Backpacking in Bears Ears

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

In 1943 and after years of fruitless political wrangling, President Franklin D. Roosevelt finally used his unilateral authority under the Antiquities Act to establish Jackson Hole National Monument. The state challenged the monument declaration in court. Ranchers drove cattle across the Monument in direct defiance of Federal authority. On one side, there were accusations about rich outsiders interfering in local matters. On the other side, conservationists launched a campaign to convince the public that the ecological and historical significance of the area should be forever preserved. In 1950, all sides reached an uneasy compromise. The new National Monument, encompassing much of western Wyoming’s famed Jackson Hole, would be incorporated into the existing (but previously much smaller) Grand Teton National Park. In exchange, Congress would amend the Antiquities Act to curtail the President’s ability to designate future National Monuments in the state of Wyoming...

In Issue 53, contributor @Kevin DeVries shares this essay detailing a quick backpacking trip into Bears Ears National Monument, along with photography by Justin Swanson. You can take a look at the full article at the links below:

Canyon Contemplation: Wandering in Bears Ears National Monument

Issue 53 Page 1

[jay]

Thanks for the article on Bears Ears.....am planning a trip there myself this spring.

[ppine]

Good idea.  I like Cedar Mesa, Escalante and the Grand Staircase.  Finding and carrying water should be your concern all the time.