Original Article Posted on MSN.com
Utah has some of the most beautiful—and most crowded—national parks in the country. That’s why you should check out the state’s less visited monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, while you still can. When it comes to accessible outdoor action, America’s national monuments often outshine our national parks anyway. You can ride a mountain bike off-road. You can bring your dog and camp almost anywhere. Most of the time, there’s no entry fee. What more could you ask for?
In the case of Utah’s Mighty Monuments, you could ask to have them back, for starters.
Once recognized among the largest national monuments managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears have suffered the largest rollback of public lands protections in U.S. history. Despite ongoing legal challenges, a pair of dubious presidential proclamations designed to dismember these monuments were recently set in motion, effectively slashing Bears Ears by 85 percent and Grand Staircase by about half.
The adopted management plans unveiled by the Interior Department in February allow for mining, drilling and other development on vast swaths of the acres the Trump administration carved out of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, national monuments designated by Presidents Barrack Obama and Bill Clinton to preserve the unique geology, cultural treasures and iconic Western landscapes.
For the moment, the changes are only on paper. It’s (still) not clear that a president has the authority to abolish or shrink national monument boundaries, so the sinuous slot canyons, slickrock trails, sheer cliffs and spires that define the region remain accessible. These lands present endless opportunities for climbers, canyoneers, mountain bikers, boaters, fly-fishermen and adventurers at large.
Experience and enjoy these magnificent monuments while you can—before they become fodder for a somber John Prine song, because there’s no telling how long before “Mr. Peabody’s coal train hauls it away.”
Bears Ears National Monument
Go With the Flow: The postcard-picture outpost of Bluff, Utah, is the launch point for all things Bears Ears, including the Bears Ears Education Center, which provides information on everything from archeology to adventure. It’s also the staging site for one of the nation’s premier desert river runs on the San Juan River. The Class II float from the nearby BLM boat launch/campground at Sand Island to the takeout at Mexican Hat flows 27 miles along the southern border of Bears Ears’ Shash Jáa Unit and offers ample side-hikes to explore the area’s archeology, geology and wildlife. Extend your trip down to Clay Hills for an 84-mile multi-day immersion into the canyonlands. The mellow, meandering San Juan is ideal for all abilities and almost any type of vessel, but you’ll need a permit to launch a private trip. Otherwise, local outfitter Wild Expeditions can take care of all the gritty details.
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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
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Bring the Bike: While Moab steals the headlines, abundant slickrock, spectacular scenery and secluded, technical trails make for a comparable mountain biker’s mecca at Grand Staircase-Escalante. The monument remains one of the largest roadless areas in the West, but singletrack trails range from the high tableland of the Aquarius Plateau, across Hell’s Backbone and into the hidden desert canyons that punctuate the landscape. The Slot Canyons Inn offers riding right out the door while Rim Tours out of Moab and Vegas-based Escape Adventures both provide multi-day packages for varying ability levels (at both GSENM and BENM).
Since 1992, we at Escape Adventures have been blessed to shape and lead adventure travel vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world. Each successive season, our passion for adventure grows through memorable moments with our guests. Fresh air, faith, fitness and friends are the building blocks for our ventures, the treasured experiences that keep us moving forward. For those of you who have trekked and traveled with us over the past quarter century, Heather and I express our sincerest gratitude. The memories are priceless.
