Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Utah. Within Utah it covers roughly 250 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Utah leg of the Trail of the Ancients winds through the canyon country of San Juan County, linking some of the densest ancestral Puebloan archaeology in the Southwest. It connects Natural Bridges National Monument, the cliff dwellings and rock art around Cedar Mesa and Bluff, and the Edge of the Cedars museum in Blanding. The route runs through deep red-rock canyons that have been inhabited for thousands of years.
- Natural Bridges
- Cedar Mesa ruins & rock art
- Bluff & Blanding
- Edge of the Cedars
- ancestral Puebloan country
Designated for its archaeological qualities
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Places to stop along Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
Butler Wash Ruins
A short trail across slickrock to an overlook of 13th-century cliff dwellings tucked into an alcove.
Comb Ridge
An 80-mile sandstone monocline crossed by the highway, hiding many archaeological sites in its side canyons.
Bluff
An 1880 Mormon pioneer town on the San Juan River with a restored fort and a base for river trips.
Valley of the Gods
A 17-mile dirt road loop among sandstone buttes and spires, a quieter version of nearby Monument Valley.
Goosenecks State Park
An overlook 1,000 feet above three tight meanders of the San Juan River, one of the best examples of entrenched meanders anywhere.
Website
Where to Stay along Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
1 campground or RV park sits within about 5 miles of Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway.
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Photos of Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.