In front of you stands an excavated great house constructed in the mid-1000s common era (CE) and occupied until around 1150 CE. Its builders crafted rectangular rooms with wide masonry walls that supported a building that stood at least two stories . . . — — Map (db m270444) HM
On Bridge View Drive 8 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling north.
The two prominent buttes in the distance are called the Bears Ears. Several native American groups, including the Navajos, Utes, and Pueblos, consider this area sacred and include it in their oral traditions.
One of the more popular Navajo . . . — — Map (db m93095) HM
Stay and watch. This sculpture replicates prehistoric archaeoastronomy sites found in the Southwest and acts as a laboratory to chart the sun's yearly migration. Archaeoastronomy is the study of prehistoric cultural connections with the sun, moon, . . . — — Map (db m270674) HM
Near County Route 271 0.1 miles east of U.S. 191, on the right when traveling east.
This location marks the second encounter of one of the last Indian uprisings in the United States. Posey and his Piute followers helped 2 young braves escape from the Blanding jail. At this site the pursuing posse closed in, Posey opened fire and . . . — — Map (db m95047) HM
Drought, shortened growing seasons, and late and early frosts caused tough times for Pueblo farmers, especially in southeastern Utah. In the early 1200s, villagers in Utah, including Edge of the Cedars Pueblo, probably moved short distances east to . . . — — Map (db m270677) HM
The Edge of the Cedars Pueblo actually consists of two villages, one dating to the late 800s and early 900s, the other to the late 1000s and mid-1100s.
The late village includes a "Chacoan" great house and great kiva. The powerful . . . — — Map (db m270439) HM
Parts of the great house, now excavated and stabilized, were buried under a mound of collapsed stone and wind-blown sand that accumulated for over 700 years. Prior to excavation, a 9-foot mound of rubble and earth stood here. This great pile of . . . — — Map (db m270682) HM
Welcome to “Hovenweep.” It is a Paiute and Ute word meaning “deserted valley.” It was the name given this extraordinary place by pioneer photographer William H. Jackson, who visited here in 1874. It’s an apt description. As . . . — — Map (db m71464) HM
Near Bridge View Drive 4.8 miles west of Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Kachina (Ka-cheé-na) Bridge was named for the Hopi kachina spirits which frequently displayed lightning snake symbols on their bodies. Similar snake patterns were carved by prehistoric people on the base of Kachina Bridge.
Kachina Bridge is the . . . — — Map (db m93017) HM
An untouched archaeology site is rich with potential discoveries. Even a broken piece of ancient pottery, called a potsherd, can provide clues about the past. For example, archaeologists often use painted pottery sherds on the ground surface to . . . — — Map (db m270684) HM
For over 1500 years, Ancestral Pueblo people built and used underground rooms. Archaeologists identify these features with the terms "pithouse" and "kiva," which distinguish different roofing systems. Pithouses, used from about 300 before common era . . . — — Map (db m270538) HM
Near Utah Route 95 at milepost 101.5, on the right when traveling west.
Mule Canyon Ruin is an open Anasazi habitation site consisting of both above- and below-ground structures. This site was first occupied briefly in the Pueblo I time period (about A.D. 750) but the main occupation was during the Pueblo II and Pueblo . . . — — Map (db m95153) HM
Near Bridge View Drive 6.7 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Owachomo (O-wá-cho-mo) is a Hopi Indian word for rock mound. On the upper left side of the bridge is a rock outcrop which suggested the name for the bridge.
Owachomo Bridge looks different from either Sipapu or Kachina Bridge. Because Owachomo . . . — — Map (db m93094) HM
On Utah Route 95 at milepost 97, on the left when traveling west.
December 23, 1879 “The snow fell about eight inches...”
December 24, 1879 “... we had cooked the last food we had, consisting of a slap jack baked in a frying pan and about one inch thick.”
December 25, 1879 “ it was Christmas day 1879, which . . . — — Map (db m199568) HM
On South Main Street, on the left when traveling north.
A canal was surveyed from Johnson Creek on Blue Mountain to White Mesa; in 1902-3 lots were staked for homes. Two years later Albert R. Lyman and Family pitched first tent and settled one block west of this site. In 1907 a tent school was . . . — — Map (db m95062) HM
Near Bridge View Drive 1.9 miles Visitor Center Parking Lot, on the right when traveling south.
Several names have been given to the bridges over the years. Sipapu (Seé-pa-pu) has had at least two other names—President and Augusta—but these were later changed. Cliff dwellings and rock art in the area reminded William Douglass, the . . . — — Map (db m93093) HM
Over 700 years ago, Little Ruin Canyon was the scene of a sizable ancestral Pueblo community. Sustained by a small spring at the head of the canyon and rainwater held behind check dams on the mesa top, they flourished in what we would consider a . . . — — Map (db m71468) HM
When Ancestral Pueblo people attended events at the great kiva, they probably brought local food and craft items to exchange for imported goods. In addition to the exchange of things, whole "libraries" of information came with these items. This . . . — — Map (db m270536) HM
Prior to surveyors setting the four Corners Monument this boundless land was inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans, followed by the Dine, Ute and other indigenous people. Over time, this land was claimed by Spain, taken in war by Mexico, ceded to the . . . — — Map (db m36526) HM
In 1883, Cass Hite wandered up White Canyon from his mining claim on the Colorado River and “discovered” three stone bridges. He brought them to the attention of area residents and the scientific community. Nowhere else had three such . . . — — Map (db m132275) HM
Official outlet of ZCMI (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution), "America's First Department Store". This building housed the Grayson City Co-op from 1918 to 1939 when the name was changed to Parley Redd Mercantile. Both companies were part of . . . — — Map (db m95063) HM
A blacksmith shop with a skilled blacksmith was a necessity. Amasa Barton (Joseph Barton's brother) was kept busy fitting horseshoes, repairing wagons and making , sharpening and repairing everything from farming implement to carpentry tools.
In . . . — — Map (db m95040) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Joseph Franklin and Harriet Ann Richards Barton made the difficult journey to Bluff via the Hole-in-the-Rock with baby daughters, ages one and three.
Harriet Ann Richards Barton was a loving and dedicated mother and companion. She was . . . — — Map (db m270835) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Ole Hanson Bayles was a single 21-year-old when he accepted a call to the San Juan Mission. He drove/herded the cattle of the initial five-month-long exploring expedition. Church leaders encouraged the single men to marry before making the remote . . . — — Map (db m270873) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
In 1856, nine-year-old Bodil Malene Mortensen departed from Denmark with her family's friends Jens and Elsie Nielson and their five-year-old son Niels (commonly referred to as Jens Jr). What likely began as an adventure for young Bodil and Jens Jr. . . . — — Map (db m270871) HM
On U.S. 163 at milepost 38.3, on the right when traveling east.
William H. Jackson of the United States Geological and Geographical survey conducted the first formal archeological exploration of the Comb Ridge area. Originating in the Colorado Territory, Jackson and his team reached Comb Ridge by following . . . — — Map (db m95034) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Fredrick and Mary (Mackelprang) Jones came to Bluff in 1882, two years after the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers had arrived. They were part of the second set of pioneers called to the San Juan Mission. The young couple made the journey with their . . . — — Map (db m270876) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Melvin Gaines, a local farmer and life-long resident of Bluff, donated farm equipment that was utilized by the original settlers of the Fort.
The collection includes the following:
Slip or Scoop Scrapers
Scrapers played an essential . . . — — Map (db m270841) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
The initial effort by Mormon pioneers to colonize the southeast corner of the Utah Territory began on the north bank of the San Juan River, 13.5 miles east of here. Responding to a call from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to . . . — — Map (db m270821) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
George Hobbs was one of several single young adults called to participate in the San Juan Mission. He was the only person assigned to all three of the mission's major scouting expeditions.
The first scouting expedition, which established sites . . . — — Map (db m270870) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
A challenging period for the settlers in Bluff was when they lived in and around their wagons until they were able to build a cabin. These living accommodations varied in duration and according to the needs and resources of each family.
The . . . — — Map (db m270875) HM
On U.S. 163 at milepost 39.6, on the left when traveling east.
As winter storm approached, four nearly starved scouts, George Hobbs, George Morrill, Lemuel Redd, Sr. and George Sevey, sought shelter for the night in this area on December 27, 1879. The scouts were exploring for a feasible route for the 250 . . . — — Map (db m95035) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
The success of the pioneers' settlements along the San Juan River was contingent upon irrigating the parched land. Irrigating with water from the San Juan River, which was prone to frequent fluctuations ranging from nearly no water flow to raging . . . — — Map (db m270881) HM
On North 6th Street at Black Locust Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North 6th Street. Reported permanently removed.
Built in 1890's by Jens Nielson
Born in Denmark in 1820
Member of handcart company of 1856, to S.L.C.
First Mormon Bishop of Bluff 1880-1906 — — Map (db m95042) HM
In honor of her courage, faith, compassion, friendship, love, and medical service to the greater Bluff community from 1882-1906.
In addition to serving the children as Bluff's Primary president for 25 years, Josephine Wood was called by Bishop . . . — — Map (db m95037) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Kumen in 1879, at age 22, was a member of the five-month scouting expedition to locate suitable sites for the San Juan missionaries to settle. After returning, he and his wife Mary Nielson made the arduous journey to Bluff via the Hole-in-the-Rock. . . . — — Map (db m270825) HM
The Jones log cabin was located in the northwest corner of the fort. Near the turn of the century, the Joneses constructed an elegant stone home adjacent to their original cabin. Fire destroyed the Jones home in 1975.
In 1896, a gold rush brought . . . — — Map (db m95038) HM
In 1879, at age 17, Parley R. Butt was one of 26 men who scouted possible routes for the San Juan Mission and established Montezuma Fort. A few months later, he traveled with the main group of pioneers as they blazed the Hole-in-the-Rock road. In . . . — — Map (db m95041) HM
On Black Locust Avenue just east of 5th East, on the right when traveling east.
Sketched by Remington Lange 1893 Bluff's log meetinghouse was the center of all public gatherings for the small community on the remote San Juan frontier. The meetinghouse, which was part of the north wall of the Bluff Fort, served as . . . — — Map (db m149540) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Bluff's log meetinghouse was the center of all public gatherings for the small community on the remote San Juan frontier. The meetinghouse, which was part of the north wall of the Bluff Fort, served as chapel, courthouse, ballroom, concert hall, and . . . — — Map (db m270823) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th East, on the left when traveling west on Black Locust Avenue.
• Member of San Juan Mission Exploring Party • Driver of one of first wagons through Hole-in-the-Rock • First Superintendent of San Juan Schools • Church Leader and Missionary to Indians — — Map (db m150070) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
The 1893-1894 gold rush brought an influx of men to the area. Some were skilled masons, stone cutters, and carpenters. After having no luck in the goldfields, some men sought employment in Bluff. Mr. Tyndall, a stonecutter and mason, built the Kumen . . . — — Map (db m270828) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
The cabins of Bluff were constructed from cottonwood trees that grew abundantly along the river banks. Each cabin's roof was constructed by covering tightly laid limbs, which spanned the cabin's central beam and the outside walls, with burlap, . . . — — Map (db m270833) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
The Bluff Fort consisted of an arrangement of single-room log cabins with all door and window openings facing the center of the fort. Log fences closed the space between the log cabins. The Barton cabin originally consisted of one room with a dirt . . . — — Map (db m270838) HM
Upon the pioneers' arrival in the Bluff valley, water for cooking and drinking was carried from the San Juan River. According to Mary Mackelprang Jones, water from the San Juan “O was so hard and muddy cottonwood ashes were put in it to stand . . . — — Map (db m95039) HM
On N Pioneer Drive 0.1 miles east of Red Rock Road, on the right when traveling east.
More than eight centuries ago, this hilltop was the location of an important, ancient Pueblo Indian site. Under the protection of the Southwest Heritage Foundation, the Bluff Great House Site is under investigation by archaeologists at the . . . — — Map (db m271024) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Parley Butt, at age 17, participated in the five-month expedition to locate a site for the settlement and a route to it. Upon his return to his family in Parowan, Utah, he and his brother Dick (Willard) Butt journeyed to Bluff with the other . . . — — Map (db m270877) HM
The community's co-op store was located in the northeast corner of the fort. This cooperative venture, which provided a means for buying, selling and trading, became very successful. The Navajos and Utes also frequented the store, trading their . . . — — Map (db m95036) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
Six Decker families made the epic Hole-in-the Rock journey together, including father/grandfather, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
James and Anna Mickelsen Decker
While camped at 50 Mile Spring, prior to making it through the . . . — — Map (db m270872) HM
Rincone, Spanish for corner, was the name given this bench land which forms a right angle junction of Comb Ridge and the San Juan River. Being a popular site for the fording of the river. William Hyde established a trading post here in the early . . . — — Map (db m303305) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
In the early 1890s, gold was reported as discovered along the San Juan River.
"Men broke and ran like mad from all around, to stake a claim on the river before all the ground should be taken. From New England, the Eastern, Central and Western . . . — — Map (db m270879) HM
On Navajo Twins Drive west of U.S. 191, on the right when traveling west.
Bluff was the first settlement of the white man in San Juan County and its first county seat. It was founded April 6, 1880 by the San Juan Mission "called" by the L.D.S. Church to establish friendly relations with the Indians. A small band of . . . — — Map (db m95043) HM
On Black Locust Avenue at 5th E Street on Black Locust Avenue.
In April 1880, 260 pioneers arrived here, concluding a six-month journey of unparalleled difficulty. We invite you to enjoy a self-guided tour. Push the buttons on the cabin entrances to learn more of their remarkable challenges.
In the late . . . — — Map (db m270882) HM
Rising above the mesa, Aztec Butte overlooks sheer cliffs and twisted canyons stretching in every direction. Hundreds of years ago, ancestral Puebloans survived here through hard work and ingenuity. Clad in yucca sandals and bearing baskets of . . . — — Map (db m159891) HM
[Left to right]
Land of Standing Rocks
High plateaus and spires eroded from dark brown shale. Well-known rock formations include Lizard Rock, The Plug, Chimney Rock and The Wall. As the raven flies, The Land of Standing Rocks is 15 miles . . . — — Map (db m159922) HM
Height: 1'-2½'
Seedhead: Tufted seeds on
hair-thin branches in loose bunches
This attractive cool-season bunchgrass grows in moist soils of early spring, then flowers and sets seed before summer. Its large seeds are a vital food . . . — — Map (db m159820) HM
On Utah Route 276, on the right when traveling east.
In 1879 the L.D.S. church sent missionary families to San Juan Country to make settlement and better relations with the Indians. These pioneers led by Silas S. Smith and Platte D. Lyman came through the Hole in the Rock. The company consisted of 83 . . . — — Map (db m173731) HM
On Utah Route 46 9 miles east of U.S. 191, on the left when traveling east.
The first Postal Service was established at La Sal on September 12, 1878. La Sal was made an outpost on the mail route from Salina, Utah to Ouray, Colorado. It was described as one of the strangest and most dangerous routes in the history of the . . . — — Map (db m95121) HM
On Grand View Point Road 7 miles south of Road 313, on the left when traveling south.
On a clear day, you can easily see the La Sal Mountains from this point. However, haze or dust sometimes obscure even the closest features. Agriculture, grazing, land development, and off-road vehicles disturb soils, and then bursts of wind stir . . . — — Map (db m271251) HM
On County Highway 268A south of Hovenweep Road, on the right when traveling south.
Welcome to Hovenweep National Monument
“Hovenweep,” it is a Paiute and Ute word meaning “deserted valley.” It was the name given this extraordinary place by pioneer photographer William H. Jackson, who visited here in 1874. It’s an apt . . . — — Map (db m205218) HM
On Canyonlands National Park (Scenic Utah Route 211) 35 miles west of U.S. 191.
A true aristocrat of the outdoors and superintendent of Arches (1949-1972), Bates was the moving force that created Canyonlands National Park and became its first superintendent (1964-1972). Canyonlands will remain forever a monument to his memory, . . . — — Map (db m271097) HM
On Cave Spring Road (County Road 1171) 0.2 miles east of County Road 1301, on the left when traveling east.
This short trail passes Cave Spring, one of the area's few year-round water sources. An excellent natural campsite, this location contains evidence of almost 1,000 years of human use. You can see remnants of a cowboy camp in the first alcove, which . . . — — Map (db m271103) HM
Near South Main Street south of West 100 South, on the right when traveling south.
The first white settlers of the region were cattlemen. Cattle were first introduced into the San Juan County-Blue Mountain area during the 1870s. Large numbers of the animals were placed on the thousands of acres of lush grasses which grew in the . . . — — Map (db m95129) HM
This location has been a travelers’ resting place for two centuries. Beginning in 1829, horse teams on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and California stopped here for the abundant spring water and shade. After the settlement of Mormon . . . — — Map (db m92547) HM
On South 100 West, on the right when traveling south.
This Home was constructed by Joseph Henry Wood between 1916-18 in the Arts and Crafts style of wood and sandstone quarried from a site near south Creek four miles southwest of Monticello. The stone cutting, dressing, and laying was supervised by Ed . . . — — Map (db m95123) HM
Near South Main Street south of West 100 South, on the right when traveling south.
This original log cabin is representative of the housing of the early pioneers in the area. It was first occupied by three brothers, Warren, John, and Scotty Williamson during the 1880s in Dry Valley., Utah. It is believed that the Williamson . . . — — Map (db m95125) HM
On South Main Street, on the right when traveling north.
March 12, 1887 Frederick I. Jones, Farley R. Butt, Charles E. Walton and George A. Adams came here to start the L.D.S. Blue Mountain Mission. After their families arrived they camped at Verdure the first summer. In 1888 the families of M. Peterson, . . . — — Map (db m95124) HM
On Utah Route 211, on the left when traveling west.
Newspaper Rock is a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records approximately 2,000 years of early man's activities. Prehistoric peoples, probably from the Archoic, Basketmaker, Fremont and Pueblo cultures, etched on the rock from B.C. to . . . — — Map (db m4615) HM
Near South Main Street south of West 100 South, on the right when traveling south.
This log church is a replica of the first church in Monticello. The original church, built in 188 for religious worship, also became the core of community activities. It was a school, a refuge for the homeless, a place to dance, a site for public . . . — — Map (db m95126) HM
Near South Main Street south of West 100 South, on the right when traveling south.
Hispanics have a very long history in the Southwest, dating back to the early 1600s. The Old Spanish Trail trade from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to California, passed through San Juan County near Monticello. There were no supply stations nor permanent . . . — — Map (db m95127) HM
On Canyonlands National Park (State Road 211) 35 miles west of U.S. 191.
He laid the foundation of the national park service defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good that he has done. — — Map (db m271098) HM
On Canyonlands National Park (State Road 211) 0.2 miles east of County Road 1301, on the right when traveling east.
Indigenous people long survived here through hard work and ingenuity. Nearly 700 years ago, some built these small stone structures, possibly to use for storage or ceremonial purposes. In Canyonlands, even older structures still stand, but . . . — — Map (db m271101) HM
Near U.S. 191 at milepost 110.4, on the right when traveling north.
Kane Springs, San Juan County, was a major water stop along the historic Spanish Trail, in use from 1829 to 1848. Large trade caravans halted here and drank from the abundant spring waters. In autumn months, pack trains carried woolen textiles and . . . — — Map (db m95080) HM
On Center Street (U.S. 491) east of Main Street (U.S. 191), on the left when traveling east.
On May 2, 1896, the County Commissioners signed an agreement to purchase a jail cell seven feet by seven feet by seven feet, made of Bessemer steel bar. On November 9, 1896 the County paid $85 to Dora Crouse for Lot 3 in Block 10 with a cabin on . . . — — Map (db m160062) HM
On U.S. 191 at milepost 65.5, on the right when traveling north.
The oldest Mormon settlement in the Blue Mountain Region was first known as South Montezuma. Later the name was changed to Verdure after the lush green growth along the stream bed. Verdure was settled by men of the Blue Mountain Mission March 11, . . . — — Map (db m95065) HM
On Main Street (U.S. 191) at Center Street (U.S. 491), on the right when traveling north on Main Street.
Dedicated to the men and
women who serve our
country in war and peace
[Armed Forces Emblems]
We honor the following San Juan County Veterans who
gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country
WWI
Horace Robertson Argyle • . . . — — Map (db m160057) WM
On Cave Spring Road (County Road 1171) 0.5 miles east of County Road 1301.
Does it feel like you found a little oasis in the desert? You have. All living things need water to survive, and reliable water is a rare gift in this arid land. For thousands of years, shade, cooler temperatures, and a year-round water source have . . . — — Map (db m271108) HM
On U.S. 191 south of Wilson Arch Road, on the right when traveling north.
Wilson Arch was named after Joe Wilson, a local pioneer who had a cabin nearby in Dry Valley. This formation is known as Entrada Sandstone. Over time superficial cracks, joints, and folds of these layers were saturated with water. Ice formed in the . . . — — Map (db m39260) HM
On Utah Route 211 36 miles west of U.S. 191, on the left when traveling west.
Wooden Shoe Arch, visible on the horizon, formed thousands of years ago, yet the rock it's made from is much older.
Three hundred million years ago, an inland sea flooded this area. As the sea evaporated, it left behind a great salt basin . . . — — Map (db m132300) HM
To this great leader scouter friend of youth and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this arch is affectionately dedicated April 6, 1957 — — Map (db m274343)
Near Gouldings Trading Post Road 0.3 miles south of Monument Valley Road.
Harry and Leone (“Mike”) Goulding came to the valley in 1924, began building a home here and moved into this trading post in 1928. For more than 40 years they were traders and friends to the Navajos. In addition, they were hosts to . . . — — Map (db m149538) HM
