East of the Continental Divide in Montana, Lewis and Clark National Forest is split across eight mountain ranges east and west of the Missouri River. The largest western section butts up against Glacier National Park to the north and includes parts of the Scapegoat and the Bob Marshall Wilderness areas, which provide crucial habitat for grizzly/brown bears and world-class places for backpacking. The Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve dates back to 1897, with the now-defunct Jefferson and Absaroka National Forests added in 1932 and 1945 respectively. Since 2014, it has been co-managed with Helena National Forest.
Highlights
King Hill Scenic Byway, Cataract Falls, Sun River Gorge, Gibson Reservoir, Mt. Wright, Deep Creek Loop National Recreation Trail, Windy Mountain Trail, Crystal Cascades Trail, Crystal Lake Shoreline Loop Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
We have always wanted to visit the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service’s 25,000 square-foot Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana. It features an exhibit hall, hiking trails, and a 158-seat theater, and it is open daily in the summer and Wednesday through Sunday in the offseason. We have also wanted to backpack in the rugged Snowy Mountains, which draw backcountry skiers in the winter and horseback riders in the summer. We will have to return to this central part of Montana, which includes one of our favorite places to explore: Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument run by the Bureau of Land Management.
Best Trail
One of the most famous formations along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the 15-mile long Chinese Wall, a 1,000-foot-tall cliff composed of five-million-year-old limestone. Its closest access is 15 miles one-way from the South Fork Sun Trailhead, which is often marked as Packers on maps at the end of the gravel Benchmark Road (Forest Road 235). The trail begins by following the South Fork Sun River before crossing a bridge and entering the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We got a late start on the way in and came across a grizzly/brown bear grazing near the trail that evening and, on the drive out, we stopped to photograph three moose near Wood Lake Campground and a common loon in Anderson Lake.
Watchable Wildlife
Grizzly/brown bears are the most famous residents of the National Forest. Additional mammals include black bears, mountain lions, Canada lynxes, wolverines, mule deer, Columbian white-tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, and moose. Bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and three types of grouse are often spotted. There are excellent fly-fishing opportunities in the 1,600 miles of rivers and streams.
None except for the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, which costs $8 per person or you can use an America the Beautiful pass.
Road Conditions
We drove the gravel Benchmark Road (Forest Road 235), which was long and in excellent condition.
Camping
There are 29 vehicle-accessible campgrounds in Lewis and Clark National Forest, including Wood Lake Campground near the South Fork Sun Trailhead. Backcountry and dispersed camping options abound.
Lassen National Forest Reserve dates back to 1905, then a decade later when Lassen Peak explosively erupted (the first eruption to be photographed in the continental U.S.), 106,589-acre Lassen Volcanic National Park was carved out. The two federal areas are connected by the 187-mile-long Lassen Scenic Byway (Highways 44 and 89) that traces the volcanic legacy of the southern Cascade Range. The 41,100-acre Ishi Wilderness was named in 1984 to honor the last surviving member of the Yahi band of Southern Yanas, taken from his native home near Oroville in 1911 and employed as a janitor at the University of California’s Anthropology Museum in San Francisco until his death from tuberculosis five years later.
Highlights
Lassen Scenic Byway, Lake Almanor, Eagle Lake, Subway Cave, Hat Creek Recreational Area, Triangle Lake, Heart Lake National Recreation Trail, Bizz Johnson Trail, Spencer Meadows National Recreation Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Lassen National Forest runs campgrounds and boat ramps on both Lake Almanor and Eagle Lake, although most of their shorelines are privately owned. Between the two lakes is the town of Susanville, where a railroad bed abandoned in 1978 was converted into the Bizz Johnson Trail that follows the Susan River for 26 miles. The trail features 12 river crossings and two tunnels with scenic mountain views. Camping is restricted to specific portions of the trail. The 20,546-acre Caribou Wilderness was one of America’s first Primitive Areas designated in 1932 and along with the 16,335-acre Thousand Lakes Wilderness was established immediately following passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act. In a proposed Wilderness area on the west side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, Heart Lake National Recreation Trail is a 2.4-mile one-way hike up to a glacial lake that connects to the longer Twin Meadows Trail.
Best Trail
Subway Cave is only 1,300 feet long, but the lava tube is the main attraction in Lassen National Forest, with free guided tours offered on summer weekends. Lava flowed through here less than 2,000 years ago and interpretive signs along the 0.7-mile loop trail explain lavacicles and other geologic oddities. A flashlight is necessary to explore past the openings of the 46°F cave, which drops to four feet in some places with a maximum ceiling of 17 feet. One mile south on the Lassen Scenic Byway (Highway 44) is the 1.7-mile roundtrip Spatter Cone Trail (across from Hat Creek Campground). The trail passes a variety of volcanic formations in a forest of Jeffrey pine trees.
Watchable Wildlife
Lassen National Forest is home to black bears, pine martens, mountain lions, bobcats, red foxes, coyotes, and a few gray wolves that migrated south from Oregon. You are most likely to see mule deer or one of the variety of chipmunks or squirrels. Bird sightings include mountain chickadees, Steller’s jays, Clark’s nutcrackers (at high elevations), and eight species of woodpeckers such as pileated and white-headed.
Photographic Opportunity
Sitting at 4,505 feet in elevation, Lake Almanor stretches for 13 miles near Chester, California and is a good place for summer boating and fishing.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
None
Road Conditions
Subway Cave is located right off Lassen Scenic Byway (Highways 44 and 89) and most of the unpaved roads we have explored in the National Forest have been maintained, probably because of the continued harvesting activities that we witnessed on our field trip from Cal Poly University in 2010.
Camping
Lassen National Forest runs campgrounds on both Lake Almanor and Eagle Lake, plus Hat Creek Recreational Area has seven campgrounds. If you are looking to disperse camp outside Lassen Volcanic National Park, take the road west outside the southern entrance (but keep a clean campsite as we saw a black bear in the area).
Last year we published our guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America, so we decided to start a new type of blog post where we create a travel itinerary for all 50 states, in addition to our usual National Forest and National Park entries. After starting by jumping around to Kansas, Georgia, Idaho, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Hawai’i, and Arizona, we headed back to the south for Louisiana. Just in time for Mardi Gras, we made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in New Orleans, with plenty of options to extend the trip.
Eating beignets is a great way to start your trip to Louisiana, and this is the most touristy place to get them, located on the Riverwalk in New Orleans.
It is easy to spend an entire day here (fee) because of all the interactive exhibits and informational touchscreen kiosks. You do not even have to leave for lunch, since the Soda Shop and American Sector Restaurant & Bar are on site. We recommend you purchase a ticket including the 4-D film Beyond All Boundaries and the submarine experience based on the final mission of the USS Tang. This is our vote for #1 museum in the entire U.S.
French Quarter
Every American needs to visit the French Quarter at least once in their life (although whether that’s during the wildness of Mardi Gras is up to you), and it is walkable from the National WWII Museum. Consider stopping by iconic Lafayette Square, Old Ursuline Convent Museum, or the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.
Ghost Tour
We have heard rave reviews about the ghost tours offered in New Orleans, and hope to attend one someday to compare it to the others we have done.
We camped here and it felt like we were off in the wild while still within the city’s suburbs.
Day 2
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
The New Orleans Jazz Museum (fee) is located in the old U.S. mint building right in the heart of the historic French Quarter. Check the online schedule for musical performances put on by the National Park Service (NPS) and enter the free visitor center shared with Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
Go out to lunch in New Orleans
Louisiana is famous for its Cajun food, including gumbo, étouffée, jambalaya, po’boys, and red beans and rice.
Make sure you visit the 24,000-acre Barataria Preserve to experience the bayous of Louisiana, whether you hike or take a boat tour (fee). South of downtown New Orleans off Highway 45, keep your feet dry by hiking the boardwalks on the Bayou Coquille Trail. In addition, this park includes three Acadian Cultural Centers spread throughout southwestern Louisiana.
Optional stop at Chalmette Battlefield
Another part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve encompasses the land where Andrew Jackson led the defeat of the British to retain New Orleans for the U.S. after the end of the War of 1812.
Day 3
Baton Rouge
Check out the art-deco capitol building where you might see white pelicans floating on the lake next door. We read that the pelican on the state flag is supposed to be a brown pelican (the official state bird) even though the artist made it white so it stood out against the blue background. Also consider visiting the Old State Capitol, Old Governor’s Mansion, or USS Kidd destroyer ship.
Optional drive along the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway
Not the most direct route between New Orleans and the capital city, this 23.8-mile causeway is considered the longest continuous bridge over water in the world. It is free to drive northbound, but don’t attempt it when it’s smoky or foggy, as it becomes very dangerous to drive.
Optional stop at LSU Tigers game
Louisiana State University is located in Baton Rouge and they are famous for their tailgating scene and raucous fans who support their perennially excellent football, women’s basketball, and gymnastics teams.
Northwest of Baton Rouge, the largest of all baldcypress trees in the U.S. is found at the end of a flat, half-mile trail, where there is a new boardwalk built around the tree to protect its roots. This area is located down six miles of dirt road full of potholes (and is sometimes flooded).
Louisiana is home to 24 National Wildlife Refuges, many found in its southern half where bayous are full of alligators and mostly uninhabited by humans, like this one west of Baton Rouge.
In southwest Louisiana, this route traverses 180 miles of pavement around Calcasieu Lake and the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Much of the state’s oceanfront is inaccessible swamp, but in this corner of the state there are 26 miles of beautiful sandy beaches where ocean waves and seashells await. Consider spending the night in Holly Beach.
Further inland, there are 700,000 acres of wetlands that attract waterfowl to Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, while the surrounding area is used by farmers to grow rice and raise crawfish.
There are eight parcels that constitute the sprawling 603,360-acre Kisatchie National Forest, which has over 40 developed recreation sites and 100 miles of trails. It encompasses lakes for boating and swimming, plus baldcypress-lined bayous for canoeing and fishing. Old-growth longleaf pine forests can be accessed by the paved Longleaf Trail Scenic Byway, just off Interstate 49. A 1.5-mile interpretive loop at Longleaf Vista is a good place to start.
Red Dirt National Wildlife Management Preserve
Camping is allowed in this area next to the 8,700-acre Kisatchie Hills Wilderness where you can backpack along trails. Kisatchie National Forest also offers several lakefront camping areas elsewhere. Lake Fausse Pointe, Lake Bistineau, and Chicot State Parks all have campgrounds with lake access, as well cabins available for rent.
The Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point is a self-guided audio tour and starts off Interstate 10 in Sulphur, where a museum has hands-on displays that introduce visitors to local wildlife and Cajun culture.
Settled 3,700 years ago by hunter-gatherers, this ancient city with a population estimated at 1,500 was situated along Bayou Macon in northeast Louisiana. The inhabitants constructed several mounds, the most impressive is 72-feet-tall in the shape of a bird, which required approximately 15-million basket-loads of soil to complete.
Oakland Plantation survived the Civil War intact, but in the wake of Reconstruction tenant farming created a new form of indentured servitude. Self-guided tours of the site take you through the mule barn, several cottages, and an old general store that still looks open for business along Highway 494. Slave/tenant quarters are also preserved at Magnolia Plantation downstream, but the main house is closed to the public.
Festivals dedicated to celebrating and eating frogs and crawfish; it does not get any more Louisiana than that! Also, consider arriving during one of the many music festivals dedicated to jazz, zydeco, or other regional musical styles.
An annual battle reenactment takes place at the site of a siege during the Civil War; further north, another Civil War reenactment is held at Pleasant Hill.
This forested Wildlife Management Area is located between Monroe and Alexandria in central Louisiana. It includes Rock Falls, which at 17 feet in height is the tallest waterfall in the state, accessible on a seven-mile trail.
Last year we published our guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America, so we decided to start a new type of blog post where we create a travel itinerary for all 50 states, in addition to our usual National Forest and National Park entries. After starting with Kansas, Georgia, Idaho, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Hawai‘i we decided to do a state in the southwest. Arizona probably needs two separate itineraries, with the southern deserts being a great destination in the winter and the high-elevation northern part of the state better in the summer (see Day 8+). We made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in the south, with plenty of options to extend the trip. Scott grew up in Arizona, so he could have easily made this a four-week itinerary and still left out many good options.
On the Mexican border sits 330,689 acres of undeveloped Sonoran Desert recognized as a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1976. Its namesake cactus is more common further south and shares this landscape with 27 other species of cacti, including the famous saguaro. The park’s jagged Ajo Mountains are mostly volcanic rhyolite and to see them at their best, we recommend driving the 21-mile dirt road loop in the evening before turning in for the night at the excellent Twin Peaks Campground, run by the National Park Service (NPS).
Arizona has 19 National Monuments (more than any other state), so if you flew into Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix start with the one located right off Interstate 10.
Desert bighorn sheep can be seen in this remote part of southwest Arizona south of Quartzsite. Cibola and Imperial National Wildlife Refuges along the Colorado River are good spots for birding.
Southwest of Tucson, Arizona in a nondescript stretch of desert are the remains of an underground Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silo built in 1963, during the height of the Cold War. The nuclear warhead and rocket fuel was long ago removed from the site, but otherwise everything has been preserved. A tour guide takes you below ground in the original elevator to explain the steps required to unleash this devastating weapon.
The Catalina Highway ascends from Tucson through multiple life zones from saguaro-dotted desert to ponderosa pine forests at more than 9,000 feet in elevation. The expansive vistas along the drive are worth the many switchbacks, with Windy Point Vista is an especially beautiful wayside in the pinyon-juniper woodland zone. At the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, also within Coronado National Forest, tram rides are available through beautiful Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.
If you didn’t get your fill of cacti the first day, you will at this park with separate sections east and west of Tucson. If you only have time for one, we recommend the eastern Rincon Mountain District.
South of Tucson in Tubac, San Cayetano de Tumacácori is a Spanish mission founded in 1691 by Padre Kino and abandoned in 1848. It became a National Monument in 1908 when it was restored to its ruined state based on photographs dating from 1868.
The highly decorated cave was not discovered until 1974, when its location was kept a tight secret while efforts were made to preserve it for future visitors. There are two guided tours on paved trails offered, and if you space out your reservations far enough you can take a hike on the 2.4-mile Foothills Loop Trail in between.
Bisbee
The copper mining center of Bisbee was once the largest city between El Paso and San Francisco. The well-maintained Victorian architecture and flights of steep staircases give this border town a unique atmosphere.
The park does not actually contain a statue or large memorial to Coronado. It does have a steep three-quarter mile trail to a 600-foot long limestone cave bearing Coronado’s name, which visitors can explore on their own with flashlights.
Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Arizona, millions of years of erosion left behind a spectacular collection of rhyolite rock formations that rise above surrounding evergreen trees. All the trails are good, but we recommend an all-day hike through Echo Canyon to the Heart of Rocks Loop where you will find formations resembling camels, ducks, and anything else you can imagine.
Salt River Canyon
Start driving north and be sure to stop for photos where U.S. Highway 60 drops steeply into this gorgeous canyon between Globe and Show Low.
Optional stop at Wilcox Playa Wildlife Area
In the winter, sandhill cranes stay in large numbers in the wetlands south of Wilcox and Interstate 10.
To visit the NPS visitor center, the literal “must-do activity” is to hike 1.5 miles from the trailhead. You do pass interpretive signs, a cemetery, and ruins along the way.
A paved walkway behind the Rainbow Forest Museum is a great place to start, as NPS rangers give guided tours there throughout the day. It is worth a hike to Agate House and a connection to the Giant Logs Trail to see more petrified wood, but be sure to bring water with you in the summer since there is no shade.
“Standin’ on the corner” statue in Winslow
Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey probably could not have guessed when they penned the 1970s anthem “Take It Easy” that it would inspire a statue in an Arizona town on historic Route 66. Perhaps even more fitting is the mural behind it that shows the reflection of a girl driving a flatbed truck. Located off Interstate 40, Winslow is a great place “to loosen your load.”
Cameron Trading Post
As a kid, Scott’s family would always spend the night at the hotel here before taking friends and family to the Grand Canyon National Park. Try the mutton stew or Indian taco in the restaurant at this historic spot.
Optional stop at Meteor Crater
There is a good museum at this big, round hole in the ground along Interstate 40. It is definitely worth seeing once in your life.
Heading north from Flagstaff, a 36-mile loop drive through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument to adjacent Wupatki National Monument passes by the red-hued cinder cone through ponderosa pine forests and sunflower-filled meadows on its way to an arid, rocky high desert region that is dotted with Sinagua ruins from around AD 1100. Nearby cliff dwellings were built in Walnut Canyon National Monument around the same time by another group of Sinagua. To get up close with the cliff dwellings inside shallow limestone caves requires a hike down 200 stairs on the one-mile loop Island Trail.
Visit the South Rim of the park from the less busy eastern entrance and stop at the Watchtower and other scenic views along the way. It is worth spending a few nights here and hiking (or riding a mule) to the bottom of the canyon, but that is not for everyone. If you come in the summer, consider a trip to the North Rim or remote Toroweap (online permit required).
Optional stop at Little Colorado River Gorge Navajo Tribal Park
Famous for art galleries and New Age mysticism, the red rock city of Sedona offer plenty of stores and restaurants. Be sure to leave some time to explore some unpaved roads and hiking trails in the surrounding area.
There are numerous trails in the National Forest around Sedona, where sandstone buttes (like Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock) dominate the landscape. The shady West Fork Trail in Oak Creek Canyon is perfect on hot summer days, though in the winter it is also beautiful covered in snow and ice.
Optional stop at Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
This designated Wilderness (55,937 acres) is shared between three National Forests: Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott. The easiest way in is on the Parsons Trail located outside Clarkdale, west of Sedona. The trailhead is accessed by driving the dirt Forest Road 131 for 10.5 miles from where it splits off near Tuzigoot National Monument.
The Sinagua pueblo at Tuzigoot had about 110 rooms and is estimated to have housed 200 to 300 people. You can walk inside portions of the ruin, including a section with a reconstructed roof.
These cliff ruins east of Phoenix are worth the hike up to, as are many parts of Tonto National Forest, especially the Flat Iron, Hieroglyph Canyon, and Weaver’s Needle.
This is a unique NPS site with livestock (sheep, horses, turkeys) and a hands-on play area for children, as well as the original dusty store which allows visitors to travel back into the late-1800s. There are frequent Navajo rug weaving demonstrations and tours inside the Hubbell Home are available for a fee.
In the heart of the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona lies this picturesque National Monument. Humans have inhabited this area for 4,500 years, leaving behind numerous pictographs and the dramatic ruins of Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.
Visitors can reserve spots on the ranger-led day hike to Betatakin cliff dwelling or the 20-person backpacking trips to Keet Seel that are offered twice per month in the summer. The latter is a strenuous trip covering 17 miles total with numerous stream crossings and all water must be carried in. The hardest part is at the end, when a 1,000 foot climb awaits, but it is worth it to be one of the few who get to see Keet Seel, the 150-room ruin that is second in size only to Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
On the border of Arizona and Utah, entrance into Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park allows you to see the iconic Mitten Buttes in person, which have served as a backdrop for countless films. You can even pitch your tent at The View Campground overlooking the red rock formations.
Havasupai Reservation
It is hard to argue against Mooney Falls and the other waterfalls in Havasu Canyon as being the most outstanding in the state, but it can be difficult (and expensive) to obtain one of the limited reservations available to visit the Havasupai Reservation that borders Grand Canyon National Park.
Retention ponds keep this area green in the hot summer months where ducks paddle and dragonflies buzz through the humid air. When a NPS ranger is present, you can walk around inside Winsor Castle, a Mormon fort that dates back to 1870.
Antelope Canyon
Guided tours are required to access these beautiful slot canyons located on private land on the Navajo Nation
You might want to bring your “selfie stick” to iconic Horseshoe Bend Overlook, a short 0.7-mile one-way hike from the parking area on Highway 89 outside Page.
At Arizona Hot Springs, pools are formed by sandbags in a narrow canyon. It is accessible from Liberty Bell Trailhead by a 6.5-mile out-and-back hike through a beautiful arroyo down to Black Canyon (now the upper reaches of Lake Mohave formed by a dam) on the Colorado River. The trail is closed during the hot summer months, but you can still access it by boat from Willow Beach Marina or just downstream from the Hoover Dam (with a special permit). Further south on Lake Mohave, stop at Emerald Cove for incredible photographs.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service manage the more than one-million acres of Bears Ears National Monument in partnership with five local Native American tribes. After it was established, in 2017 it was controversially reduced in size to 201,876 acres before being restored four years later. Much of the southern portion of La Sal National Forest, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness, is included inside its boundaries. The entire area protects millions of years of the paleontological record and has more than 100,000 archaeological sites, especially on Cedar Mesa where day-use and overnight permits are required. The BLM has excellent maps and trip-planning resources available on their website.
Butler Wash, Moon House Ruin, Newspaper Rock, Moki Dugway, San Juan River, Elk Ridge Scenic Backway, Dark Canyon Wilderness, Mule Canyon, Seven Kivas, The Citadel Trail
Must-Do Activity
It would be easy to spend more than a week exploring the roads and trails within Bears Ears National Monument. Everyone should try to drive the good 17-mile-long dirt road through Valley of the Gods to see rock formations like Rooster Butte and Woman in the Tub. West of Blanding, paved State Route 95 passes Mule Canyon Interpretive site, Butler Wash Interpretive Trail, and Butler Wash Dinosaur Tracksite. In La Sal National Forest, the 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a well-maintained (though unpaved) route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211, which connects to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. There are multiple trails along the way that provide access to the Dark Canyon Wilderness, an area known for old-growth forests, natural arches, and Ancestral Puebloan ruins and pictographs.
Best Trail
There are many trails to choose from, but one of the most popular is off unpaved Texas Flat Road that enters Mule Canyon (parking fee) and accesses House on Fire, a well-preserved granary located one mile in after multiple stream crossings. There is a paved parking lot suitable for RVs at Butler Wash Interpretive Trail, a half-mile one-way walk on to an overlook of a cliff dwelling.
Photographic Opportunity
Along Highway 211 to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, be sure to stop at the paved parking lot for Newspaper Rock. Another nice panel of rock art is found in Sand Island Campground along the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah.
Peak Season
Spring and fall
Fees
A day-use fee of $5 per person applies at several parking areas on Cedar Mesa in southern Bears Ears National Monument, including Mule Canyon access to House on Fire Ruins. There are pay stations at several sites, as well as pre-paid online permits (including for 20 people per day to access Moon House Ruin).
Road Conditions
State Route 95 and Highway 211 are both paved, but other roads like the Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods Road, and 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway should not be attempted by RVs. A high-clearance vehicle is required to drive many side roads, including six-mile-long Cigarette Springs Road to The Citadel and Seven Kivas Trails. Be aware that flash floods are a danger as many roads traverse canyons.
Camping
There are numerous developed campgrounds spread throughout Bears Ears National Monument. We enjoyed our stay at Hamburger Rock Campground outside the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Dispersed camping is also a good option, especially in scenic Valley of the Gods and along lightly-traveled Elk Ridge Scenic Backway. All backcountry camping on Cedar Mesa requires a permit and no campfires are allowed.
Valley of the GodsWoman in the Tub formationValley of the GodsValley of the GodsValley of the GodsValley of the GodsMexican HatCamping at Hamburger RockTiff on the Moki DugwayDinosaur tracksFlash flood over dinosaur tracksMule CanyonMule CanyonMule CanyonThe “Bears Ears” formationRavens about the park
Explore More – Where are the actual Bears Ears formations that give the National Monument its name?
Raven About The Parks 