Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureBears Ears National Monument
FreeExplore red rock canyons, Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and rock art across Cedar Mesa, Comb Ridge and Indian Creek.
Photo: Laban712 on en, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffLocal Gem
Natural Bridges National Monument
End of UT-275, off UT-95 · Blanding, UT
Why you should go…
Utah's first national monument, set aside in 1908, protects three natural bridges carved from Cedar Mesa Sandstone and named Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo. Bridge View Drive links overlooks of all three, and trails lead down to their bases, with Sipapu rising 220 feet. In 2007 the monument became the first International Dark Sky Park, and a solar array near the visitor center supplies all of its power.
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Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Natural Bridges National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
