Permits and day-use rules on Cedar Mesa and the Bears Ears backcountry
The canyons of Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge run on a pass and permit system older than any monument boundary drawn around them. Here is what it asks of a day hiker and a backpacker, and where to check it before going.
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The Bureau of Land Management’s Monticello Field Office runs the pass and permit system for the Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge canyons. The monument boundary around them changed in September 2026, when a July proclamation took effect, and fees or rules may follow. The official pages are the ones to trust on the day of a trip, and each is linked in the table.
| What it covers | Price | Valid for | Where to get it | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day hiking pass day hikes in the Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge canyons |
$5 per person; $10 per person; $40 per car | one day; seven days; one year | Recreation.gov, or cash or check at the trailhead; the annual pass also at the Monticello Field Office or the Kane Gulch Ranger Station | no daily cap; shown on the vehicle’s dashboard; groups of up to 12 |
| Backpacking permit any overnight trip in the Cedar Mesa canyons, all year |
$15 per person per trip, plus a $6 reservation fee that is not refunded | one trip | Recreation.gov only, from three months before the entry date; print it at home from 14 days before | 20 people per trailhead per day; groups of up to 12 |
| Moon House permit the one day hike that needs a permit instead of a pass |
$5 per person per trip, plus a $6 reservation fee that is not refunded | one trip | Recreation.gov only, from three months ahead | 20 people per day; groups of up to 12 |
An America the Beautiful pass does not cover any of these fees, because they are individual special recreation permits.
Rules last checked 2026-10-20 on the BLM’s Cedar Mesa permit page and Recreation.gov. Fees, limits and closures change, so confirm them with the BLM Monticello Field Office (435-587-1500) before travel.
Day hiking
The day pass applies to the canyons of Cedar Mesa and the Comb Ridge area, and it does not cover a night out or the one permit-only day hike. The ranger station keeps short seasonal hours, open Thursday to Sunday mornings in spring and fall only, so a visit outside those days needs another plan. A pass bought online and printed at home spares the search for exact change at a trailhead with no signal. Drones are not allowed in the Cedar Mesa canyons.
Under the federal recreation fee law, most of what a fee area collects stays with that area for upkeep, patrols and visitor services. It is not an entry fee to a park, and there is no gate or attendant, which makes the honor system part of the arrangement.
Overnight trips
Every overnight trip into the canyons of Cedar Mesa needs a backpacking permit, all year. The canyons covered are Grand Gulch and its tributaries, together with Lime, Road, Fish, Owl, Slickhorn and Mule canyons. No pick-up is needed: one printed copy goes along on the trip. A trip that starts in a canyon Recreation.gov does not list is arranged by phone with the field office.
The permit carries the conditions that do the most for the canyons:
- Fire: no campfires anywhere in the canyons. Canister and liquid-fuel stoves are allowed.
- Waste: human waste goes in a cat hole about six inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, trails and campsites, and toilet paper is carried out, neither buried nor burned.
- Camping: stays at the most used campsites are limited to two consecutive nights, and in some canyons camping is not allowed within a mile of the San Juan River.
- Pets: none in Grand Gulch, Slickhorn Canyon or their tributaries, and none at any archaeological site anywhere.
- Stock: trips with pack animals need a separate permit arranged with the field office, and so do commercial and organized groups such as schools, clubs and scout troops.
Cancelling at least five days ahead earns a refund of the recreation fee. Weather is not a reason for a refund, which is worth knowing in a country where storms close roads.
What the permit does not cover
A permit is a reservation of space, not an assurance of safety or of water. The field office’s Cedar Mesa conditions report, updated in spring and fall, lists road conditions and which springs and pools held water on its last update, and in a dry year many hold none. The BLM recommends a minimum of a gallon per person per day. Flash floods are the other hazard the permit cannot manage: a narrow canyon in late summer is no place to wait out a storm building upstream.
Nor does the permit change what may be touched. Every alcove, wall, rock art panel and scatter of potsherds in these canyons is protected by federal law whether or not anyone is watching. The pass pays for the canyons; the conduct inside them is what keeps them worth the fee.
Before booking
Read both official pages within a few days of the trip, since fees and closures change and the Recreation.gov listing carries the current conditions of the permit. Check the conditions report for the road to the trailhead as well as for water. Plan the group to fit the limit rather than splitting a large party across two permits on the same day, which defeats the purpose of the cap and crowds the same campsites.