Bluff Great House

The Bluff Great House Site in southeast Utah, is thought to be at the edge of the regional culture that was centered on Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, 125 miles to the southeast.

The Bluff site is on a hill overlooking the San Juan River Valley. From the intersection of Road 3 East and Mulberry in the town of Bluff, follow the paved road that starts west and curves back north to the parking area next to an information kiosk.

There isn’t much of a hike here. The ruins site is an easy stroll across the road. The terrain here is dry and grassy with massive sandstone cliffs to the north. The San Juan River rises in the mountains to the east and flows west toward Lake Powell and the Colorado River above Glen Canyon Dam. Bluff is a launch point for rafting trips into the wild canyon areas to the west.

There is a large rubble mound that is the remains of the Great House. This structure is thought to have been constructed by 1100 AD and abandoned by 1300 AD. The interpretive information in the kiosk indicates that the Great House was rectangular with three circular kivas and about 20 rooms, with a section that was two stories tall. The University of Colorado is working on the site and there is a wooden structure that covers a trench where some of the wall remains can be viewed.

To the south of the Great House are the mostly unexcavated remains of a 45 foot diameter Great Kiva that rests six feet below the surface. All that can be seen for now is a shallow depression.

Related sites in the area are the large petroglyph panel at Sand Island, a few miles to the west and the large site at the Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding about 25 miles to the north. There are also many small sites and hikes in the Comb Ridge area about five miles to the west.