DESCRIPTION:

The prehistoric Anasazi — the “Cliff Dwellers” of Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Keet Seel, and thousands of other sites — were the most advanced civilization ever to occupy the pre-Columbian Southwest. Their well-preserved ruins and rock art have beguiled and puzzled travelers through this harsh but unfathomably beautiful land since the 1830s. Severe historical ruptures have left profound mysteries about the Anasazi civilization unsolved. The greatest mystery of all is what caused the sudden, total, and irrevocable abandonment of the whole of the Colorado Plateau within ten years after 1290 A.D.

 

Travel to the best place in the Southwest to find those ruins and rock art in their pristine state — on and around Cedar Mesa, in southeast Utah. See Anasazi rock art and hike to sites including Ceiling House, a small ruin tucked into an obscure alcove, Mesa Verde, and a site at the foot of Cedar Mesa where Basket-maker artists pecked some of the finest panels of petroglyphs in the Southwest before 500 A.D. Embark on a leisurely 23-mile Class II rafting journey from Bluff to Mexican Hat on the San Juan River, the richest river in the Southwest for Anasazi traces. Visit Monument Valley with short walks to see rock art, soaring buttes, and natural arches off-limits to tourists without Navajo guides, who will also introduce us to their culture.

 

This program is likely based out of Bluff, Utah, population 300, an unspoiled gem of a town and one of the most charming in the Southwest.

 

CONSIDER:

This is an active program, and all participants should have the physical ability to hike up to eight miles per day and adjust to elevations up to 7,000 feet above sea level.

 

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Other sites around Utah, such as Bryce or Zion National Parks.