The Landscape  Just north of Kanab, Utah, an otherworldly transition unfolds: towering red rock buttes give way to a rolling sea of pale sand dunes scattered with tall Ponderosa Pines. Delicate pockets of native grasses and shrubs stabilize the dunes and anchor the ecosystem, while the trees provide shelter and shade in an otherwise harsh […]

The Landscape Just outside of Moab and within sight of Canyonlands National Park, the red rock desert unfolds in a mesmerizing maze. Vast sandstone buttes stand out on the horizon above winding rivers, complex canyon systems, and distant mountain ranges. Sunlit Navajo sandstone domes, fins, and arches create a landscape that feels almost unreal. Desert […]

The Landscape The 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is celebrated around the globe for its sweeping scenery, world-class recreation, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Since its designation in 1996, scientists have discovered multiple new dinosaur species and more than 650 species of native bees—many found nowhere else on Earth. In the southern part of the […]

The Landscape Spanning an astonishing 1.7 million acres, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the American Southwest. This is a place of vast slickrock plateaus, winding canyons, towering cliffs, and night skies so dark they feel prehistoric. Every layer of rock tells a story, and in many cases, those […]

*THIS PROJECT REMAINS IN DEVELOPMENT* The Landscape Near Vernal, Utah, the Green, White, and Yampa Rivers carve winding corridors through layered cliffs and colorful badlands, linking high-elevation forests to arid lowlands. Pinyon-juniper woodlands give way to expansive sagebrush flats, while rugged ridges rise in bands of red, gray, and gold, telling a geologic story millions […]

The Landscape On March 12, 2019, the Emery County Public Land Management Act was signed into law as the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. As part of that act, the Emery County Public Land Management Act protected 663,000 acres of public lands as designated wilderness, including acreage in Muddy Creek, Desolation […]

The Landscape Utah’s vast West Desert is home to a number of dramatic “island” mountain ranges that rise abruptly from the desert floor: the Deep Creek Mountains, the House Range, the Wah Wahs, and many more. Each range holds its own personality, from ancient bristlecone pines and limestone cliffs to broad valleys and endless pinyon-juniper […]

**It is an honor and privilege to visit these sites and support their protection. Participants must understand that this is a sacred landscape and treat sites with the utmost care and respect.** **THIS IS A BACKPACKING PROJECT** If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don't […]

The Landscape Beef Basin is a remote landscape within Bears Ears National Monument, tucked just beyond the boundaries of Canyonlands National Park. With wide valleys, stunning buttes, and sandstone outcroppings, this region treats visitors to wide open expanses, herds of mule deer, as well as the presence of cultural sites that the Monument is known […]

The Landscape Designated on December 28, 2016, Bears Ears National Monument brought new protections to some of the most remarkable landscapes in southern Utah. Within the monument, Cedar Mesa rises as a canyon-carved expanse of pinyon-juniper forest, offering refuge for wildlife, springs and seasonal creeks, and the incredible Grand Gulch canyon system. Here, broad mesas […]

**THIS PROJECT INVOLVES MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING** If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don't hesitate to reach out to volunteer@suwa.org to learn more about the details of this trip, including mileage, strenuous terrain, and water availability. The Landscape Southern Utah is home to a number of […]

The Landscape Rising abruptly from the salt flats of Utah’s West Desert, the Deep Creek Mountain form the highest and most dramatic skyline in the region. Akin to Great Basin National Park, this remote mountain range spans the Utah-Nevada border, skyrocketing out of the low-lying grasslands and playas to granite peaks nearing 12,000 feet. With […]

The Landscape Near Vernal, Utah, the Uinta Basin unfolds as a striking convergence of rivers, ridgelines, and desert geology. Here, the Green, White, and Yampa Rivers carve winding corridors through layered cliffs and colorful badlands, linking high-elevation forests to arid lowlands. Pinyon-juniper woodlands give way to expansive sagebrush flats, while rugged ridges rise in bands […]

The Landscape Deep within Bears Ears National Monument sits Dark Canyon Wilderness, an incredible and massive remote canyon system. Forming off of the forests of Elk Ridge, Dark Canyon's high canyon walls, streams, springs, cottonwood groves, and cultural sites make it unique and awe-inspiring. While the head of this large drainage is full of Ponderosa […]

**THIS PROJECT IS FULL**  SUWA occasionally reserves projects for student groups, nonprofits and other organizations seeking to engage on the issues primary to our mission.  Contact volunteer@suwa.org for more information.  The Landscape Sitting between high desert canyon systems, Cedar Mesa, and the Abajo Mountains sits Elk Ridge, home to the Bears Ears buttes that give Bears Ears National Monument […]

**THIS PROJECT INVOLVES MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING** If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don't hesitate to reach out to volunteer@suwa.org to learn more about the details of this trip, including mileage, strenuous terrain, and water availability. The Landscape Spanning an astonishing 1.7 million acres, Grand Staircase-Escalante […]

The Landscape Utah’s vast West Desert is home to a number of dramatic “island” mountain ranges that rise abruptly from the desert floor: the Deep Creek Mountains, the House Range, the Wah Wahs, Notch Peak, and many more. Particularly notable is the ivory-colored Crystal Peak, a white volcanic-tuff formation that sits in the pinyon-juniper expanse […]

**THIS PROJECT REMAINS IN DEVELOPMENT**  The Landscape On March 12, 2019, the Emery County Public Land Management Act was signed into law as the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. As part of that act, the Emery County Public Land Management Act protected 663,000 acres of public lands as designated wilderness, including […]

**THIS PROJECT INVOLVES MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING** If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don't hesitate to reach out to volunteer@suwa.org to learn more about the details of this trip, including mileage, strenuous terrain, and water availability. The Landscape Deep in Bears Ears National Monument, a wild […]

The Landscape Near Vernal, Utah, the Green, White, and Yampa Rivers carve winding corridors through layered cliffs and colorful badlands, linking high-elevation forests to arid lowlands. Pinyon-juniper woodlands give way to expansive sagebrush flats, while rugged ridges rise in bands of red, gray, and gold, telling a geologic story millions of years in the making. […]

The Landscape Utah’s vast West Desert is home to a number of dramatic “island” mountain ranges that rise abruptly from the desert floor: the Deep Creek Mountains, the House Range, the Wah Wahs, and many more. Each range holds its own personality, from ancient bristlecone pines and limestone cliffs to broad valleys and endless pinyon-juniper […]

The Landscape In southeastern Utah, along the Colorado border, red rock desert and winding rivers come together to form a striking landscape. River gorges cut deep into sandstone, while mesas and benches are dotted with old-growth pinyon–juniper forests that have sustained life here for thousands of years. This is an ancestral homeland of indigenous peoples […]

**THIS PROJECT REMAINS IN DEVELOPMENT**  We are still working with agency partners to determine project scope. As a result, this project description and work scope may shift. Updates are anticipated summer of 2026. The Landscape Designated on December 28, 2016, Bears Ears National Monument brought new protections to some of the most remarkable landscapes in […]

**THIS PROJECT INVOLVES MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING** If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don't hesitate to reach out to volunteer@suwa.org to learn more about the details of this trip including mileage, strenuous terrain, and water availability. The Landscape The 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is […]

**APPLICANTS LIVING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY ACCEPTANCE FOR THIS PROJECT AS PART OF OUR WILDERNESS STEWARD PROGRAM. ALL ARE WELCOME TO APPLY.** SUWA occasionally reserves projects for student groups, nonprofits, and other organizations seeking to engage on the issues primary to our mission. Contact volunteer@suwa.org for more information. The Landscape Washington County, located […]

The Landscape In southeastern Utah, near the town of Moab, Canyonlands National Park protects wide swaths of incredible desert landscapes. With the Colorado River flowing down into Cataract Canyon, and the world-famous Indian Creek area nearby, the Needles District of Canyonlands is remote and beautiful. Known for its colorful sandstone spires that rise sharply from […]