Cedar Mesa facts for kids
Cedar Mesa is a large, flat-topped area of land called a plateau. It is located in San Juan County, in the southeastern part of Utah. Imagine a giant tableland that stretches for over 400 square miles (1,000 km2)!
Cedar Mesa is surrounded by natural features. To the north is Elk Ridge, to the east is Comb Wash, and to the south is the deep San Juan River gorge. To the west, you'll find Grand Gulch. The middle of Cedar Mesa is about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) high. The land around it is much lower, usually around 4,200 feet (1,300 m). Most of Cedar Mesa is now part of the Bears Ears National Monument, which was created in 2016 to protect its special natural and cultural history.
Because Cedar Mesa is so much higher than the land around it, water and wind have carved out many amazing features. You can see lots of canyons, tall cliffs, and other cool rock formations. On the eastern side, several canyons lead down into Comb Wash. These include Arch, Texas, Mule, Owl, Fish, McCloyd, and Road Canyons. Hidden inside these canyons are ancient homes built into the cliffs by the Ancient Pueblo people.
To the southeast of Cedar Mesa, you'll find a rocky area called the Valley of the Gods. To the southwest, the San Juan River has carved a very deep, winding canyon known as the Goosenecks. High up on the southern edge of Cedar Mesa are two points called Muley Point and Cedar Point, which offer amazing views.
The western side of Cedar Mesa also has big canyons like John's and Slickhorn Canyons. There's also the Grand Gulch Primitive Area, which includes Grand Gulch and Bullet Canyon. To the northwest, you can visit the Natural Bridges National Monument and see Stimper Arch.
Getting Around Cedar Mesa
You can reach Cedar Mesa by car using a few different roads. State Route 95 crosses the northern part of the mesa. U.S. Route 163 passes by the southern edge. Running right through the middle of Cedar Mesa is State Route 261. There are also many gravel and dirt roads that let you explore the individual canyons, drive through the Valley of the Gods, and get to Comb Wash, but these are best used when the weather is dry.
Ancient History of Cedar Mesa
People have lived in and visited Cedar Mesa for a very long time. As far back as 13,000 years ago, people from the Clovis culture hunted here. These early people are thought to be the ancestors of many of the Native American groups in North and South America. They used special tools called "Clovis points" for hunting. One of the oldest places in Utah where Clovis tools have been found is the Lime Ridge Clovis Site, right here in Cedar Mesa.
