Tours
River House UTV Excursion
Location
Bears Ears National Monument
Season
March - November. Winter trips available if weather permits.
Recommended Age
4 years old (Please call if you have younger explorers)
Duration
~4 Hours
9am & 1pm departures daily
Price
$129 - Adults
$89 - youth
Overview
You haven’t experienced the Bears Ears until you have gotten off the beaten path, either by hiking or 4×4. Your rent-a-car is not going to cut it on this 4×4 only road. So join us in a UTV for an exciting ride along Comb Ridge into the one and only River House Ruin. This two-story ruin is only accessible by 4×4 or from a float down the San Juan. If you have a full day you should float the river and we’ll pick you up in the Hummer so you get both trips in one full day. That full trip is our Kayak Hummer Expedition. However, if you have limited time or just don’t want to get wet this is the best way to see River House + Big Kachina Panel you’ll still have the rest of the day to explore some more!
Includes
- 6 Passenger UTV Ranger 1000
- Professional Guide
- Snacks
- Water
- Goggles
- Comb Ridge
- San Juan River
- Historic Hole in the Rock Pioneer Trail
- River House Ruin
- Big Kachina Panel
Easy UTV rides are great for all ages and limited mobility. Hikes are optional and everything can be seen from the UTV. Longer hikes may be available for agile groups.
- A small day bag for your belongings
- Comfortable Shoes
- Sun protection. Hat, Sunscreen, Sunglasses.
- A lightweight jacket in cooler temperatures.
- Camera w/case to keep dust out.
- Reusable Water Bottle
Meet at Wild Expeditions 15 minutes before your departure time. After checking in at the office we’ll load into a van for a 5 minute ride to the trailhead where the UTVs will be waiting. We are now on the final section of the Hole in the Rock pioneer wagon trail and you’ll be grateful for suspension and soft seats. The trail goes in and out of the streambed which is usually dry and after storms can be impassable to most 4×4 vehicles, but not our UTVs! We’ll drive through sand, off steep drop offs and crawl up rocky hills towards the San Juan River. Once we’ve reached the bottom of comb ridge the trail climbs up around the base of Comb Ridge to San Juan Hill.
San Juan Hill was the final obstacle the pioneers needed to build a road over to reach Bluff where they settled in 1880. The road was so steep that several of the animals died in the yolks of the wagons at the top of the hill. Some of the group may opt for a short hike up a section of the trail and afterwards we’ll drive further along the river to River House ruin.
River House Ruin is a 2-story cliff dwelling that was built around 900 A.D. Here we will see rock art, pottery shards, corn cobs and other artifacts left by the people that once lived here. This cliff dwelling was built in the Pueblo III era, very similar to what you would see in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Unlike Mesa Verde we usually have the place to ourselves giving you the chance to peer into the individual rooms and connect with the land without the crowds.
