Bears Ears

America’s newest National Monument—despite its contested status—cradles some of North America’s most ancient civilizations.

For some, the default image of Utah’s southern tier reaches back to the raw and open American frontier, the hard to settle Interior West. For others, it speaks of the mystical lives of bygone, primeval civilizations. Fast forward now: to the feel of a nurturing sun at your back. Before you, at distance, snow-capped mountains loom with an almost palpable majesty. Welcome to the Abajo Mountains!

A 1.3-million acre Bears Ears National Monument, created by President Obama in 2016—reduced by 85% two years later—covers a broad expanse of red rock, juniper forests, high plateau, cultural, historic and prehistoric legacy. The latter includes an abundance of very early human, as well as Native American historical artifacts left behind by the first wave of Clovis people, followed by the Ancestral Puebloans, Fremont culture and others.

A pair of monumental 2,000-ft twin buttes, the Bears Ears is the remarkable remnant of 200-million year old sand dunes. Capped in shades of pale orange to light red sandstone, The Bears Ears formation is so distinctive they can be seen, even at great distance, from nearly every direction. Framed by Dark Canyon Wilderness and the Beef Basin to the west, Comb Ridge on the east, the Grand Gulch Plateau and Cedar Mesa to the south and Canyonlands National Park to the north, our mountain bike tour takes you through the most unique and historical landmarks southeast Utah has to offer.

From a start at Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding, Utah, (pop. 3375) a 19th century Mormon settlement an hour’s south of Moab and Arches National Park, we climb high into the Abajo Mountains. Our ride throughout the week visits not only plentiful archaeological sites, but also many high mountain meadows and forests. We visit gorgeous locales, such as The Notch, Duck Lake, Sego Flat, Reef of Rocks, Maverick Point Overlook, Skull and Crossbones, The Causeway, and Jackson Ridge. Wildlife is abundant atop the Abajos, herds of mule deer bounding through spans of trees while raptors dart and soar overhead. During the day, views atop the Abajo Mountains extend for 75-miles in any direction. At night, the crystal clear skies are so bright they recast the Milky Way as near endless if not impossibly dense with stars.

Our week concludes with a lengthy, 3000-foot descent into the small town of Monticello (named for Thomas Jefferson’s estate). From Monticello, a bygone uranium mining town turned gracious San Juan county seat, we stage a brief shuttle to Moab. Back in cozy, ultra welcoming Moab, we enjoy the best kind of decompression: an evening at one of the town’s most quaint restaurants and a colorful local brewery.