Bears Ears NM
Around Blanding - Utah
Note: On dirt roads, road conditions can change constantly. Therefore, we strongly recommend that everyone check the road conditions before each trip. We do not recommend driving on unpaved roads before, during or shortly after rain or snowfall.
Our visits: Bears Ears NM is not a secluded area with a specific entrance. Thus, we have almost always passed or driven through here in one way or another on our travels through the southwest. Our last visit was in June 2023.
Bears Ears NM
Description: Bear Ears NM is a large protected area established in 2016 and includes numerous sites of historical interest. The area is not only scenic, it also offers numerous recreational opportunities. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). At this map, you can see the area that the National Monument covers.
The small town of Bluff is located right on the border of Bears Ears NM. Although it is no longer part of the NM, but still always a nice stop on the way between Moab and Mexican Hat. The first thing you notice are the Twin Rocks right at the small Trading Post. But also the rest of the sandstone landscape around the small town is well worth a stop.
Our rating: If you come here, you don't visit the Bears Ears NM itself, but the locations that are inside the protected area. Unlike other NMs or NPs, there is no single entrance where you pay a fee. If individual areas are subject to fees, you pay the fee at the tailheads at self-pay stations.
