Fun Things To Do in San Juan County

By Rose Kartchner

Have you been stuck inside during the quarantine? And absolutely dying to get outside? San Juan County, Utah has some of the best outdoor adventures there is. Even though you can’t come visit now, you can dream about it and get a head start on planning your trip down to southeastern Utah. Here’s some things that you can expect to find in San Juan County.

If you’re tired of a crowded gym, and want to do some real rock climbing, you should plan a trip to San Juan County. There is an endless supply of undiscovered bouldering opportunities. They offer fun and challenging routes. Most likely, (like everything else here) you won’t see any people, and you can climb without having to wait to go on a really cool rock.

Another thing you can find are ancient Native American ruins. These people left their homes around 1275 and 1300 AD, but many of their ruins still stand. You can even walk through some of them! You can find many petroglyphs and pictographs here, all of which are really cool to look for. For most of these, you won’t see anyone there and can enjoy the ruins to yourselves. Some of my favorites are Moonhouse Ruin, River House Ruin, and House on Fire. Moonhouse Ruin is one of the biggest ones, and in one of the rooms it has a picture of a moon painted on the wall. River House Ruin is probably the least scariest cliff wise, and you can hike, mountain bike, or drive here. House on Fire is cool, especially if you come when the house looks like it is on fire, because of the sun shining on it. (Around 10-11 AM.) This one is more crowded, but it is still a must see. There are many more that are short and easy. Want to see them? Come down to San Juan!

Do you like river rafting? Or do you want to do it but you can’t seem to find the right place? Come down and float on the San Juan River. This is a more mellow ride, which is great for kids and families. On the way down the river you can even stop to look at ruins. No matter where you start and end, the view is beautiful no matter what, with enormous red rocks towering over you. This is definitely something that you should do, no matter how much experience you have.







Have you heard of Hole in the rock? Bluff? Or San Juan Hill? These are all places where Latter Day Saint pioneers crossed or settled. Hole in the rock is a bit harder to get to, and you will need a four wheeler or side by side to go down this. However, it’s really fun. Bluff is a cute little town with a fort right in the middle. This fort is where the pioneers came after Hole in the rock. You can go through the cabins and even pan for ‘gold’! It’s really fun for everyone in the family. San Juan Hill is right by River House Ruin, so you can make it a two in one trip! San Juan Hill is basically a steep rocky hill that the Church of Jesus Christ pioneers had to cross to get to Bluff. You can walk up it, and try to search for the carving at the top that says, ‘We Thank Thee O God’.



One of the last things I’m going to talk about are the parks here. Some are Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, and Monument Valley. All of these include hikes that are family friendly, and super fun. Natural Bridges is basically what the name says, huge bridges made naturally by rocks. Sadly, you can’t walk on them, but you can walk underneath all of them. They are really cool to see. Hovenweep also has Native American ruins, and they’re all really tall. It is really fun to look at them and imagine how they got them to be so high. Monument Valley is in between Utah and Arizona and is Navajo Nation park. It has amazing red buttes everywhere you look. This is a popular spot to take photos, so you may have seen some of the buttes on postcards or online. There are lots of different hikes that you can take here, and most are really easy and fun. These parks are all unique in their own ways, and equally exciting. Have you started dreaming about your visit to South-Eastern Utah yet? Of course, there are MANY more things to see and do, but hopefully these ideas will help you start planning your next vacation after long days of quarantining. San Juan County helps you enjoy the outdoors more, take a break from society, and tour the past. So hurry! You may not be the only ones planning to visit this beautiful and adventurous land!

P.S. Also, the police in Blanding will follow you if they don’t recognize your car, so be ready to talk your way out of a ticket. (AKA we’re moving here, this is our first day; hey! I know you! You’re my brother in law’s cousin; or, I was just driving to the grocery store, sorry.)