Butler Wash

Site Overview

Managed by the BLM, Butler Wash provides numerous opportunities to visit archaeological sites including rock art and large alcove/cave dwellings. The only facilities available are the BLM outhouses and trash cans located at the roadside ruin parking area/trailhead.

Getting There

Butler Wash crosses Hwy 95, 10.5 miles west of UT191 between Blanding and Lake Powell. While the Roadside ruin is easily accessible, many of the sites located along the east face of Comb Ridge do involve some fairly strenuous hiking, some require scrambling and/or route finding through deep arroyos and small side canyons.

What You Can See

North of the highway, the Butler Wash Roadside Ruins are visible after an easy, half mile walk along a marked slick rock trail from the trailhead/rest area. The site consists of several structures: houses, granaries and four kivas located under an alcove beneath the canyon rim. The moqui hand and footholds carved by the ancient inhabitants to access the site are still faintly visible in the right light. Actually getting into the alcove requires a bit of scrambling/rock climbing and we strongly advise against it. A bit further up the road from the Roadside Ruins, situated in Butler Wash proper, is Ballroom Cave ruin. This very fragile, unstabilized site is located in a large alcove with three distinct sections. The remains of roomblocks, kivas, waddle and daub remnants, pictographs and petroglyphs can be found here as well as numerous boulder/slab metates and moquis.

Driving the unimproved dirt road south down Butler Wash, along the east side of Comb Ridge, you can park off the main road and walk the established trails west to several large caves or alcoves containing the remains of ancient settlements. The list of sites includes Monarch Cave, Fishmouth and Cold Spring Cave, as well as rock art panels dating from the archaic to PIII periods.

Tips for Your Visit

First and foremost, bring plenty of water. There are no facilities in Butler Wash. Topping off your gas tank in Blanding or Bluff might be a good idea as well. Keep in mind that the road heading south down Butler Wash from Hwy 95 is not regularly maintained. There are stream crossings (often dry in warmer months), loose sandy areas and occasional deep ruts. An all-wheel drive "cross-over" type vehicle is recommended or, a higher clearance two-wheel drive. This isn't a trip for your new compact hybrid. Keep to designated roads and trails. For more information on visiting archaeologically sensitive areas, see our visitor tips page.