Kane Gulch Ranger Station | Utah

The Kane Gulch Ranger Station serves Cedar Mesa and the Bears Ears National Monument Shash Jáa Unit in Southeastern Utah, an area well known for its cultural resources. Parking for the Kane Gulch Trailhead, which leads into Grand Gulch, is located just north of the Ranger Station. Grand Gulch is a popular destination for backpackers, and is known for it's abundant Ancestral Puebloan sites in a backcountry canyon setting.

OPEN: 

• March 1 – June 15 and September 1 – October 31
• Thursday – Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Kane Gulch Ranger Station is the only physical location to obtain Day, Week, and Annual Day Use and Overnight permits, including Moon House permits (March 1 through June 15, and September 1 through October 31). Reservations are also available on the Recreation.gov website. Moon House is a remote complex of structures in McLoyd Canyon southeast of the Kane Gulch Ranger Station. It is accessed by a strenuous three mile hike and is not for those who fear heights.

Hiking and viewing cultural sites in other nearby canyons, like Fish Canyon, Owl Canyon, Slickhorn Canyon, and Mule Canyon, are popular as well.

The Ranger Station itself is a destination, where interpretive displays include photographs and drawings of numerous prehistoric sites, primarily rock art, and of archeologists at work. An interpretive video is played regularly, and is required for overnight backpack visitors.

Please remember that all artifacts, rock writing, and the prehistoric structures themselves are protected by law. It is illegal to remove artifacts, mark or write on the rocks, or damage the ruins. Violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act can result in stiff penalties, including heavy fines and jail sentences.