House on Fire Ruins
House on Fire Ruins got its name from the way the “roof” rock of the “house” looks like it is on fire during the late morning hour. It is located in Mule Canyon in the Cedar Mesa plateau in the southeastern corner of Utah, about a half hour from Blanding, Utah. It used to be part of Bears Ears National Monument. Situated high above the canyon, the House on Fire Ruins is believed to be an ancient Puebloan granary ruins from at least 700 years ago.
Ancient Puebloan Ruins, House on Fire, Mule Canyon, Utah
The hike in was very pleasant, pretty quiet along a creek and many trees with budding green leaves. It was a smallish canyon, so we had two walls of red rock on either side of us. There were many stream crossings which we easily made across without getting our feet wet. We sometimes lost our trail to the wash, but easily found it again not too far downstream. I kept my eyes peeled for more ruins along the way, but none came into sight. Our hike was about 1.5 miles each way. We arrived around 10:15 a.m., stayed about 15 minutes and left as the next group arrived. As we left, we noticed a handful of groups arriving for the fire hour. I had read that 'Fire Hour' - the time when the 'roof rock' looks like its on fire - is during late morning.
The hike into House on Fire Ruins, Mule Canyon, Utah
There are a few other ruins along this highway but we did not get a chance to explore further. Some names of ruins to research, if you are interested: Butler Wash Ruins, Moon House Ruin, Wall Ruins, Junction Ruins, Turkey Pen Ruins, some requiring permits. As I'm writing this, I am thinking that I should be planning a return trip to the area already.
We did this drive/hike as part of our tour of the Four Corners Area.
| Features: | A pretty hike between walls of red rock to a somewhat hidden year almost 1000 year old Puebloan ruins |
|---|---|
| Our hike: | 3 miles rt from parking lot into canyon, many stream crossings with no wet feet |
| Fee: | $2/person/day or $5/person/7days, National parks pass NOT accepted. Leave your permit on your dash. Permit valid for the duration paid at any Cedar Mesa trailhead (including Kane Gulch). Payment information/permits are at info board at start of dirt road. |
| Directions: | From Blanding, head south on Hwy 191, then west on UT 95 for a little over 19 miles. Immediately after you pass mile post 102, there will be a dirt on your right. Take it. (If you pass a brown sign that says “Mule Canyon Indian Ruins” you’ve gone too far. Turn around and take the first dirt road you come to on your left.) Once on the dirt road, look for a board on your left (with permit fee information) and an unpaved parking area on your right immediately after the board. After parking, walk a short way down the unpaved road to the first canyon. There is an information board visible from this road on the left, to mark the start of the trail. Sign in at the guest register. |
| Website: | House On Fire Ruins |
| Other: | When spending time in deserts and canyons, pay attention to the weather forecast for Heat or Rain. Rain in any surrounding area may cause dangerous flashfloods. |
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