A stretch of starkly beautiful wildlands in Southeast Utah is at risk due to energy development, looting and vandalism, but a movement led by Native American tribes could lead to its permanent protection as a national monument.
Nestled immediately to the south and east of Canyonlands National Park, the region known as “Bears Ears”—named for two sandstone-fringed buttes jutting about 2,000 feet up from the mesa—covers nearly 2 million acres of stunning desert dotted with yucca, sagebrush and red-tinged sandstone carved into dramatic mesas, canyons and arches.
Wildlife that calls the area home includes pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, black bears and peregrine falcons.
Hiking, camping, rock-climbing and backpacking are staple recreation activities in Bears Ears, which is bordered by the San Juan River along the southern edge. The natural attractions of the region are evident even when the sun goes down, as the relatively remote, wide-open landscape means night skies dark enough to fully showcase the stars overhead.
The value of Bears Ears isn’t only in its natural wonders. In fact, the movement to protect it has been spearheaded by a coalition of tribes concerned about their cultural heritage. By some estimates, the region contains more than 100,000 Native American archaeological and cultural sites, and some modern tribes in the American southwest trace their heritage back to the area, including the Navajo and Hopi.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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