8 Free And Cheap Things To Do In Blanding, Utah
Blanding, Utah has a population of around 3,300 residents making it the most populated city in San Juan County.
The town was founded in 1905 with the original name of Grayson and was changed to Blanding in 1914.
The town slogan is Basecamp to Adventure and it serves as the gateway to a number of nearby natural and archaeological wonders.
Blanding sits on White Mesa near Blue Mountain in southeastern Utah and owes its history to the Ute, Navajo, European pioneer, and Spanish cultures that called the area home.
Ancestral Puebloans, known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that lived in the present-day Four Corners region.
The area is rich in Anasazi artifacts and ancient dwellings to explore.
Below are some cheap and free things to do during your visit and some bonus nearby locations as well.
The Dinosaur Museum: This little museum is packed full of amazing exhibits including realistic sculptures, feathered dinosaurs, and a massive movie poster collection. It is open seasonally and costs $5.50 for an adult ticket (children and seniors are cheaper).
The 14-foot-tall feathered Therizinosaurus dinosaur was my favorite piece.
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum: This museum contains one of the largest collections of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery in the region and sits on an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site. The Spirit Window murals are exquisite. It costs $5 for an adult ticket (children and seniors are cheaper).
You can climb down into the ancient underground kiva located behind the museum which is very cool.
Nations of the Four Corners Cultural Center: This free outdoor museum preserves the history and heritage of the Four Corners region. You can walk around exploring exhibits for the Ute, Paiute, and Navajo Indians as well as the Mexicans and LDS Pioneers.
Climbing into Ute teepees and to the top of the observation tower was fun.
House On Fire Hike: Located about thirty minutes from Blanding, the House On Fire hike is one of the many Ancestral Puebloan sites that should still be visited while in the area. The hike takes you to five, 700-year-old granaries built into the alcoves of a canyon.
It cost $5 per person for a day pass, but this hike is short and you could spend all day hiking canyon trails. Pets are welcome on the trail.
Mule Canyon Interpretive Site: Also located about 20 miles from Blanding (near all the other sites) the Mule Canyon Kiva features ancestral Puebloan structures that are over 700 years old.
You can explore the kiva and tower for free 24/7 and pets are welcome.
Butler Wash Ruins: This one-mile out-and-back hike is about twenty minutes from Blanding and is free. The hike will take you to an overlook to view 750-year-old cliff houses built by Ancestral Puebloans.
This is an easy pet-friendly hike, but I do recommend some binoculars to get a better look at the cool cliff houses in the distance.
Cave Towers Ruins: Seven towers sit along the rim of the canyon on this Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) site dating back to 1250 CE. Most have seen better days, but you are free to walk around and explore. The views down into the canyon are amazing and pets are welcome.
We didn’t find all seven during our visit…can you?
Blanding Visitor’s Center: There is a small museum with artifacts from the area and a gift shop inside this visitor center. Helpful staff can answer any questions you may have on attractions in the area as well as provide you with multiple brochures and maps.
For more information on anything listed above click on the link for my full post.
If you’re looking for a place to camp we boondocked at Mule Canyon for free for two weeks and loved it. There is a ton of free BLM all around the town though so there are multiple places to camp.
A few extras:
Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument and Natural Bridges National Monument are only about an hour away from Blanding. We absolutely loved our day at Natural Bridges.
Bears Ears National Monument is also about an hour from Blanding and has a ton of great hiking and scenic drives.
Blanding, Utah and the surrounding area should absolutely be added to your list of places to visit during your travels. The four corners region is full of hiking and history that will enthrall outdoor types and history buffs alike.
It’s gorgeous out here too!
