Plan Your Stay

Within a two-hour radius of this property: world-class crack climbing, multi-day canyon backpacking, ancestral Puebloan ruins, mountain biking, some of the darkest skies in the continental United States, and a landscape that has been drawing seekers — spiritual, athletic, and otherwise — for thousands of years. The itineraries below are starting points. The desert will revise them. Public lands are all our responsibility. Honor these remote lands by educating yourself on how to Visit with Respect→

Climbers · Hikers & Backpackers · Mountain Bikers · History & Culture · Groups & Families

For the Climber

Indian Creek

Indian Creek is twenty minutes from the Home of Truth. The splitter cracks in the Wingate sandstone here are among the most celebrated in the world — sustained, parallel, and unforgiving in the best possible way. The grades run from beginner-accessible to elite; the approach to most walls is a short hike. Use the Home of Truth as your base: early starts, hot showers, a proper kitchen for fueling up. Learn more about climbing in Indian Creek→

3 Days —  The Creek Weekend

Day 1 — Arrive & Shake the Drive Out: Arrive at the Home of Truth, get settled, and take a short afternoon warm-up at a nearby Creek wall. Dinner at the house, treats by the fire pit. Early to bed.

Day 2 — Full Creek Day: Early start. Choose a wall based on your grade. Full day on the rock. Back to the house for a hot shower, a cooked meal, and more sleep than you think you need.

Day 3 — Morning Climb, Afternoon Drive: One more wall before checkout. Stop at Newspaper Rock on the way out — it takes twenty minutes and you’ll be glad you did.

5 Days —  The Proper Creek Week

Day 1 — Arrive: Drive in, unload, cook dinner, sleep. If you arrive with time, do a short walk at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, 10 miles up the highway.

Day 2 — Indian Creek, Moderate Terrain: Try Cat Wall or Supercrack Buttress. Long day on the rock. Rest is essential here — sandstone crack climbing is relentless.

Day 3 — Rest & Explore: Take a rest day from climbing. Drive into Canyonlands Needles District for a day hike — Chester Park Loop or the Confluence Overlook Trail. These are different muscles and the canyon views are extraordinary.

Day 4 — Push Your Grade: [Harder or more committing sector.] This is the day you came for.

Day 5 — Morning Pitch, Drive Out: One wall before checkout. Stop at Needles Overlook or Looking Glass Arch on the way north towards Moab.

7 Days —  Deep Creek

Day 1 — Arrive: Settle in, enjoy the sunset by a relaxed campfire. Grocery run to Monticello if needed (~30 min). Cook and sleep.

Day 2 — Warm Up: Get used to the feel and warm up your hands, try Cat Wall or Supercrack Buttress. Long day on the rock. Rest is essential here — sandstone crack climbing is relentless.

Day 3 — Full Send: [Intermediate-to-hard objective.] All day.

Day 4 — Rest & Explore: Take a rest day from climbing. Drive into Canyonlands Needles District for a day hike — Joint Trail, Chester Park Loop, or the Confluence Overlook Trail. These are different muscles and the canyon views are extraordinary.

Day 5 — New Wall: Try something in more difficult, committing areas such as Battle of the Bulge or Pistol Whipped. This is the day you came for.

Day 6 — Day Trip: Hovenweep or Valley of the Gods: Rest your hands with a cultural day. Hovenweep National Monument (~1 hour) for ancestral Puebloan towers and near-total solitude. Or Valley of the Gods (~1 hr) if you want red rock formations without crowds.

Climbing Notes

Gear: Indian Creek is a gear-intensive destination. A full rack of cams sized from .5 to 3 inches — with doubles or triples in hand sizes (.75–2″) — is standard. Fill up on water before leaving Home of Truth, there is limited availability in Indian Creek.

Regulations: It is your responsibility to follow all regulations, including seasonal closures.

Resources: BLM | Indian Creek Special Management Area · Mountain Project | Indian Creek · Friends of Indian Creek · Visit with Respect

For the Hiker & Backpacker

Canyonlands, Bears Ears, & Beyond

The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is one of the most striking and least-visited corners of the canyon country — a labyrinth of red and white banded spires, slot canyons, and open grassland valleys that rewards both day hikers and multi-day backpackers. Add Bears Ears backcountry, Cedar Mesa, and Hovenweep, and you have enough canyon country to fill a month. Three days barely scratches it. Seven barely scratches it either, but differently. Learn more about hiking & backpacking in Bears Ears→

3 Days —  Needles Introduction

Day 1 — Arrive & Shake the Drive Out: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument on the way in — 2,000+ years of rock art on a single panel, free, ten minutes west off the highway. Arrive at the Home of Truth, cook dinner, early sleep.

Day 2 — Needles Day Hike: Drive to the Needles Visitor Center, ~30 miles from property. Hike the Chester Park Loop (11 miles, moderate) or the shorter Joint Trail loop (5 miles) through narrow sandstone joints. Visit various roadside cultural sites. Return to the house for a cooked dinner and a proper bed.

Day 3 — Hike & Drive Out: Depart and, maximize your time by visiting a hike on the way towards your home, usually north to Moab. Check out half-day hikes to explore areas such as Grandstaff Canyon.

5 Days —  Canyon Country & Culture

Day 1 — Arrive: Drive in, unload, cook dinner, sleep. Do a short walk at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, 10 miles up the highway.

Day 2 — Needles, Full Day: Drive to the Needles Visitor Center. Hike the Chester Park Loop — eleven miles through a labyrinth of red and white banded spires, open grassland valleys, and joint canyons so narrow you turn sideways. Carry more water than you think you need. Return to the house for a hot shower and a real meal. This is why you have a basecamp.

Day 3 — Joint Trail & Confluence Overlook: Back into Needles for a second day. The Joint Trail loop (five miles) threads through sandstone joints barely wide enough for your shoulders — one of the strangest and most memorable walks in the canyon country. If legs are fresh, add the Confluence Overlook trail out-and-back to see the Green and Colorado Rivers meet 1,000 feet below.

Day 4 — Cedar Mesa: Drive to the Bears Ears backcountry. Kane Gulch Ranger Station is the entry point — stop there first to check conditions and get your day-use permit. The short walk to Junction Ruin passes ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings tucked into canyon alcoves, kivas still visible, granaries intact. This is not a dramatic hike. It is a quietly staggering one.

Day 5 — Hovenweep & Depart: After checking-out, drive to Hovenweep National Monument — about an hour. Walk the Canyon Rim loop past the ancestral Puebloan towers, built with engineering precision around 1200 CE and largely still standing. Visit the small but excellent visitor center.

7 Days —  The Backpackers Week

Day 1 — Arrive & Resupply: Grocery run in Moab or Monticello, settle in, permit check and route planning for multi-day route. Cook and sleep.

Day 2 — Needles Warm-Up: Day hike the Joint Trail loop before your overnight to calibrate legs and get a feel for the terrain. Scout the trailhead. The Needles backcountry can be disorienting — the cairns are sparse and the canyon walls look similar from multiple angles.

Day 3 — Into the Backcountry: Start your multi-night Needles loop. The Chesler Park/Squ*w Canyon circuit is the classic — roughly 25 miles, best done in two or three days, passing through Chesler Park’s open grassland ringed by spires, dropping into slot canyons, climbing onto slickrock ledges with views that have no useful description. Camp at a permitted, designated site. No campfires in the backcountry.

Day 4 — Deeper In: The middle day of your loop. This is the day the desert does its work. The silence out here is not merely the absence of noise — it has a quality of its own. Move at whatever pace the terrain demands. Don’t push the miles if the country is asking you to slow down.

Day 5 — Out & Back to the House: Complete your loop and return to the trailhead. Drive back to the Home of Truth. Hot shower. Real bed. Cook something substantial. Your body has earned it and the house will feel, after two nights in the sand, like extraordinary luxury.

Day 6 — Cedar Mesa: Rest day from big miles but not from the landscape. Drive to Kane Gulch for a half-day in the Bears Ears backcountry — Junction Ruin or the longer push to Stimper Arch if legs have recovered. The density of archaeological sites along this corridor is staggering. In some alcoves you can count a dozen intact structures from a single vantage point. Afternoon: Valley of the Gods scenic loop on the way back — seventeen miles of dirt road through sandstone monoliths with near-zero traffic.

Day 7 — Hovenweep & Natural Bridges: Two monuments, one long day. Hovenweep in the morning — walk the full Canyon Rim loop, not just the viewpoint. Natural Bridges National Monument in the afternoon (~1.5 hours from property) for the Kachina Bridge trail, which passes an ancestral Puebloan site tucked into the canyon wall in one of the most dramatic settings in the Southwest. Drive home via Blanding if you want to stop at the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum — one of the finest collections of ancestral Puebloan ceramics anywhere, almost always uncrowded. Then depart.

Hiking & Backpacking Notes

Water: Water is scarce in the canyon country. Carry 3–4 liters minimum on any day hike. Backpackers should research water sources on specific routes — many are seasonal or require treatment.

Permits & Regulations: Needles backcountry requires advance permits via Recreation.gov, especially spring and fall. Day use at Canyonlands requires the national park entrance fee. Bears Ears is generally permit-free for day use but regulations evolve — verify before your trip. It is your responsibility to follow all regulations, including seasonal closures.

Resources: Canyonlands NP Backcountry Regulations · Canyonlands NP Needles District Hiking · Canyonlands NP Backpacking · BLM | Bears Ears National Monument · Bears Ears NM Camping · Cedar Mesa BENM Permits · Bears Ears NM Map · Visit with Respect

For the Mountain Bikers

Moab & Beyond

Moab is approximately 40 minutes north on US-191 — the mountain biking capital of the American West, and for good reason. The slickrock, the flow trails, the technical terrain, and the sheer volume of options make a multi-day Moab trip one of the great bike trips anywhere. The Home of Truth works as a quieter, more atmospheric base than in-town Moab lodging, with the trade-off of a daily drive to the trailheads. For riders who also want canyon hiking, Indian Creek’s landscape, or a cultural day, the mixed itinerary below has you covered.

Gravel bikers: If you are looking to ride desolate two-track through the desert the options are endless, any open, designated road on BLM or USFS lands is open to biking. Many NPS roads are also open to biking, check with agencies for regulations.

3 Days —  Moab Area Essentials

Day 1 — Arrive & Shake the Legs Out: Stop in Moab on the way to Home of Truth, ride the Bar M Loop or Klondike Bluffs trail system — mellow enough for an arrival-day spin, excellent enough to get excited. Groceries in Moab on the way back to the house. Cook dinner.

Day 2 — Slickrock or Whole Enchilada: The big day. Slickrock Bike Trail for the classic Moab experience (10 miles, relentless technical challenge, iconic). Or shuttle the Whole Enchilada for the full top-to-bottom descent (roughly 26 miles, expert terrain). Back to the house for recovery.

Day 3 — Morning Trail & Depart: Depart and try the Sovereign Trail system or another Moab-area trail on the way out.

5 Days —  Moab & the Canyon Country Mix

Day 1 — Arrive & Shake the Legs Out: Stop in Moab on the way to Home of Truth, ride the Bar M Loop or Klondike Bluffs trail system — mellow enough for an arrival-day spin, excellent enough to get excited. Groceries in Moab on the way back to the house. Cook dinner.

Day 2 — Moab, Slickrock Trail: Drive to Moab (1 hr). The Slickrock Bike Trail is the trail that put Moab on the map. 10 miles, 2,000 feet of climbing, exposure, and some of the most surreal riding on earth. Long day.

Day 3 — Moab, Sovereign Trail or Captain Ahab: Sovereign is a cross-country classic; Captain Ahab is a technical descent — choose based on your riding style. Recover at the house with a proper meal.

Day 4 — Rest & Needles Day Hike: Off the bike. Drive to Canyonlands Needles District for a canyon hike — Joint Trail loop (5 miles) is a perfect legs-but-not-lungs day that gives your body a break while keeping you on the landscape.

Day 5 — Morning Ride & Depart: After checking-out, hit any of the myriad of trails as you leave canyon country and head home.

7 Days —  The Full Moab Week

Day 1 — Arrive & Shake the Legs Out: Stop in Moab on the way to Home of Truth, ride the Bar M Loop or Klondike Bluffs trail system — mellow enough for an arrival-day spin, excellent enough to get excited. Groceries in Moab on the way back to the house. Cook dinner.

Day 2 — Moab: Klondike Bluffs & Dino Flow: Accessible, fun, and a good opener.

Day 3 — Whole Enchilada or Porcupine Rim: The big-day objective. Whole Enchilada is a shuttle-dependent, all-day epic descent. Porcupine Rim Trail (18 miles) is a more self-contained alternative with outstanding exposure above Castle Valley. There are several local shuttle providers.

Day 4 — Rest & Needles Day Hike: Off the bike. Drive to Canyonlands Needles District for a canyon hike — Joint Trail loop (5 miles) is a perfect legs-but-not-lungs day that gives your body a break while keeping you on the landscape.

Day 5 — Moab, Slickrock: The classic. Go slow — it’s more technical than it looks, and the exposure is real.

Day 6 — Sovereign Trail: Flowy cross-country day scenic day. Stop in to Island in the Sky for epic views, also near Dead Horse Point State Park trails.

Day 7 — Morning Ride & Depart: After checking-out, hit any of the myriad of trails as you leave canyon country and head home.

Biking Notes

Water: Water is scarce in the canyon country. Carry 3–4 liters minimum.

Drive to trailheads: Most Moab riding is 40-60 minutes from the Home of Truth. Other trailheads in the Abajos or La Sals are closer to 30 minutes.

Shops & shuttles: Multiple outfitters in Moab offer rental bikes, shuttle services, and local knowledge.

Resources: Mountain Bike Project | SE Utah · Trail Forks | Moab Area · Visit with Respect

For the History Traveler

Thousands of Years on One Landscape

This corner of Utah is one of the most archaeologically rich landscapes in North America. Within two hours of the Home of Truth, you can stand inside a 900-year-old cliff dwelling, read 2,000 years of rock art on a single sandstone panel, walk the ruins of ancestral Puebloan towers, and sleep in a building raised by a 20th-century spiritual colony that believed it had found the center of the universe. The layering of human meaning on this land is unlike anywhere else. These itineraries barely touch it — but they’re a real start. Learn more about visiting cultural and historic sites

3 Days —  The Essential Circuit

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Hovenweep National Monument: Drive ~1 hour to Hovenweep. The ancestral Puebloan towers here — built between 1200 and 1300 CE, precisely engineered, and still largely standing — are among the most architecturally striking sites in the Southwest. Walk the 4-mile Canyon Rim loop. Visit the small but excellent visitor center. Return via Valley of the Gods scenic loop if time allows.

Day 3 — Bears Ears Cultural Sites & Depart: Morning stop at Mule Canyon (free, roadside) is a good option. Then Newspaper Rock one more time on the way out, if the petroglyphs pull you back. They probably will.

5 Days —  Deep History

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Hovenweep & Valley of the Gods: Full day. Hovenweep in the morning (4-mile loop, ~2.5 hours). Picnic lunch. Valley of the Gods scenic loop (~17 miles of dirt road, requires a vehicle with reasonable clearance) in the afternoon — striking sandstone monoliths in near-total solitude. A very different landscape from Canyonlands.

Day 3 — Cedar Mesa & Grand Gulch: Bears Ears backcountry. Cedar Mesa is one of the densest concentrations of ancestral Puebloan sites in the US — Kane Gulch Ranger Station is the starting point for most visitors. Day permits may be required. Confirm via BLM before your trip. A day here changes how you understand the word “ancient.”

Day 4 — Needles District & Roadside Sites: Drive into Canyonlands Needles District for the day. The Needles themselves are extraordinary, and the visitor center has excellent interpretive material on the area’s human history. Stop at any roadside archaeological sites as well as short hikes.

Day 5 — Natural Bridges & Depart: Check-out and then drive to Natural Bridges National Monument (~1.5 hours). The Kachina Bridge trail passes a well-preserved ancestral Puebloan site tucked into the canyon wall — one of the most dramatic settings for archaeological sites anywhere in the Southwest. Then depart.

7 Days —  The Full Cultural Landscape

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Hovenweep: Full day at Hovenweep — all the trails, the visitor center, the longer canyon walk if energy allows. This site deserves a whole day.

Day 3 — Cedar Mesa & Kane Gulch: Bears Ears backcountry archaeology. Kane Gulch to Junction Ruin is a classic 4-mile round trip passing multiple cliff dwellings and kivas. Permit required; reserve in advance.

Day 4 — Rest & Needles: Lighter day. Canyonlands Needles District for scenery and geology with some archaeology. The landscape itself is ancient — Permian-era rock, 250 million years in the making.

Day 5 — Valley of the Gods & Mexican Hat: Valley of the Gods in the morning. Drive to Mexican Hat and the Goosenecks of the San Juan River — one of the most dramatic entrenched meander systems in the world, visible from a roadside overlook. Free. Staggering.

Day 6 — Natural Bridges & Blanding: Natural Bridges National Monument. Then stop at the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding ~45 min from property — one of the finest collections of ancestral Puebloan ceramics and artifacts in the Southwest, often overlooked. Worth two hours.

Day 7 — Final Morning & Depart: After checking-out, revisit any of the areas that called to you, or find a new one on the way and head home.

History & Culture Notes

Protecting the sites: All archaeological and cultural sites in Bears Ears and surrounding areas are protected by federal law. Do not touch, climb on, or remove anything. Stay on established trails where they exist. These sites are irreplaceable. Learn how to Visit with Respect

Permits: Cedar Mesa and Grand Gulch require day-use permits from the BLM Monticello field office or Recreation.gov. Obtain in advance, especially in spring and fall. Hovenweep and Natural Bridges charge national monument entrance fees.

Resources: Hovenweep NP · Bears Ears NM · Natural Bridges NM · Cedar Mesa BENM Permits · Edge of the Cedars Museum SP · Bears Ears Archaeology · Visit with Respect

For Mixed Groups & Families

Mixed Pursuits, Shared Desert

The Home of Truth comfortably sleeps eight. Groups come in many configurations — some climbers, some hikers, a history nerd, a kid who mostly wants to see a lizard. The canyon country accommodates all of it. These itineraries assume a mixed group with varying interests and energy levels, built around the house as a shared anchor.

3 Days —  Desert Sampler

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Needles District: Canyonlands Needles District is accessible to most fitness levels and consistently stunning. The Joint Trail (5-mile loop) is doable for older kids and any adult who walks regularly. Pack a real lunch and extra water. Return to the house for dinner — this is the beauty of a basecamp.

Day 3 — Split or Together & Depart: Climbers in the group can do a morning pitch at Indian Creek. Non-climbers can explore the area, hike the road, or drive up to Newspaper Rock again. Regroup, load up, depart. Stop somewhere that calls to you on the way out.

5 Days —  The Full Mix

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Split Day: Climbers to Indian Creek. Everyone else to Needles District for a day hike, or a slow morning at the property followed by Newspaper Rock and a drive up the highway. Reconnect at the house for dinner.

Day 3 — Group Day at Hovenweep NP: Everyone goes. The short Canyon Rim loop (4 miles, well-maintained) is appropriate for most fitness levels. Lunch at the monument. Return via Valley of the Gods if the group has energy.

Day 4 — Free Day: No agenda. The house, the property, the stars. Board games. A long drive on a dirt road with no destination. This is the day that usually becomes everyone’s favorite.

Day 5 — Morning Activity & Depart: Short hike, Newspaper Rock, or Indian Creek spectating for non-climbers. Load up and go.

7 Days —  The Group Week

Day 1 — Arrive & Newspaper Rock: Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument before check-in (10 miles up Hwy 211, free, always open). A single sandstone panel holds over 2,000 years of petroglyphs from multiple cultures — Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, Anglo. Spend an hour exploring Hwy 211. Then come to the Home of Truth, read about Marie Ogden, and sit with the strangeness of where you’re sleeping.

Day 2 — Needles District: Group hike. Joint Trail or Pothole Point depending on energy and ages. Picnic in the canyon.

Day 3 — Split Day: Climbers to Indian Creek. Hikers to Bears Ears backcountry or Cedar Mesa. Families with kids: Hamburger Rock area exploration.

Day 4 — Group Day at Hovenweep NP: Everyone goes. The short Canyon Rim loop (4 miles, well-maintained) is appropriate for most fitness levels. Lunch at the monument.

Day 5 — Valley of the Gods & Goosenecks: Scenic driving day. Valley of the Gods loop (dirt road, check road conditions). Goosenecks of the San Juan River overlook. Mexican Hat town. Return to house for a group dinner.

Day 6 — Free / Rest Day: Do nothing on purpose. The desert has a different quality when you’re not trying to see everything in it. Sit outside in the evening. Look at stars. Remember where you are.

Day 7 — Final Morning & Depart: After checking-out, revisit any of the areas that called to you, or find a new one on the way and head home. Stop in Moab for lunch.

Mixed Groups & Families Notes

Learn more about hiking, history & culture, biking, and climbing.

Families with children should monitor and review backcountry safety, including how to handle rattlesnakes and other hazards.

Have a trip in mind?

The house sleeps eight. Every itinerary above uses the Home of Truth as its anchor — a real bed, a hot shower, and a kitchen after a hard day in the desert.

Reach out with questions – we’re glad to help you put a trip together.