Visit With Respect Campaign

✨ It’s no secret that Bears Ears + Cedar Mesa is my favorite area of Utah, however given it is full of archaeological and ancient cultural resources, it’s important for anyone visiting to familiarize themselves with the Visit With Respect Campaign (VWR) @visitwithrespect_

WEBSITE >>>>>Bears Ears Partnership -- Visit With Respect Campaign<<<<<

♻️ How to visit Bears Ears (and any archaeological site across the Southwest) with respect:

1. View sites from a distance

2. Use rubber tip poles to prevent scratching/scarring rocks

3. Use a fire pan IF fires are permitted

4. Stay on designated roads

5. Pay your fees to help support monitoring, enforcement, and amenities

6. Historic artifacts such as rusted cans aren’t trash; they help interpret who has been here previously

7. Cultural sites are NOT playgrounds and children should be closely watched

8. Enjoy these sites without ropes — the use of climbing gear is illegal

9. Don’t touch rock imagery or make your own — natural oils on your hands can destroy rock art

10. Dogs don’t belong in these sites to prevent erosion and degradation — if they are permitted, they should be leashed, keeping them FAR away

11. Camp and eat away from the actual sites to prevent destruction

12. Do not build any cairns

13. Refrain from leaning, touching, standing, and climbing on structures

14. Do not utilize grinding slicks or metates as these were created by early indigenous peoples

15. Pack out your poop, both human and pet

16. Leave fossils and bones undisturbed

17. Leave artifacts where they are — corn cobs, pottery, textiles, tools — it’s illegal to collect and remove

18. GPS reveals TOO MUCH — remove all references to exact location — including name, coordinates, and surrounding landmarks. Sure, we all love learning about new locations, however the sensitivity and delicate nature of archaeological sites should be protected from visitors that may not have the best of intentions.

19. Stay on established trails and off biologic crust

➡️ Were you familiar with all of these principles? Hopefully you have learned something new and have a new found respect for visiting archaeological sites.