2026 FALL FIELD TRIP - Geology of the Greater Bears Ears Area, Southeastern Utah

Join us as we explore the geology of the spectacular red rock country sandwiched between five national parks, monuments, and recreation areas in southeastern Utah. Bears Ears National Monument was originally designated to preserve tens of thousands of archaeological ruins and artifacts, but its geology would be reason enough. Excellent exposures of a nearly complete Middle Pennsylvanian to Late Cretaceous section, Oligocene laccoliths, Laramide-age anticlines and monoclines, and deep canyons of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers preserve a long history and tell many of the most enigmatic geologic stories of the Colorado Plateau. We will visit jaw-dropping vistas, study the geologic setting of Ancestral Puebloan ruins, and see lesser-known hideaways that tell this geologic story. Learn from the trip leaders about mapping the geology of Bears Ears and hear their experience in compiling maps, sorting out stratigraphic puzzles, and creating a final geologic map for their brand-new Bears Ears National Monument chapter in the fourth edition of UGA Publication 28, Geology of Utah’s Parks and Monuments. Topical experts will speak to us about water resources of the Colorado Plateau and their current monitoring networks, discuss mining history of the area, share results of new stratigraphic studies, discuss the oil and gas resources and geology of the Paradox Basin, and update us on active engineering geology and hazards monitoring efforts.