Blanding Community Guide

Welcome to Blanding, Utah

The town of Blanding is your base camp for adventure like you’ll find nowhere else. Dinosaurs, pictographs, petroglyphs, archaeological remnants of lost civilizations, and the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument are just a few of the attractions of this little town on the Edge of the Cedars. The Dinosaur Museum’s collection and displays will transport you back millions of years. Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum has a collection of ancient Native American pottery and artifacts unequaled the world over. Recapture Canyon and its reservoir will keep hikers and fishermen occupied with archaeological sites down the canyon, and pike and trout up the canyon on the other side of the dam. Natural Bridges National Monument, Lake Powell and the archaeological sites in and around Comb Ridge and Cedar Mesa are all a day trip from this centrally-located base camp.

Blanding attractions on the community map: 1. Edge of the Cedars State Park; 2. Blanding Visitor Center; 3. Nations of the Four Corners Cultural Center; 4. The Dinosaur Museum. More at visitblanding.com.

Resident profiles

Byron Clarke

Occupation: COO for Utah Navajo Health System Inc.

What is your ideal day in Blanding? Waking up and heading up to the mountains. There is nothing better than spending a warm summer day on Elk Ridge or the Abajo mountains and hiking with my family and friends. Being so close to the mountains is special.

Any advice to a newbie? Keep coming back!

Blanding in one word? Cozy.

Best dish in town? Pesto Chicken Sandwich - Blue Mountain Hospital.

Why do you live in Blanding? That small town feel, and no traffic.

Tyler Ivins

Occupation: The Monticello Hideout Golf Pro; Rancher.

What is your ideal day in Blanding? It doesn’t matter if I am on the mountain or in the desert, as long as I have my family and my horses with me, that is the ideal day. We get up early and play hard all day, we don’t waste a minute of good weather and sunshine.

Any advice to a newbie? Take it all in, this is God’s country.

Blanding in one word? Community.

Best dish in town? My wife’s cooking is the best in town.

Why do you live in Blanding? The great people that live here, and the sense of community you feel. It’s a great place to raise kids and do the things we love. There is no place in the world like San Juan County.

Dallin & Jeremy Redd

Occupation: Dallin - Owner of Ace Hardware; Jeremy - Blanding City Manager.

What is your ideal day in Blanding? Our ideal day in Blanding is July 4th Independence Day Celebration every year. The entire town comes together to celebrate Independence Day with a big parade, music, food, and fun. All that is topped off with an amazing firework display at the end of the day. Blanding is really about the people and nothing shows off the people of Blanding better than that celebration.

Any advice to a newbie? Just have a good time and enjoy the area.

Blanding in one word? People.

Best dish in town? Homestead Steakhouse Navajo Taco.

Why do you live in Blanding? We love the landscape, the people, and the feeling of connectedness to the area. There is something special about Blanding that can’t be explained, only felt, and it keeps us grounded and connected.

Lynne Shumway

Occupation: Blanding Visitor Center Director; LaPetite Flower Shop Florist. Her favorite four-wheeling destination: Arch Canyon.

What is your ideal day in Blanding? I love to share the outdoors here with family and friends. There is so much adventure to choose from. My favorite is a thrilling ATV ride through Arch Canyon. From sunup to sundown, the light of day allows me to see and feel the warmth of my immediate surroundings and feel gratitude for being blessed to live in such an amazing place.

Any advice to a newbie? The Dinosaur Museum & Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum are must-see’s!

Best dish in town? A salad at Pop’s Burritos rivals a delicious burger at Patio Drive-In. For breakfast, Yak’s Café does a variety of tasty meals and is gluten-free conscientious.

Why do you live in Blanding? I love the surrounding areas and the opportunities for learning and exploring. I love the peace and safety of this small town with people who genuinely care about each other. I love the histories of the people who have called it “HOME,” from years ago to the present and who have worked hard to make it a great place to live. I love being a part of this special place!

Dining

Homemade baking powder biscuits

Each morning two recipes passed down from generation to generation are used to make sure your dinner experience is unlike any other in town. The first is an authentic raspberry jam, and the second is a buttery baking powder biscuit that will keep you coming back each time you pass through Blanding.

Homestead Steakhouse, 121 East Center Street, 435-678-3456

Hunt’s Trading Post cappuccino

Owned by Debbie Hunt and Wayne Day. Debbie and Wayne come from two families that have owned and operated trading posts in the Four Corners region since the late 1800s. Wayne’s grandfather, Sam, was renowned as the only white man able to understand and sing all the Navajo medicine man ceremonies and was accepted into the tribe as an apprentice.

Hunt’s Trading Post, 146 East Center Street, 435-678-2739

Houston burger & traditional shakes

Opened in 1959, Patio has been a staple in Blanding history for many generations and continues to be a staple thanks to Lana and Ricky Arthur who have owned Patio since 2009. But it’s not just the food that’s amazing, Patio has the best fry-sauce in Utah. Five gallons of their homemade sauce are freshly made and sold each day!

Patio Drive-In, 95 North Grayson Parkway, 435-678-2177

Yak’s special

Ever heard of a one-man band? Well this is a one-woman diner. Owned and operated by Tamy Jaramillo, Tamy is an avid barrel racer that puts that same passion into the meals she serves her guests. Yak’s Café is wildly popular amongst the locals and it’s a guarantee each item on the menu is worth trying.

Yak’s Café, 140 North US Hwy 191, 435-678-2555

Dining options

Lodging

Abajo Haven Guest Cabins

“We are always getting into a new adventure right out our back door! We are amazed by the diversity of this area. One day we are in alpine terrain and the next we are in red rock canyon country. This is our dream home and area to live in and we would like to share the adventures with you!” - Owner Bill Haven & Family

Abajo Haven Guest Cabins, 5440 North Cedar Edge Lane, 435-979-3126

Camp Jackson Lodge

Set in the majestic Manti-La Sal National Forest, this aspen-surrounded oasis is the perfect spot for large family reunions, group retreats, youth camps, and more! It’s located 40 minutes up the mountain road north of Blanding. Sleeps up to 62, plus 8 additional tent sites. Can accommodate groups up to 75 guests. RV parking.

Camp Jackson, Johnson Creek Road (NW of Blanding), 435-220-1050

Hite - Lake Powell

Historic Hite is a flooded ghost town at the north end of Lake Powell named after Cass Hite, an early settler. Hite is adjacent to the confluence of the Colorado and Dirty Devil Rivers and is the gateway to southeast Utah’s most scenic and adventurous places including Canyonlands, Sundance Trail, Dark Canyon, White Canyon, the Black Hole, and Lake Powell. Hite Outpost’s new stationary RVs provide visitors the option to camp in comfort.

Hite Outpost and Adventure Center, 1 Hite Marina Road, Hite, 435-233-6822

Stone Lizard Lodge & Blue Mountain RV Park

Stone Lizard, Blanding’s first hotel established in 1947, and Blue Mountain RV Park are owned and operated by locals, Craig and Kathy Simpson. The Simpson family is known for their hospitality, the lodge’s freshly baked cinnamon rolls, and rooms inspired by the surrounding Ancestral Puebloan dwellings. With the RV park’s sunset views of the bear’s ears and snout; the ears being the buttes after which Bears Ears National Monument is named. Both locations boast the area’s heritage and beauty.

Stone Lizard Lodge, 435-678-3323. Blue Mountain RV Park, 435-678-7840.

Lodging options

Shopping

Local Native American arts & crafts

In the fall of 1975, the Simpson family completed the Blue Mountain Trading Post. It has continued for over 30 years as the cutting edge in gallery-quality Native American arts and crafts from the Ute, Navajo and Zuni tribes.

Blue Mountain Trading Post, 1930 South Main Street, 435-678-7840

Native American hand-painted pottery

The artists at Cedar Mesa Pottery produce only one-of-a-kind pieces often featuring contemporary designs for your collection. Each piece is handcrafted using modern techniques and signed by their Navajo artist.

Cedar Mesa Pottery, 333 South Main Street, 435-678-2241

Local pharmacy

Tourists, vacationers, business travelers, and anyone who has wandered far from home have all experienced it: no matter how well planned a trip, medical needs find their way to us as we travel. San Juan Pharmacy has the prescription, medicine, sun screen, rash cream, and even chocolate to make your aches and pains better.

San Juan Pharmacy, 65 South Main Street, 435-678-2781

Bears Ears souvenirs

People are always asking questions, directions, and general information about the Bears Ears National Monument, however very few souvenirs exist that represent Bears Ears. These souvenirs are hand-painted by a young Native American artist and portray the Native American connection.

Yak’s Café, 333 North Grayson Parkway, 435-678-2555

Shopping options

Activities and resources

Natural Bridges National Monument

Three majestic natural bridges invite you to ponder the power of water in a landscape usually defined by its absence. View them from an overlook, or hit the trails and experience their grandeur from below. Declared a National Monument in 1908, Natural Bridges was also designated the first International Dark Sky Park in 2007.

35 miles east of Blanding on Highway 95 (as printed), 435-692-1234

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

View the largest collection of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery on display in the Four Corners Region and explore an authentic Puebloan village behind the museum. In addition to the permanent collections, Edge of the Cedars offers special exhibits, festivals, and events throughout the year.

660 W 400 N, Blanding, 435-678-2238

Hovenweep National Monument

Once home to over 2,500 people, Hovenweep includes six prehistoric villages built between A.D. 1200 and 1300. Explore a variety of structures and towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders. The construction and attention to detail will leave you marveling at the skill and motivation of the builders.

45 miles southeast of Blanding (do not use GPS), 970-562-4282

House on Fire & Bears Ears National Monument

Bears Ears is home to thousands of archaeological and cultural sites that are well over 13,000 years old. Ancestral Puebloans built dwellings, granaries, kivas, towers, villages, and an ancient road system linking them together. The numerous and varied collections of sites are found in the southern unit of the Monument.

13 miles east of Blanding on Highway 95 (as printed), 435-678-3662 (Blanding Visitor Center)

The Dinosaur Museum

The Dinosaur Museum, one of the best and most unique museums in the country, if not the world, is located here in Blanding. There are two main reasons for this distinction. The first is that The Dinosaur Museum has the complete history of the world of dinosaurs and some of the most complete displays and rarest artifacts in the paleo world. The second reason to visit this museum is that the incredible displays were all made by hand by the two founders of the museum, Stephen and Sylvia Czerkas. Not only are they both accomplished paleontologists and sculptors, they have a connection to Hollywood as well. Stephen Czerkas spent his early career sculpting dinosaurs and other creatures for the Motion Picture Industry. The museum houses the largest collection of dinosaur and reptile-related movie memorabilia on display in the world, as well as a fascinating exhibit on the huge role of dinosaurs in pop culture, media, and movies.

In 1981, Stephen’s career transitioned into commissions for life-size dinosaurs for museums all over the world. Sylvia, who runs the museum now, has a background in art and lights up when asked about the displays. There is also a display of petrified trees. They’re older than the dinosaurs themselves, and of the six specimens of this quality in the world, Blanding has three. It is an unexpected treat to have a museum on the level of the Dinosaur Museum located in a small town like Blanding.

Fun things to do in Blanding and beyond

• Nations of the Four Corners: A great hiking trail that is representative of the region’s many backcountry hikes, but it sits on the edge of Blanding! A historical site and hikes for the whole family. Be sure to walk the natural bridge!
• The Dinosaur Museum: At The Dinosaur Museum, you will experience the complete history of the dinosaurs including skeletons, fossilized skin, eggs, footprints, state-of-the-art graphics, and realistic sculptures.
• San Juan Theater: San Juan Theater is a quaint single screen movie theater with nightly showings at 7:00pm Mon-Sat. Did we mention it also has fair prices so the whole family can come without breaking the bank?
• Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum: View the largest collection of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery on display in the Four Corners Region and explore an authentic Puebloan village behind the museum.
• Blanding Visitor Center: Enjoy a tour of our town’s history and learn about the cultures that make Blanding an amazing place. The staff is kind and knowledgeable, they’ll get you where you want to go!
• Pop’s Axe Throwing: Pop’s Axe Throwing is located in Pop’s Burritos in town. They wanted to bring the thrill of a traditional backcountry activity to our community and provide travelers with a unique experience of a meal and activity in one spot!
• Wellness Center: Blanding City’s Wellness Center features two full-size basketball courts that can also be utilized for volleyball and pickleball. It also has a fitness center and an aerobics classroom. The outdoor pool is open seasonally in the summer months.
• Five Kiva Pueblo: Five Kiva Pueblo is unique because it’s literally in the city limits! A short hike across the canyon on a well-marked trail leads to an alcove where you can see the remnants of Ancestral Puebloan dwellings.
• Butler Wash: Dwelling, storage and ceremonial structures, including four kivas. Located in a side canyon of Butler Wash on the east side of Comb Ridge.

Featured events

July 4th

Blanding City 4th of July/Independence Day Celebration is one of the best events in the state! It’s capped off with the largest free firework show in the State of Utah.

Dutch Oven Days Fall Festival

A Fall Festival for the whole family! Enjoy hayrides, the corn pit, pumpkin patch, dutch oven cookoff, local crafts, farm vendors and so much more!

Dark sky star parties

San Juan County has three parks that host multiple Dark Sky Events throughout the year. These include Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument and Goosenecks State Park. Visit Edge of the Cedars or the aforementioned parks for more information.

San Juan County calendar

Visitor centers and information

Visitor information is available from the national, state, and tribal parks. Visitor centers in Blanding, Bluff, and Monticello are stocked with brochures, maps, books, videos, and mementos. The centers are staffed by knowledgeable local residents who will assist with information to make your visit exceptional.

Produced by San Juan County Economic Development & Visitor Services, Monticello, UT. 800-574-4386, 435-587-3235.