Comb Ridge Road — Highway 163 to Butler Wash via Comb Ridge Spine

Comb Ridge is a 90-mile-long hogback monocline that rips across southeast Utah like a cracked spine — one of the most dramatic geological features in the Colorado Plateau. The two-track road that runs along and through it connects Highway 163 south of Bluff to the Butler Wash area near Blanding, weaving between Cedar Mesa sandstone fins and past dozens of documented Ancestral Puebloan ruins sites. Comb Wash Road drops into the wash itself and follows it north, while side tracks scramble up onto the ridge where the views across Bears Ears are genuinely staggering — Navajo Mountain to the south, the Abajo Mountains to the north, and the broken red canyon country stretching east toward Monument Valley. This is Bears Ears National Monument country; treat the ruins with respect and leave everything exactly as you find it.

The main Comb Wash Road is moderate — manageable in a stock high-clearance 2WD in dry conditions, but the spur tracks up onto the ridge proper require 4WD and clearance. The entire corridor becomes a slick mess when wet; the clay-heavy soils will turn your tires into useless discs. No permit required to drive the road, but you’re in Bears Ears NM — registered camping areas only in many sections, and ground-disturbing off-trail vehicle travel is prohibited. Fuel in Bluff or Blanding. Water in Butler Wash is unreliable — bring your own. Best season is spring and fall. This is the kind of place that makes you feel small in the best possible way.