Cedar Mesa Backcountry Permits

ON SEASON – March 1 – June 15 and September 1 – October 31

• Saddle & Pack Stock Use

• More Information

• Dogs

• Archeological Sites

• Suggested Day Hikes

Day Use Permits	$2.00/per person/per day $5.00/per person/ 7 consecutive day pass
Overnight Permits	$8.00/per person/per trip

Overnight Permits: All advanced and walk-in overnight permits must be picked up on the day of your trip at the Kane Gulch Ranger Station between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, 7 days a week. Advanced overnight permits may be reserved up to 90 days prior to your trip through the Monticello Field Office at (435) 587-1510 - 8:00a.m to noon, Monday through Friday.

Commercial groups, groups of 8 or more people, or groups using pack or saddle stock must obtain their permits by advance reservation through the Monticello Field Office. Walk in permits will not be issued to these groups.

Day Use Permits: Permits may be obtained at each trailhead through a self pay system.

OFF SEASON – June 16 – August 31 and November 1 – February 28

Day Use Permits	$2.00/per person/per day $5.00/per person/ 7 consecutive day pass
Overnight Permits	$5.00/per person/per trip

All overnight and day use permits may be self issued at each trailhead during the off season.

Overnight permits for commercial groups, or groups using pack or saddle stock must be obtained in advance through the Monticello Field Office at (435) 587-1510 - 8:00a.m to noon, Monday through Friday.

Annual Day Use Passes: The annual day use pass is $20.00 and can be purchased at the Monticello Field Office or the Kane Gulch Ranger Station. This pass is good through the calendar year and will cover all passengers in the vehicle.

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Saddle and Pack Stock Use 

All Commercial and Private Stock Use reqires a Permit

A permit reservation system is in place requiring advanced reservation permits for overnight use to be obtained from the BLM Monticello Field Office at least 3 weeks in advance for private parties and by July of the previous year for commercial trips. Walk-In overnight permits are not available. Physical permits for commercial and private trips must be obtained from the Kane Gulch Ranger Station between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on the trip start date or one day prior. Private day use does not require an advanced permit. All commercial and organized groups are required to submit a Special Recreation Application. All groups of 8 or more must make reservations for overnight use.

click here for stock stipulations

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More Information

Information line (435) 587-1532, for current road, trail, weather and water conditions.

HUMAN WASTE
Disposal of human waste is not permitted within 200 feet of a water source or campsite. Human waste should be deposited in shallow catholes (6 inches deep) and covered with soil. Please pack out toilet paper. Burning of toilet paper has resulted in a number of wildfires in Grand Gulch.

WATER
All water should be filtered, treated or boiled for 3-5 minutes before drinking. At certain times of year, or in certain conditions, it can be difficult to find water. Please check at the Kane Gulch Contact Station for the most current water conditions.

GROUP SIZE LIMITS
The group size limit for any of the canyons is 12. Pack stock is limited to 10 animals per party.

FIRES
There are no fires allowed in Grand Gulch or in any of the other canyons on Cedar Mesa. Stoves may be used for cooking. Fires are allowed on the mesa top or where one is in a dispersed vehicle camping area. If you are going to have a fire, use a fire pan or an existing fire ring. DO NOT create a new fire ring.

IN CANYON CAMPING
There are no designated camps. Please use camps that have previously been used, or camp on slickrock to lessen your impact on the canyons. You must camp at least 100 feet from a water source. Camping, sleeping, cooking or lighting a fire in a ruin, or the alcoves they are in, is not permitted. Carbon and other introduced material can prevent dating and other scientific analysis of the site.
When camping in Grand Gulch, note that the Split Level Ruin and surrounding bench area are closed to camping. In addition, you may not camp within one mile of the San Juan River when backpacking in Slickhorn or Grand Gulch.

DOGS
No pets are allowed in Grand Gulch and Slickhorn Canyons and their tributaries, nor in the McLoyd Canyon/Moonhouse Recreation Management Zone. 

Cedar Mesa Pet Stipulations:

• Dogs must be leashed at all times.
• Pets are not allowed in Grand Gulch or in Slickhorn.
• Pets are not allowed in the McLoyd Canyon/Moonhouse Recreation Management Zone.
• Pets are not allowed in alcoves or cultural sites.
• Pets are not allowed to swim or play in springs, pot holes or other natural water sources (you and I drink this water).
• Pets must not harass or harm wildlife.
• Pets must not harass visitors or other visitors' pets.
• Pets are not allowed to bark often or incessantly.
• Pet waste must be buried in a shallow hole away from trails, campsites, cultural sites, and natural water sources.
• Please remember, it is only courteous to clean up after your dog if it makes a mess in the trail or in camp. 

MAPS AND BOOKS

The Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) has a large selection of maps and books available through CNHA by mail or phone order at (800) 840-8978 or at their website www.cnha.org

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ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES
There are numerous cultural sites on the Grand Gulch/Cedar Mesa Plateau. The larger sites in Grand Gulch are marked on the map, but keep your eyes open for smaller less visible sites scattered throughout the canyons. It is unlawful to use climbing equipment to access archeological sites.

Here are some things to keep in mind when visiting cultural sites:

Please Stay Out of the Trash
The midden is sometimes thought of as a prehistoric trash mound. It is usually soft, charcoal-stained soil located immediately down slope of an alcove or cliff site. Middens contain valuable evidence of day to day activities revealing changing preferences in pottery, food, tools and even treatment of the dead. Please avoid creating or using trails through midden area, as trailing increases the natural erosion processes which eventually destroy these reservoirs of scientific information.

Would you want someone violating your ancestor's bones?
If you come upon human bones, please leave them alone and notify a ranger as soon as it is possible. Keep in mind that burial sites are the remains of ancestors of present day Native Americans and should be treated with respect. Native people view burials as part of a cycle. Birth, life, and then death are all a stage of the cycle, as is the process of burial or the abandonment of a village. When a burial takes place it is not seen as a leaving, but is a state of being that should not be disturbed by anything but the forces of nature.

Whether its paintings or peckings, rock art is always exciting to find
You may find two types of rock art on your trip. Petroglyphs are pictures carved into the rock by pecking, incising, and scratching. Pictographs are paintings on the rock surface. You will see a variety of figures, animals, and abstract representations. Because the drawings do not present a written language as we know it, their meaning is left to our imaginations. When viewing rock art it is important to keep in mind that the real importance is not found in literal meaning, but in the feelings that result from the viewing. We are privileged to be looking at the abstract expressions of earlier peoples. As the oils on your fingers speed the erosion of rock art, please don't touch these ancient traces of previous cultures. The taking of latex mold prints or rubbings from rock art or adding modern additions is vandalism.

Bring those memories home with you, take a picture!
One way to enjoy archaeological sites and rock art in a low impact fashion is by photography. However, please be cautious when publishing captions. Avoid naming a site or offering its location. We know you want a good picture, but please never chalk rock art or light fires nearby to enhance the quality of a photograph.

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Suggested Day Hikes

These hikes are located on the Grand Gulch/Cedar Mesa Plateau

Kane Gulch
From the Kane Gulch contact station (located on highway 261) you can hike down Kane Gulch and into Grand Gulch. It is 4 miles to the junction of Kane and Grand Gulch and the trail drops approximately 600 feet in elevation. At this intersection, you can view a cliff dwelling called Junction Ruin. If you decide to continue, in the next mile you can see Turkey Pen Ruin and Stimper Arch. From Kane Gulch contact station to Stimper Arch is 10 miles round trip. That's about a full day hike for most people, especially because you'll want to take time to explore the cultural sites and take some pictures. There is a day hike fee of $2.00/person/day or $5.00/person for seven consecutive days. An annual day hike pass is also available for $20 from the Monticello Office or the Kane Gulch Ranger Station.

Arch Canyon
Arch Canyon is a twelve mile long box canyon located north of highway 95. If you are traveling west on highway 95 from Blanding, turn north on the Comb Wash road (a dirt road approximately one mile west of Comb Ridge, 14 miles west of the highway 95 and 191 intersection). The mouth of Arch canyon is 2 1/2 miles up that road. The canyon has beautiful redrock walls, and it is possible to see several arches. The creek that runs along the bottom of the canyon normally has water (all water should be treated prior to drinking). Look along the canyon walls for hanging gardens. As you look for hanging gardens, you are also likely to spot cliff dwellings. Please remember to treat these special places with respect. This trail has no fee.

Mule Canyon
The south and north forks of Mule Canyon are accessed from highway 95. Look for the graded county road (SJ 263) on the north side of the highway, approximately 19 miles west of Blanding, Utah. Because of the orientation of this canyon one finds slickrock walls mixed with ponderosa pines. There is a day hike fee of $2.00/person/day or $5.00/person for seven consecutive days. An annual day hike pass is also available for $20 from the Monticello Office or the Kane Gulch Contact Station.

Would you like to be a VOLUNTEER at Grand Gulch and other Cedar Mesa Canyons?

Cedar Mesa Backcountry Permit Information

Backcountry permits are required in the following Cedar Mesa Canyons: Grand Gulch, Slickhorn Canyons, Fish Canyon, Owl Canyon, North and South Forks of Mule Canyon north of U.S. Highway 95, Road Canyon, Lime Creek, and their tributaries.

2012 Cedar Mesa General Stipulations

2012 Cedar Mesa Trip Planner

2012 Cedar Mesa Special Recreatoi Management Area
McLoyd Canyon / Moonhouse Special Recreation Zone Stipulations

2012 Grand Bulch Plateau Stock Stipulations