8.10.22 Southern Utah : Bears Ears and Natural Bridges National Monuments
Though the heat in Southern Utah was a certain deterrent for many, it wasn’t for me and Minnie Rambles, my RV. Getting to 2 national monuments in 1 day was quite the day journey.
Bears Ears National Monument
Info for Bears Ears National Monument
Leaving Combs Wash Camp area I headed to Bears Ears National Monument. I remember in recent years there had been controversy over the park’s ownership and boundaries so I was greatly interested in seeing the park for myself.
Unfortunately, my visit was brief, I visited amazing ruins and I had the pleasure of speaking with a park ranger as well. Since I was the only one in the parking lot I had all her attention.
She gave me valuable info on hiking and backpacking in the park. She also explained to me why the park had no visible road signs as one approaches, I had no clue I had entered the park. She said since the park’s boundaries were in flux the last few years no signs were created. Yet now that the park had settled with it’s current boundaries signs will be made. There is also no park brochures, the one she gave me was from years ago.
My goal that day was not to spend time in Bears Ears but in the nearby Natural Bridges NM. The drive between parks is not long, I arrived around lunch time.
Natural Bridges National Monument
Info for Natural Bridges National Monument
As always I hit the visitor’s center as I enter a state or national park for information and maps. There is no entrance toll booth so you also need to pay your entrance fee here or if you have a National Parks Pass you must have it verified before driving the park’s loop.
I also decided this summer to purchase a book that represents something about that park at the Visitor’s Center. Since I had bought a wonderful book called The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre (aff link) in Yellowstone NP, I thought it fun to grab another canine book here – Coyote America by Dan Flores (aff link). Coyotes fascinate me and unfortunately, due to their proximity to many urban areas, have been demonized. I wanted to learn more about the wolf and the domestic dog’s cousin.
Once I had my map and book (I have a National Park Annual Pass so I didn’t need to pay any fees) I got Minnie Rambles moving down the road to drive the park’s loop.
Along the way there are several stops with plenty of room for my 26′ RV to park, it was summer and the off season for this southern Utah park, of course parking was plentiful of parking, who dares venture into the heat?
Well, I braved the heat as well as a few others, specifically a couple from the Midwest, an older couple from California and a family from France. We all drove the loop leap-frogging each other, greeting as we passed on trail and spoke a little each time of the beauty of each location and how hot it was.
For me, the crown jewel was Owachomo Bridge, it was the most accessible bridge on the loop with a short trail as well as the easiest to see in it’s entirety.
Being since it was only getting hotter and camp was still hours away for me I decided to not hike much that day and be “parking lot tourist” most of my visit. The park is still fascinating with it’s cultural and natural history yet one really needs to hike down into it’s canyons to get the full effect of this mostly isolated southern Utah park.
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