Introduction to Bluff

100 miles S of Moab, 338 miles SE of Salt Lake City

The tiny and very friendly village of Bluff sits near the intersection of U.S. 191 and U.S. 163, with roads leading off toward all the attractions of the Four Corners. With a population of about 300, Bluff (elevation 4,320 ft.) is one of those comfortable little places with most basic services, but not a lot more. Founded by Mormon pioneers in 1880, the town had already been the site of both Ancestral Puebloan and Navajo occupations. Local businesses distribute a free walking- and biking-tour guide that shows where ancient rock art and archaeological sites are located, and points out the locations of some of Bluff's handsome stone homes and other historic sites from the late 19th century.

For more information on Bluff, check out the website of the Business Owners of Bluff (www.bluffutah.org). You can also get information on Bluff and the other southeast Utah communities of Blanding, Monticello, Mexican Hat, and Monument Valley from Utah's Canyon Country, 117 S. Main St. (P.O. Box 490), Monticello, UT 84535 (tel. 800/574-4386 or 435/587-3235, ext. 4139; www.utahscanyoncountry.com). There is no visitor center in Bluff.