Blogs from Monticello, Utah, United States, North America

Driving Southbound on US Hwy 191 from Moab (and Needles Overlook) I reached the road construction project near Church Rock. Then about 25 miles South of Church Rock I reached Monticello where I topped off with petro and ice. I turned West on Abajo Drive, that after leaving town turned into County Road 079. Then I quickly entered into the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Note: The La Sal Mts and the Abajo Mts are in the La Sal District of this combined National Forest. With the Manti District far away from here and just South of Salt Lake City, Utah; I feel that soon the La Sal and Manti Districts will separate into two independent National Forests. Not far away I took a left (South) turn going up the Abajo Mts. This was still CR 079, ... read more

A great part of my time has been spent exploring this area and photographing numerious ruins contained within this blog, for information on the entire are I will provide this below. Located on 70 square miles, this area between Monticello and Blanding, Utah was home to some of the earliest Pueblo peoples from A.D. 900 to 1100. Remnants of them are noticeable in cliff dwellings and mesa top sites. Ancient roads, fragments of tools and other artifacts, as well as collapsed structures, may still be found here. Site Overview Managed by the BLM, Alkali Ridge is a registered National Historic Landmark site, located between Blanding and Monticello, Utah, east of Hwy 191. Several mesa top sites can be found here dating from the BMIII to PII periods, as ... read more

Geo: 37.8714, -109.342 Hi, there. We left on our trip on Thursday morning. We drove 435 miles to Ely, Nevada and spent the night. On Friday, we left for Monticello, Idaho, another 430 miles. To long days of driving. On Friday, we stopped and visited Arches Naional Park in Utah. Really nice. It reminded us a little bit of Zion and Bryce.... read more