Moon House Ruins
The room the site is named for has a moon painted on opposite walls. The compound went up roughly 800 years ago across McLoyd Canyon, and much of it still has original roofing and interior wall decoration.
This is the only Cedar Mesa day hike that needs a permit rather than a day use pass, 5 dollars per person per trip, capped at 20 people per day during the high season of March 1 to June 15 and September 1 to October 31, reserved through recreation.gov. Getting there is the filter: Snow Flat Road runs 8.1 miles east off Highway 261, then a 1.2 mile spur to the trailhead, over slickrock and a couple of ledge step ups that will stop most cars. High clearance is the minimum and four wheel drive is better. No camping at the trailhead, though there are good primitive spots back along the road. The walk itself is only about 1.5 miles, but the site rewards a slow day: moki steps, granaries, a kiva, rock art, and more ruins down canyon from the main dwelling. Do not enter rooms or handle anything.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Monticello Field Office, Bears Ears National Monument |
|---|---|
| Permit | Special permit required to visit the ruin. High season (Mar 1 to Jun 15, Sep 1 to Oct 31): limited to 20 people per day, reserve via recreation.gov or the Kane Gulch Ranger Station. Off season: no reservation needed, self-pay envelope at the trailhead. |
| Distance | 2 mi |
| Technical | longest 0 ft |
| Season | Any;HOT in Summer |
| Vehicle access | High Clearance |
| Coordinates | 37.4363, -109.7942 |
Sources
- permit: https://ropewiki.com/Moon_House_Ruins
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/office/monticello-field-office
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/Moon_House_Ruins
- notes: https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/cedar-mesa/moonhouse-ruin
- coordinates: ropewiki CSV export, Coords column
- heroPhoto: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_panoramic_view_of_Moon_House_(35243391522).jpg