Archeology

River HouseThe Bureau of Land Management’s Monticello Field Office is famous for its heritage resources, including both archeology and paleontology. Heritage Tourism is a popular activity here.  People come from all over the world to see areas like Grand Gulch, where some of the earliest archeological research was conducted. 

Throughout this area Ancestral Puebloan Native Americans left a legacy that includes hundreds of cliff dwellings and ruins and thousands of pictographs and petroglyphs. 

Archeology

Contact Information

BLM Monticello Field Office
365 North Main, PO Box 7
Monticello, Utah 84535
Telephone: 435-587-1500

It is exciting to discover a ruin in a protected alcove or a rock art panel with petroglyphs and pictographs. Open air ruins are more common, and a few have been excavated and stabilized to make them easier to see. While some sites have been developed for easier access; others are deep in the backcountry and require more of a commitment to experience. You can follow in the tracks of the ancients or follow a trail made by historic pioneers. At a museum you can learn more about the people that lived here and see items that they used in their daily lives. The cultural resources that are available to enjoy here are widely varied and offer something for everyone. 

Butler Wash RuinWhen visiting these areas, please take care not to harm them. Leave all artifacts in place; don’t make piles for pictures or take them home. Artifacts tell an important part of the story that makes these places special. If you visit a ruin with standing walls, please don’t climb or lean on the walls and don’t enter rooms. Standing walls are fragile and can easily be damaged. Stay on the trails. Leave your backpack and your pets outside the site. Never touch or put chalk on rock art figures, and don’t write on the rocks. Take only pictures, and leave only footprints.  For more information about the best way to treat the archeological sites you visit, please go to our Site Etiquette Page.  

Developed Archeological Sites

There are several archeological sites on the BLM Monticello Field Office that have been developed for public use. These include both rock art and Ancestral Puebloan habitation structures.  The locations of several sites are shown on this map.   

Developed sites include:  

Archeological Areas

The Monticello Field Office has many archeological sites that are located in areas that are remote and require dirt roads, hiking, off highway vehicles, or river trips to reach. These archeological sites are special places that are often quite vulnerable to damage caused by well meaning visitors. Be careful and respectful when you visit them. Leave artifacts right where you find them. Never climb on walls or touch rock art. Avoid disturbing vegetation or soil. Review guidelines on site etiquette. 

Some well known archeological areas include: 

Historic Trails

There are two significant historic trails in the Monticello Field Office. 

The Hole In The Rock Trail is a wagon trail made by early pioneers who settled the town of Bluff.

The Old Spanish Trail is a National Historic Trail that once crossed the northeast corner of the BLM Monticello Field Office.

To learn more about National Historic Trails in Utah click here.