May 7
After doing some research, I decided to head north to Southern Utah to check out Butler Wash Road. The time of year and weather conditions proved to be perfect. I found there were plenty of places to camp, and for the most part, very few people ventured out here. I also planned to visit the many ruins, pictographs, petroglyphs, and other archaeological sites scattered throughout the area. I spent four days taking my time, making my way north along this backcountry road.
Butler Wash is located in southeastern Utah, running along the eastern edge of Cedar Mesa near the town of Bluff. This remote desert corridor follows a broad drainage that cuts between the mesa and Comb Ridge, offering access to numerous canyons, archaeological sites, and hidden rock art panels.
History of Butler Wash and the surrounding area:
Butler Wash runs along the eastern edge of Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah, a landscape deeply woven with the histories of the Ancestral Puebloans (often called the Anasazi). Between about 500 and 1300 CE, these people built cliff dwellings, farmed the mesa tops, and left behind rock art that still speaks today of their spiritual beliefs and daily life. Many of the petroglyphs and pictographs found here represent not just scenes of hunting or farming but also sacred stories and ceremonial symbols passed down through generations.
The wash is named after John Butler, a rancher who arrived in the late 1800s. Butler and his family settled here, using the wash as an impoartant seasonal water source for their cattle. His name remains on the land today, marking a period when settlers began using these canyons in new ways.
For the modern-day descendants of these ancient cultures — such as the Hopi, Zuni, and other Pueblo peoples — these canyons and cliff dwellings are still living places. They carry prayers, ancestral memories, and connections that continue to this day. Many view the rock art panels and ruins not as abandoned relics, but as active parts of a cultural landscape that still holds deep spiritual significance.
I found the solitude and the adventure of heading out looking for what remains of the ancient cultures that passed through this area hundreds of years ago to be deeply moving. There’s something special about wandering these silent canyons, imagining life as it once was, and feeling a quiet respect for the stories still echoing through the rock.