UPPER BUTLER WASH & TARGET RUIN - CEDAR MESA, UT dating from 500-1300AD

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Trailhead

To reach the trailhead, go south out of Blanding about 3.5 miles until the junction with highway 95. Follow

highway 95 about 10.6 miles until crossing a bridge over Butler Wash. This is the trailhead for the main

ruins, park at a small pullout on the west side of the bridge. (just before mile post 111) To reach the tourist

ruins, continue just past mile post 111, to a signed paved road on the right. Follow this a short distance to the

trailhead where parking and pit toilets are available.

Route

Tourist Ruins

To reach the tourist ruins, simply follow the signed trail. It is a short hike, less than 1 mile round trip. There

are some interpretative guides at the trailhead. Be sure to pick one up, as it provides great information about

the area and the hike. The trail ends at an overlook where you can see several ruins down below.

Upper Butler Wash Ruins

For the upper Butler Wash Ruins, cross the fence on the north side of the bridge from the trailhead.

trail register here. Follow the well worn trail about 5-10 minutes to where the canyon and trail forks. Go left

here, following the canyon bottom up canyon as it deepens and turns to slickrock. About 30-45 minutes from

the trailhead, you will see ruins on the left. The first ones you come to are quite impressive. Just up canyon

about 5 minutes from the first set of ruins is a second, equally interesting set of ruins. Be careful climbing the

rickety ladder to reach them.

As you return from the ruins, watch for a side trail leaving the canyon on the right about 5 minutes down

from the last ruin. This short side trail (5-10 minutes) climbs steeply up the bank, then levels out to a small

side canyon. In this side canyon, on the north side, are some great ruins. They are not reachable from the

ground. If you look closely though, on the west wall, you can see a target painted. These are often referred to

as the Target Ruin because of this painting. Also notice in the slickrock below them 2 shallow holes.

Presumably these where used to hold the bottom of a ladder in place for the Indians to access the ruins.

Return the way you came.

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