Moon House - Cedar Mesa

[zzyzx]

...can't see vivo.

[taatmk]

Great description. And great place. One of the best on Cedar Mesa. I have been there twice, last time back in 2001. A very photgenic ruin. Additionally ruins up and down the same cliff band.

[mattandersao]

Why didnt I go to moonhouse when I was camping close to this canyon two weeks ago?! How easy/hard to get permits? I should have my TR up in the next couple days.

[Iceaxe]

In the past Moon House permits were easy to get as they never hit the limit in the first two years of the system. This year I know they have limited out a couple of times since lowering the number of permits. Last Friday I was the one that put them at the limit but we didn't pick up our permits until about noon as Moon House was our second option if the snow was to deep to get into the Doll House (which it was).

So... my thoughts are permits shouldn't be to difficult if you arrive in the morning or during a weekday, but they might be hard to come by on busy weekends and holidays. Part of the reason we did Moon House was I wanted to see it again before there are too many BLM hoops to jump through.

[zzyzx]

Axe,
Was the road conditions to the TH good?
Is that road suitable for RVs?
Or so narrow, like the South Road to Bullet Canyon TH?
Thanks.

[Iceaxe]

Is that road suitable for RVs?

Nope, high clearance vehicles only.

[zzyzx]

Thanks for info.

[Maya]

Incredible! Thanks for posting the video. That definitely put in on my list of must visit places :)

[gnwatts]

The government opens up the road, too many people now, surprise! Now we have permits and quotas. I am going to see Moon House again someday, and I sure as hell am not going to ask permission. The State of Utah is doing some messed up stuff right now, on road rights of way. Join SUWA! Fight THE MAN.

Greg

[Iceaxe]

The State of Utah is doing some messed up stuff right now, on road rights of way. Join SUWA! Fight THE MAN.

Since you are not from Utah you might not understand this..... but.... The one thing you can do to be certian things will remain a big ass mess is join SUWA.....

SUWA is so hated in Utah that folks will vote agaisnt a SUWA proposal, even if its the best idea, just because it's SUWA. Anything SUWA supports is doomed to failure.

[canyonphile]

We got back from a trip to Cedar Mesa a couple of days ago, and thanks to me happening to see this thread before we went, we actually did go to Moon House ruins.

I can confirm that you need a high-clearance vehicle for all but about the first 3 miles of Snow Flat Road; we were with friends who had a F-450 dually, which was obviously had plenty of clearance for the road, we were still slamming around because of the slickrock drop-offs you have to negotiate along the road...would have been a more comfortable ride in a Jeep with heavy-duty shocks. Definitely not for any RV! We drove the road all the way to Comb Wash, and it got even worse in areas before finally dropping off the mesa and into the wash area.

We had no problem getting permits to the ruin; in fact, we had the place to ourselves the entire time, and never saw another car or person there. Given this was a Saturday in peak season with perfect weather, I was sort of surprised. The BLM ranger (my friends know him by sight and recognized him by name) that was apparently babysitting the site earlier in the day drove past us in his white Rubicon, so we could have easily hiked in there without a permit. So, probably best to aim for afternoon if you're planning to be a scofflaw .

If we'd had more time, I would have liked to have hiked to the ruins we saw on either side of the main set, even though they weren't nearly as impressive as Moon House itself. Also, the canyon itself was really attractive, and looked to have some game/foot trails along the wash that you could easily follow, at least as far as I could see.

If you happen to go on a day when the sky is slightly overcast, you'll probably get better photos than on a bright sunny day like we had - too much contrast to get what I'd consider print-worthy photos.

[gnwatts]

oops

[gnwatts]

Since you are not from Utah you might not understand this..... but.... The one thing you can do to be certian things will remain a big ass mess is join SUWA.....

SUWA is so hated in Utah that folks will vote agaisnt a SUWA proposal, even if its the best idea, just because it's SUWA. Anything SUWA supports is doomed to failure.

I forgot to mention I enjoyed your original post.

I lived in Utah for a few years and live close by, so your statement (and really cute logo) is not a surprise to me. Your states desire to take over cow paths and waterways as "public rights of way" is unconscionable. It should be fought, and if SUWA is the only organization with enough balls to take on your corrupt state government then I will support them, and have. It's time that progressive leaning people in your beautiful state stand up for Wilderness, and fight the attitude that all wilderness is to be exploited. Utah does not deserve the honor of having these timeless landscapes within it's borders.
Even most of the rednecks around here in Colorado have come to the realization that continual exploitation of our land, air and water for profit (or worse) is not sustainable, and that real solutions are obtainable that benefit everyone (except the corporations that are paying off your politicians).
Greg

Edit:
The fact that a formerly hard to reach ruin in the middle of no where, is now in danger from over use, tells me something is not right.

Somebody needs to stop the State of Utah from doing more damage than they already have. I am optimistic that the state will eventually be stopped, but only if the people of your fair state decide that they have had enough. If SUWA is not the answer (or part of the answer) then someone else needs to step up and take immediate action, because it is desperately needed. Sorry for the rant.

[restrac2000]

Moon House is a great place to visit in the off season. Didn't know they had gone to permit.

The ruin hasn't been hard to reach for decades, Greg. The region around there has a long history of grazing (and the roads to access the allotments). Met one rancher there when I spent the month of December in my trailer hiking the various drainages. Great people who have a long history of use on the mesa. Kind gentleman who didn't mind sharing his stories of exploring.

(As a Utah democrat I get tired of outsiders constantly simplifying the complexity of our land use problems. So easy to write people off as rednecks and unworthy.)

[gnwatts]

My guess is that it was 2001, as that was the first time I saw the road open to Moon House and asked the ranger, who said it was that year. So not decades. When your state has a large percentage of it's land in federal control, expect "outsiders" (curious, messed up word) to have a say, especially when your state has proven that it will put economic/corporate interests above environmental concerns.

Also, what is so complex about it?

[IntrepidXJ]

The road to Moon House is almost all on SITLA land. Just a very short section from the Cigarette Springs Road is not.

[Iceaxe]

The fact that a formerly hard to reach ruin in the middle of no where, is now in danger from over use, tells me something is not right.

Somebody needs to stop the State of Utah from doing more damage than they already have. I am optimistic that the state will eventually be stopped, but only if the people of your fair state decide that they have had enough. .

A couple of errors.... Moon House has had a road to it since at least the 1960's as it shows up on my old maps... I don't know when the roads first appeared but it has been at least 50 years since "middle of no where" applied....

Next item... Moon House is on Federal land and is administered by the BLM, which is Federal... the state of Utah doesn't much say in how the ruin is protected.