Bears Ears National Monument, National monument in San Juan County, Utah
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.
Two prominent rock formations give the place its name and are called by identical terms in four different indigenous languages. This shared naming reflects centuries of cultural connection between several tribes and this stretch of land.
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