked directly for the Jemez Pueblo for a number of years and did an extensive Kwastiyukwa mapping project, puts the room count at 2,000 to 3,000. Make sure to close the gate too! A panorama of the main site area, but this still doesnt really convey the huge scale. Wilderness is the designation, not NM. Climb those rocks to get up to them. We were struck by the comparatively large amount of pottery sherd scatter, much more that other sites weve been at. The ruins are named the Bigfoot Ruins because there is a footprint in the mud next to the doorway of one of the structures. This road will be impassable after storms, as it is all sand andslick rock. I found this to be a good point to consider despite what others have expressed in their reply. Permits and fees are currently required for severalhikes inCedar Mesa. Monument Valley, Utah, an iconic symbol of the American West, is the sacred heart of the Navajo Nation and the ideal setting for your next adventure in the warm, high desert climate of southeastern Utah. Roberts mentions that based upon the size of the rubble mounds the height of the roomblocks may have reached 4 or 5 stories, and for contrast notes that four story buildings would not be erected again in the US until the 1870s. OtherNative Americans? We also considered Stone Lizard Lodgingin Blanding, but it was full. Philippe and the Bigfoot Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr A pile of potsherds found at the Bigfoot Ruins. Best time of year for San Rafael Swell/Cedar Mesa ? Wow! Just amazing, I really loved this hike and ruin site. The first mile is very flat, and you can easily look down into Road Canyon to the North. Ottrott Ancient Ruins: See reviews and photos of ancient ruins in Ottrott, France on Tripadvisor. I did not see promising terrain for or evidence of mountain biking or off-roading. The ruins DID look like the house was on fire. Target House Ruins are some of the best known ruins in Cedar Mesa. All Rights Reserved. Cedar Mesa, which is on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, harbors an array of colorful geological formations and hundreds of ruins from ancestral Puebloans, also commonly. A small ruin with the doorway in the roof. It was only 250 rooms, fairly overgrown and had some bulldozer damage from pothunters. Most people will not like this shoe, however: there is not enough cush, and its narrow fit. When we got here we had it all to ourselves! An official count of the rooms for Kwastiyukwa totals 1,250 (Michael Elliot, the supreme chronicler of all things Jemez in the Santa Fe National Forest). We specialize in modern backpacking gear and skills, long-distance thru-hiking, mountain high routes, and off-trail travel. The region is extremely popular with climbers and other outdoor lovers for its red rock canyons, high alpine peaks, and tree-covered plateaus where wildlife flourishes. Comb Ridge is a 90-mile long Navajo sandstone ridge (or monocline) running North to South, and is home to many ancestral ruins and petroglyphs that date back around 800 years old. $2 per person per day fee. We already have a Trek for Target House, so please click here to read more about it. We also got to see a sneak peek of a new book he will be publishing soon. Click here for more info. The ruins are really neat and require your protection. Unfortunately, there isnt an authoritative source for this info, but once youve selected potential lodging, you may find useful info by googling. After work on Friday I drove down to the Mule Canyon Towers and set up camp nearby. Much of Cedar Mesa is at above 6,000 feet in elevation so winters are cold and most precipitation will be in the form of snow. Theyre also low to the ground, which is great for uneven surfaces. Consult my gears listsandThe Ultimate Hikers Gear Guidefor discussions of appropriate gear, supplies, and skills. You can see the black smoke stains on the rock from ancient fires. These loops do entail some overland travel thats comparable to navigating the open ocean: there are few landmarks. But if people get lost and never find it, that is probably a good thing! Enjoy the silence of this canyon! 2 About 3 Directions 4 Trail Info 5 Trail Map 6 Recommended Gear 7 Nearby Hike 8 Save me on Pinterest! The ruins are really neat and require your protection. A pile of potsherds found at the Bigfoot Ruins. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, please take only photographs and leave only footprints in Cedar Mesa. The ruins are named the Bigfoot Ruins because there is a footprint in the mud next to the doorway of one of the structures. A really nice place to stay in Bluff is La Posada Pintada. Cedar Mesa is appropriate for car-camping, day-hiking, and backpacking. Use CalTopo to plan your route in greater detail and to print small-scale topographic maps, including USGS 7.5-minute tiles. Free download: My 12 go-to breakfasts & dinners, http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-cedar-mesa/, https://andrewskurka.com/2016/review-salewa-lite-train-trail-running-shoes/. Sheiks Canyon is a short, steep side canyon that enters Grand Gulch between Todie and Bullet Canyons. Ive wanted to find and photograph the Remnant Ruin for a whileI finally got my chance. Nevertheless, I was in the Cedar Mesa area and had an afternoon off and wanted to do a popular hike and decided to do this one. Certainly not for whats visible today, as its mostly long mounds of collapsed roomblocks. From theKane Gulch Ranger Stationon HWY 261, drive 9.3 miles south. There is a lot of confusion regarding the name of this place. why do you place your opinion and what you want on the locals that live and make a living their??? The Bears Ears buttes that are the namesake forBears Ears National Monumentare famous in San Juan County, for their cultural and geological significance. Or have you read anything or talked to anyone that may have the same thoughts? It will give you a different perspective of places like Cedar Meas. A standing wall section off in the trees. We mustve passed 30 people. Hiking to the Seven Kivas Ruin, Cedar Mesa, My track via Gaia GPS the best tracking app! Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). Cedar Mesa Ruins & Rock Art. There are a few petroglyphs, Best Season: Spring, fall, and winter. Stay left and continue hiking. Opinion and what you want on the ruins made it seem like it had a painted target... Leading right, but this still doesnt really convey the huge scale plus! Leading right, but his legs were a little too short here on the and... The doorway in the mud next to the Mule Canyon towers and set up nearby!, as it is all sand andslick rock right off the side of the most densely populated before! Perspective of places like Cedar Meas, best Season: Spring, fall, and signed copies Ultimate... 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