Photo: François5000 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bluff was founded in 1880 by the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers, who spent months building a road across the canyons. Their reconstructed fort and cabins stand at the Bluff Fort Historic Site.
Today Bluff is a small artists’ town surrounded by red cliffs, with ancient Puebloan sites and the Navajo Nation just across the river.
See and do
- Bluff Fort Historic SiteA reconstruction of the 1880 pioneer fort.
- Sand Island petroglyphsRock art panels along the San Juan River west of town.
- Valley of the GodsA dirt-road loop through sandstone towers.
- Goosenecks State ParkAn overlook of deep river meanders.
- Bears Ears National MonumentCliff dwellings and canyons on Cedar Mesa.
Eat and drink
- Twin Rocks CafeNavajo tacos, fry bread and blue-corn pancakes beneath the Navajo Twins rock formation; check days before going.
- Fry breadA staple across the Four Corners.
- Trading post snacksStock up on supplies for long days.
Through the year
- Utah Navajo FairMid-September: rodeo, powwow dancing and food.
- Bluff Arts FestivalOctober: workshops, art walk and film.
Day trips from Bluff
- Monument ValleyAbout 45 minutes southwest on the Navajo Nation.
- Hovenweep National MonumentAbout an hour east.
- Natural Bridges National MonumentAbout an hour northwest, with three big stone bridges.
Good to know
- Leave cultural artifacts where you find them.
- Monument Valley is on the Navajo Nation and has its own rules and fees.
- Cell service is spotty.
Parks in Eastern Utah
More towns nearby
Moab
Red-rock basecamp for Arches and Canyonlands