Bears Ears National Monument, National monument in San Juan County, Utah, USA
Bears Ears National Monument spans 1.36 million acres of red rock formations, deep canyons, forests, and high plateaus in southeastern Utah.
The area was protected in 2016 to preserve thousands of archaeological sites, including cliff dwellings built by ancestral Pueblo communities. These settlements show human presence spanning more than three millennia across the region.
Five Native American tribes collaborate in managing the monument: the Navajo Nation, Hopi, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni.
Visitors reach the area from the towns of Blanding, Bluff, or Monticello, with permits required for certain activities such as river trips on the San Juan. Trails cross different types of terrain, so sturdy footwear and plenty of water are recommended for longer explorations.
The buttes rise above 8,900 and 9,000 feet, more than 2,000 feet above Utah routes 95 and 261, and are capped by Wingate Sandstone. The presidential proclamation lists their names as Hoon'Naqvut, Shash Jáa, Kwiyaghatʉ Nükavachi and Ansh An Lashokdiwe.
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