Comb Wash, Bears Ears National Monument, Bears Ears, Utah

Bears Ears National Monument, a new and controversial National Monument, was just off the highway during our travel south from Moab to Monument Valley. We decided to call the ranger station for the monument to find out about the various types of camping, restrictions, and roadways in Bears Ears, as we had never been before. The ranger suggested we stay at Comb Wash, a free, "dispersed" BLM campground that we would be able to easily access. We traveled off the main highway through some lumbering hills and approached the Bears Ears wilderness area with great anticipation. There are several historical Native American cliff dwellings and sites within the monument. We did not stop to view any, but pressed deeper into this large area to camp. After descending a steep grade,
we spotted our campground, in a wash as the name implies. A few rigs were already settled into this and we realized quickly what the ranger meant by "dispersed" campsites. Sites here are not designated with specific pads or markers. Instead, you simply pull off the campground road to a space that suits you. Interior roads were sandy, being at the bottom of a wash and sign warns upon entry that the roads are impassible during wet weather. Although there was no forecast for rain, the road was quite sandy and we felt unsure about site selection etiquette here. Worried we were going to get stuck in our class C with no 4-wheel drive to get us out, we quickly turned around and headed out of the monument to a more developed campground further south. Sites here are sandy and dusty. Pit toilets and an information kiosk are available; Potable water, trash dumpsters, and a dump station are not. Areas can accommodate larger toy haulers and rigs, although I would not bring anything but a trailer or toy hauler in here. Cottonwood trees line this sandy wash and offer privacy between areas.

Best Sites: None
Poor Sites: None
Hookups: None
Potable Water: None
Dump Within Facility: None