BLM•Blanding, UT•14.2h from Austin

Cedar Mesa / Grand Gulch (BLM Dispersed)

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Accessibility baseline: Sites on this platform are reviewed for access with a standard 2WD pickup truck towing a 21-foot travel trailer unless otherwise noted below.

Fee

Free (rim dispersed) · $15/person (canyon backpack permit)

Hookups

No hookups

Trailer

Accessible (2WD pickup + trailer)

Cell Signal

No signal

Water

Bring your own

Toilets

Yes

Best Season

Mar–May, Sep–Nov

Reservations

Canyon backpacking: Recreation.gov (90 days out)

Highlights

▶ Free rim dispersed camping along paved UT-261 and UT-95 — pull off 150 ft from the road and camp with no fee, no permit, no reservation
▶ Highest concentration of Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in Utah — hundreds of sites in the canyon system, many reachable on day hikes from the rim without a canyon permit
▶ Natural Bridges NM (30 mi) and Valley of the Gods (20 mi) both day-trip distance — Cedar Mesa is the hub for the entire Bears Ears corridor

Planning Notes

Rim dispersed: free, no permit, park 150 ft off UT-261 or UT-95 on BLM land. Canyon overnight (Grand Gulch, Kane Gulch): recreation.gov permit $15/person up to 90 days out. Kane Gulch Ranger Station charges $3/person day-use for canyon entry. No water at rim dispersed sites — fill in Blanding (40 mi north). From Austin: ~14.2 hrs via US-285 N to US-491 N to UT-95 W.