Cedar Mesa, a broad sandstone tableland to the north and west of Bluff, contains one of the highest concentrations of Ancestral Puebloan ruins anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. Grand Gulch cuts through its southern face, a winding canyon system over 80 km long with cliff dwellings, granaries, and rock art panels at almost every bend. The canyon can be entered from the Kane Gulch Ranger Station on US-261.
Access requires a permit from the BLM (Bureau of Land Management); these can be booked online and are worth getting well in advance for spring and autumn visits, when the canyon is at its most beautiful. Day hikes reach the first ruins in under two hours from the trailhead; multi-day backpacking trips of three to five days cover the full length of Grand Gulch. This is one of the finest canyon hikes in the Southwest.