Beef Basin Wash

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 6.4 miles (driving?)
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 6284 - 6609 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2 hrs.
Trailhead: Beef Basin Wash
Fee: none
Attractions: cliff dwelling

Well into the depths of Beef Basin Wash, northwest of Monticello, Utah, there is an almost pristine cliff dwelling that looks out several hundred feet above the valley floor. This post is of a visit to the ruin that was made late in the day with only enough time and daylight for the ruin to be viewed from below.

Big Foot Ruin

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6065 - 6140 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2 hrs.
Trailhead: Owachomo Bridge
Fee: $10/individual or $20/vehicle
Attractions: Nice ruins

The Big Foot Ruin is located in Tuwa Canyon just outside of the Natural Bridges National Monument west of Blanding, Utah. Ruins at the site are tucked under a south facing overhang well above the flash flood level of the wash. Visitors to the cliff dwellings are treated to a few very well preserved granaries and rooms that are easy to get to but seldom visited.

White Canyon

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 2.4 - 7+ miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5770 - 6196 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 7 hrs.
Trailhead: Sipapu Bridge
Fee: $10/individual or $20/vehicle
Attractions: ruins and rock art

White Canyon is in the Natural Bridges National Monument west of Blanding, Utah. Within the deep walls of the canyon are many Ancestral Puebloan ruins including granaries, kivas, rooms and pictographs. This post covers a hike that begins at the Sipapu Bridge trailhead where it descends into the canyon, passes beneath the bridge and continues up White Canyon for another 3.5 miles passing multiple ruins and a geological formation known as Sphinx Rock.

Over Under Ruins

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5733 - 6079 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Over Under (unmarked)
Fee: none
Attractions: Cliff dwellings, rock art

The Over Under Ruins are located in the Cedar Mesa/Comb Ridge area west of Blanding, Utah. The site includes four alcoves that all contain Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Two of the alcoves are stacked, one on top of the other, and make up what are commonly known as the Over Under Ruins. Each ruin requires some minor scrambling for up close examination as well as some hiking on a scree and talus slope with loose dirt.

Doll House

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.4 miles (26 mi. drive)
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 7854 - 7994 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 45 mins. (2 hr. drive)
Trailhead: Doll House
Fee: none
Attractions: Exceptional ruin

The Doll House is located in the Bears Ears National Monument west of Blanding, Utah. Tucked away in a shallow alcove near the rim in a branch of Wooden Shoe Canyon, on the edge of the Dark Canyon Wilderness Area, the near perfect ruin stands silently as it has for almost 800 years. Getting to the ruin requires an arduous 26.1 mile drive up to the iconic Bears Ears and through the Manti La-Sal National Forest to near the end of Dry Mesa. The scenery along the way is outstanding with deer and elk being seen at times in the grassy areas beneath the towering ponderosa pines. Stopping to take in the views of Wooden Shoe and Cherry Canyon add to the drives enjoyment. After the long drive a short quartermile hike will bring you to your ultimate destination.